19th Century California Bike Routes Weren't Too Shabby

Bicycle infrastructure is so 1896. Events like CicLAvia prove the gathering strength of the contemporary bicycle movement, but as a map posted by the Big Map Blog today shows, bike enthusiasm goes way back. George Blum made the "Map of California Roads for Cyclers" in 1896, and it is nothing short of awesome, in a vintage way. The map is incredibly detailed, showing bike roads to such far flung locales as Yosemite and Chico on paths that closely followed that other long-neglected but making-a-comeback form of transportation infrastructure: rail. The post at Big Map Blog includs a request for more bicycle-themed maps, so cruise over to the site to check out the full map and to pass along any more historical artifacts if you're savvy.
· Blum's Bicycle Map of California Roads (1896) [Big Map Blog]