Bicycle

Bicycles play a significant part in the plots of Pigeon Post and The Big Six, and are mentioned in other books.

Swallowdale

When the able seaman and the boy are exploring, they see a road through a gap in the stone wall: Then three natives on bicycles passed the gap, going the other way .... (SD4)

Peter Duck

A telegraph-boy had come along the quay on a red bicycle .... (PD1)

Pigeon Post

They trek to Tysons with their gear on the two Dromedaries (bicycles), the handcart, and Rattletrap. Nancy charges back to get two small necklaces of blue beads which are hung on the lamp-brackets: Every camel in the East wears them .... to keep off the evil eye, and our dromedaries will need them extra badly to save them from getting punctures (PP7).

But on the trek Everybody, except John and Nancy, who had to mend it, was very glad when Peggy's dromedary, in spite of its blue beads, punctured its front tyre. This meant a rest .... (PP7).

Later the laden dromedaries, each with a pulling donkey on a rope ahead help shift the camp (PP17). When the three prospectors go borrowing to Beckfoot on two dusty dromedaries: Peggy was riding her own, standing on the pedals, with Titty sitting on the seat behind her. Dick was riding Nancy's (with the) seat let down as far as it would go. Two or three times he had nearly come off. Returning, they left one at Tysons as one laden dromedary was just about as much as they could manage to push and pull up the track (PP27).

After the blast furnace disaster Dick cycles back to Beckfoot on Peggy's bicycle to test the gold dust, with the pigeon-basket on the handlebars (PP33).

Coot Club

Joe cycles to Horning on Bill's bike (CC11,12). Dorothea sees George Owdon on a bicycle at Potter Heigham (CC13). Bill cycles to Potter Heigham (CC15). At Beccles a boy on a red Post Office bicycle is too late to give them a telegram from home (CC23).

The Big Six

The detectives go out on bicycles to find out whether other boats have been cast adrift: Tom on his bicycle, Bill on his (Bill is the only one of the Death and Glories with a bicycle), Joe on Dick’s bicycle, and Pete on Dot’s (BS25,26).

George Owdon and Ralph Strakey have bicycles (BS9,32). So do a number of adults: Mr Tedder the policeman (BS19), the old parson and Mr Jonnatt. The detectives are particularly interested in bicycles with Dunlop tyres as the chap what put them shackles down our chimbley have a bike (with) Dunlop tyres (BS19). George Owdon’s cycle has Dunlop tyres; and so do the cycles of Mr Tedder, Mr Jonnatt, the district nurse, the milkboy and the parson. Some have Palmer or John Bull tyres, but as Mr Bixby at the bicycle shop says They mostly use ‘em (Dunlops) (BS20). Frank Farland says Almost all bicycles have Dunlop tyres (BS32). Pete says hotly of Mr Tedder And he got Dunlop tyres himself (BS20), and thinks that no matter what the others might say, Mr Tedder's bicycle had Dunlop tyres (BS21).

The Picts and the Marytrs

The postman rides a bicycle (PM3,7). Jacky cycles to Beckfoot with the milk, and also has a quart bottle in the basket in front of the handlebars for the D’s (PM17). Billy Lewthwaite rides on Nancy’s bicycle to get petrol for Rattletrap (PM25).

We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea

Approaching Flushing they saw A man on a bicycle who seemed to be riding along the top of a wall (WD20). In the streets of Flushing Girls with enormous fluttering white muslin sunbonnets and skirts like black balloons went by on bicycles (WD23).