For research assistance, please contact University Archives and Special Collections at library.archives@umb.edu.
"The League of American Wheelmen/Charles River Wheelmen Rockport Rally," 1969. SC-0166 Ralph Galen papers.
In the 1890s, Boston and Massachusetts had the largest per capita membership of women and men in the League of American Wheelmen. It is fitting, then, that UMass Boston is fast becoming a research destination for Boston-area, New England, and national bicycling history. We hold mor than forty collections of cyclists' photographs, letters, publications, and scrapbooks, as well as the records of the League of American Wheelmen (now the League of American Bicyclists); proceedings of the International Cycling History Conferences; and runs of The Wheelwoman, The Wheelmen magazine and other bicycling publications.
UMass Boston is particularly interested in collecting materials from and about diverse and under-represented communities and about women in cycling.
Browse and search finding aids for our processed Archival and Manuscript Collections related to bicycling history below.
Contact us at library.archives@umb.edu for research assistance.
Browse bicycling-related articles on our online newsletter, Open Archives News. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications of newly-processed collections. Contact us at library.archives@umb.edu if you have bicycling history-related collections that you would like to donate to us.
Learn about the differences between primary and secondary sources.
American Youth Hostel records, 1874-2012, bulk 1936-2007
Andi Genser AIDS bicycle rides collection, 2005-2010
Bicycle Network: Network News publication, 1981-1999
Boston Area Bicycle Coalition, 1971-2010, bulk 1976-1998
Cathy Buckley papers, 1973-2007
Chet Johnson bicycling collection, 1965
Fred St. Onge scrapbooks, circa 1896-1922
Hub Cycle and Radio Company 45th Anniversary Scrapbook, 1897-1942
League of American Bicyclists records, 1880-1999, bulk 1965-1996
Michael Hanauer: Charles River Wheelmen collection 1980-2012, bulk 1980-1990
Minuteman Commuter Bikeway publications, 1993-1994
Nelson Dionne collection, 1900-2009
Phyllis Harmon: League of American Wheelmen (LAW) collection, 1880-2006, bulk 1965-1999
Proceedings of the International Cycling History Conference, 1990-2019 (though the finding aid lists proceedings through 2015, the Healey Library has more recent volumes of proceedings)
Stuart Bradford Nova Scotia Bicycling Tour collection, 1969
The Wheelmen publication, 1970-2015
Explore all of our archival and manuscript collections that document the history of bicycling.
To access collections held outside of UMass Boston, search ArchiveGrid, WorldCat, and the Digital Public Library of America. Search for "bicycling" and related keywords.
Search the Healey Library's catalog for books about bicycling in University Archives and Special Collections. This list doesn't necessarily represent the full extent of our holdings, as many books and journals are in the queue for cataloging.
The volumes listed in the above search are available to researchers visiting the Archives Research Room in the Healey Library.
There are also many books about bicycling in the Healey Library's general collection as well. Search the Healey Library's catalog and try searching for relevant keywords like "bicycle," "bicyclist," and "cycling."
Note: The option to check books out of the Healey Library's general collection is limited to UMass Boston students, faculty, and staff. These books, and others, may be available through your local public library or you can visit the UMass Boston campus to view the books.
2 Wheels, 2 Years, and 3 Continents by 
Bicycle Touring in the Pioneer Valley by 
Boston's Cycling Craze, 1880-1900 by 
Critical geographies of cycling : history, political economy and culture by Search these journals for "bicycling" and related keywords. Search and browse all of the Healey Library's ejournals.
Note: The links to ejournals listed below will work for UMass Boston students, faculty, and staff. These resources and others may be available through your local public library.
Journal Databases
Note: The links to Journal Databases listed below will work for UMass Boston students, faculty, and staff. These resources and others may be available through your local public library.
Search and browse all of the Healey Library's newspaper databases.
Note: The links to newspapers and newspaper databases listed below will work for UMass Boston students, faculty, and staff. These resources and others may be available through your local public library.
Search the Healey Library's catalog, ScholarWorks, or WorldCat for dissertations, theses, and other scholarly works about bicycling.
Search these video databases for "bicycling" and related keywords.
Note: The links to videos and video databases listed below will work for UMass Boston students, faculty, and staff. These resources and others may be available through your local public library.
