Athletes whose skin was black numbered few in the 1890's. Most whites couldn't comprehend nature's gifting of speed to Negro sportsman. The tale is narrated by a Hoosier journalist, who grew up with Taylor in Indianapolis. The story quickly slips from childhood innocence when fourteen-year-old Taylor accidentally entered and won an important local race. What follows is a glorious nightmare of long train rides to races, training on dirt roads, and bigotry at every turn. First banned, then threatened by cycling's sons of the confederacy, and finally a near-death experience at the hands of an east coast elite wheelmen. It was an era when ballparks seated those who were too late to buy tickets to the bike track. With all the thrills of early NASCAR, period bicycle racing was evolving into a hard charging, dangerous off-shoot endeavor called motor pacing. Smoking, noisy bastardized multi-rider contraptions represented the evolution of bicycles with motors. Planted on a 40-degree track banking at breakneck speeds, riders, pacers and spectators more than once ended up as fatalities. In some of his races, Taylor, whose coach trained him as a trick rider faced a field, a third of whom weren't there to win, but rather doggedly make sure he didn't. As myopic race officials turned the other way, he was forced to dart and elbow his way through the pack and often win despite the odds. A US national champion, and then world champion in 1899, Taylor was the world's highest paid athlete, black or white, and very much in demand on the continent. Desperate to escape the racism of America; he signed a contract to race abroad, but there were challenges. The Maj gathered his power from the Almighty and came from a deeply religious family. He promised his mother on her deathbed he would never race on Sundays; the day Europeans went to bike races. So badly did they want to see Negro Volant do battle, that the entire sport in Europe with millions of fans adjusted their schedules to accommodate. This true story finishes during the Great Depression with Taylor's sad ending in a south Chicago pauper's grave. The Black Cyclone is told by Rene Maurer and multi-Olympic cyclist John K. Howard, who was inducted into the USA Cycling Hall of Fame with Major Taylor.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

We have 20 years experience selling books worldwide! Friendly customer support. Your satisfaction guaranteed!

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Miramar International Services LLC

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

www.californiabooks.com

Right of withdrawal

If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.

Information regarding the right of withdrawal

Statutory right to withdraw

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.

To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.

To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.

Effects of withdrawal

If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).

We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.

We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.

We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.

We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.

You shall send back the goods or hand them over to California Books, Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

Exceptions to the right of withdrawal

The right of withdrawal does not apply to:

The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.

Shipping Terms

www.californiabooks.com

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	3 to 7 business days	2 to 5 business days
First item	� 0.00	� 8.86

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.