10:37 PM
"The bicycle corps began training in July 1896 with grueling exercises such as the one which started with the command “jump fence.” It involved the soldiers scaling a 9-foot obstacle by standing on the bike seat, climbing to the top of the obstacle, and then pulling the bicycle up and over."

Another fascinating gem from nineteenth-century history: the story of the buffalo soldiers who made up the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps.

There's a book called Iron Riders about the Bicycle Corps that I definitely want to check out, but if you poke around on the web you can find some great little treats like this hand-colored photograph of the Corps taken during their visit to Mammoth Hot Springs, along with lots of stories and anecdotes.

"On June 14, 1897 20 men of the bicycle corps left Fort Missoula in Montana. Their goal was to ride to St. Louis some 1,900 miles away. When a civilian asked one of the men, "Where are you going today?" the riders quickly shot back their answer, "The Lord only knows. We’re following the Lieutenant."