1916 Kowloon KCR Station

Greetings.  The ricksaw wheels here appear to have only wire spokes.  In the 1950s, a small portion of the ricksaws I saw had wooden-spoked wheels.  Is it not wire spokes are more advanced and arrived later?   Regards, Peter

Hi Peter, that's an interesting question, something I hadn't thought about before!

Looking through our collection of rickshaw photos (http://gwulo.com/taxonomy/term/1002/photos-gallery), it looks as though the older ones used wood, but with quite an overlap in years when both styles were in use. This photo dated 1958 catches both styles:

1958 TST, by Eternal1966

Regards, David

David, I had no knowledge of the twin cantilever beams until I saw this photo (another thanks), perhaps they were no longer mandatory by the 1950s.  They prevent  the ricksaw from tipping backward which can be avoided when the handler moves forward to gain better leverage.  Still, it was always a concern for me because both the seat and back support tilt back.  I always leaned forward during the ride.

I think the wire wheels give a little more smooth ride on account of the wire's flexibility, not something I noticed.  There is a small storage area under the seat for raincoat and small items.  Pulling even a small passenger like me was physically demanding for the less able and my driver (in his 50s) had to slow own after running a few blocks.  Regards, Peter