Here in the United States, today is Presidents’ Day.
When I was a kid (really, I was!), two separate holidays were celebrated: the 12th for Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday and the 22nd for George Washington. That meant two days off from school unless, of course, the holiday fell on a weekend. In the 1970s, those fetes were eliminated in favor of a Monday holiday in February.
The resulting long weekend gave stores (and, now, Internet retailers) a day to mark down prices on stuff they couldn’t sell for Christmas or other holidays—and customers an excuse to shop.
As I wrote a few years ago, during the 1890s-early 1900s Bike Boom, Washington’s Birthday was Bicycle Day. Bicycle makers debuted new models in splashy shows, and with sales, in much the same way the day would become the occasion to introduce new car models.
From what I’ve read, that day was chosen because, at this time of year, people sense that Spring was around the corner—and, in the warmer parts of the country, it had all but arrived. In those balmier locales (and some less temperate), the day also began the riding or racing season.
Our current President, Joe Biden, has been spotted riding with his wife, Jill, on more than one occasion. His predecessor who shall not be named did everything he could to denigrate bicycles and cyclists. But Obama, Clinton and both Bushes were at least occasional cyclists. So was Jimmy Carter, until recently.
I don’t think Ronald Reagan ever mounted two wheels while he was in office, though he was known to ride in his younger days. And another president I shouldn’t name—let’s call him Tricky Dick—is probably the last person in the world I would expect to see on a bike. (Peter Sagal quipped that in San Clemente, he was seen surfing in his dress shoes. So it’s not surprising to see him cycling in, shall we say, non-cycling attire.
From The Bicycle Story
