Three bicycling enthusiasts posed in their Springfield, Massachusetts, bicycle club uniforms with their high wheels for this photograph in 1884. One holds the racing medals the club has won. To participate in the new bicycling fad sweeping the United States in the 1880s, required nerve and athletic ability. Despite its difficulty and the danger of serious injury, riding these early high wheels became quite popular and cycling clubs formed across the country. In the 1890s, the League of American Wheelman actively and successfully lobbied for road improvements throughout the United States.