History of the NBW

The Narragansett Bay Wheelmen is a descendant of the Providence Wheelmen, founded May 15, 1879, a club that eventually merged with the Rhode Island Wheelmen.  The next succession was a joining with the Yankee Wheelmen, the only bicycling club in the United States authorized to use the “Hat in the Ring” emblem of the Arnold Schwinn Company.  Although World War II took its toll of members, many continued to ride.

In late 1970 a brief notice appeared in many bike shops.  “Bicycle riders interested in a bike club, call 555-1179.” A meeting was held at the Pembroke Fieldhouse on Cushing Street in Providence, on February 11, 1971.  A two-page newsletter and the election of club officers marked the rebirth of club bicycling in Rhode Island.  Reflecting the statewide membership, the founders chose the name “Narragansett Bay Wheelmen”.  Eventually many of the Yankee Wheelmen joined, continuing the long tradition of bicycling in Rhode Island.

The following years were marked by growth—in membership, rallies, century rides, and activities related to cycling.  “The Flattest Century in the East (TFCE)” became one of the largest centuries on the East Coast.  In 1980 the club hosted the 100th anniversary of the founding in 1880 in Newport, Rhode Island of the League of American Wheelmen, our parent affiliate.  The week-long rally attracted 1,800 cyclists from all over the U.S. and beyond.  The League of American Wheelmen later became the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).

1980 also marked the beginning of the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition, an outgrowth of the political activism of the NBW.

Tandem ’81—the largest Eastern Tandem Rally to date—was hosted in New Bedford in August of 1981 by the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen.

In 2005 the club again hosted a rally for LAB, this time to celebrate its 125th anniversary.  Held at the University of Rhode Island, activities included a commemoration ride around Newport, with a re-dedication of the plaque erected at the 1980 anniversary in Touro Park, Newport. The plaque reads “Dedicated to the founders of the League of American Wheelmen who gathered in Newport on May 30, 1880, for the protection of the rights, needs, and safety of bicyclists.  On this centennial we rededicate ourselves to these goals.  League of American Wheelmen, May 26, 1980.”