1897 Stearns Combination Tandem: The Bicycle That Let Victorians Outride Their Chaperones

In the late 1800s, bicycles were more than a novelty. They quietly reshaped daily life, gave riders new mobility, and even opened unexpected social possibilities. Few captured this moment better than the 1897 Stearns Combination Tandem, a bright orange machine designed for two, and remembered today for the unusual freedom it offered Victorian couples.

Edward C. Stearns

The story begins in Syracuse, New York, where Edward C. Stearns helped build E. C. Stearns & Company from a hardware and wagon business into one of the great names of the American bicycle boom.

Edward C Stearns

Stearns was an athlete, promoter and showman as much as a manufacturer. He was said to have once swum the width of Skaneateles Lake simply to prove it could be done. That same appetite for motion, challenge and spectacle carried into his business.

When bicycles became wildly popular in the 1890s, Stearns seized the moment. His company became famous for the “Yellow Fellow,” a vivid yellow-orange bicycle that stood out in a crowd and sold around the world.

At the height of the bicycle craze, E. C. Stearns & Company was reportedly producing hundreds of bicycles a day. The company advertised heavily, sponsored racers and staged publicity stunts that turned cycling into theater. One of its most famous promotions matched six Stearns riders against Engine 999 of the New York Central Railroad, a perfect bit of 1890s spectacle: muscle, machine and modern speed all racing for attention.

In July 25, 1896, the E. C. Stearns held a spectacular marketing event – a race between its popular sextuplet and a locomotive on a straightaway section of track outside Buffalo, New York. But not just any locomotive, The Empire State Express of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad line, with Engine 999 in front. They selected six of the best of the Stearns team, including Oscar Hedstrom and Charles Henshaw with William Bex nominated for the difficult and dangerous job of steersman.

The Combination Tandem: A Secret Passage

In the strictly chaperoned Victorian world, a young woman was rarely allowed alone with a man. The tandem, however, created an ingenious loophole. By requiring both parties to participate in the act of locomotion, it technically served as a singular, necessary vehicle, giving the couple miles of unobserved privacy. Stearns facilitated this societal rebellion through brilliant engineering.

Recognizing that women often wore restrictive skirts, the Combination model featured a unique, removable upper front diamond tube. With this tube detached, the front section converted instantly into a graceful loop or drop frame. This allowed the lady, typically riding in the front as the "Captain," to mount and dismount with ease and dignity, circumventing the need for "rational costume."

On these golden wheels, the gentleman, or "Stoker," steered and powered from the rear, controlling the direction via a "new type of steering-rod with compensating springs" which ensured a smooth, stable ride. The result was a smooth, steady ride that made even long outings feel effortless and gave couples the ability to travel quietly and confidently on their own.

From Pedals to Steam

As the bicycle boom began to fade, E. C. Stearns followed the road toward another new technology: the automobile.

1902 Steam Carriage Ad

After building his reputation with hardware, tools and Yellow Fellow bicycles, Stearns briefly entered the early automobile world. His Syracuse company produced electric automobiles around 1899 and 1900, then shifted to steam power through the Stearns Steam Carriage Company in the early 1900s.

The Stearns steam car was a small carriage-like vehicle powered by a two-cylinder, 8-horsepower steam engine with chain drive and side-tiller steering. The company offered several body styles, including a six-passenger version with three rows of seats and roll-down canvas sides. Introduced in 1902, that model has been described as possibly the world’s first production station wagon.

It was a short-lived venture, but it shows how closely the bicycle age and the automobile age overlapped. For a few restless years, pedals, steam, electricity and gasoline all competed for the future of the road.

See the 1897 Stearns Combination Tandem at the Museum

The 1897 Stearns Combination Tandem is more than a bicycle built for two. It is a reminder of a moment when technology, fashion and social life all changed at once.

With its brilliant Yellow Fellow finish, removable frame tube and charmingly subversive purpose, it tells a story of mobility before the automobile fully took over the road.

You can see the 1897 Stearns Combination Tandem on display at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park, Florida.