During a recent visit to a nearby cemetery I spotted a motorcycle by the side of the road. The owner had apparently gone into the woods to find something to weigh down the banner hanging from the pole. After a couple of minutes, he returned. I walked over and asked him if could take his photograph. He agreed. I took the photograph and we chatted for a while.

He told me that a member of his club had recently passed away and that some of his fellow members were going to pass by in his memory. He also told me that the club expected about 100 riders to pass through the cemetery. Furthmore, there was to be an outdoor celebration somewhere afterwards, and the club anticipated that about 300 people would be there. I guess the deceased must have be quite popular.

The club in question is the Yonkers Motorcycle Club. He told me that it was the oldest motorycle club in the world. And indeed, that’s how its website describes it too. The first few paragraphs of the history section of the website describe it as follows:

The Yonkers Motorcycle Club originally started as the Yonkers Bicycle Club, which was founded by Elliott Mason on Nov 19, 1879. The club consisted of 25 men, who wore a greyish brown corduroy uniform with a polo cap bearing the clubs initials, and the club colors were of crimson and gold.

Elliott Mason was a “Columbia” bicycle agent in Yonkers, who went to work as a general manger for the Pope Manufacturing Company at 12 Warren Street, establishing the oldest cycle depot in New York City. Over the years, he became one of Colonel Albert Augustus Pope’s most loyal and trusted companions.

Elliot Mason was also one of the founders of the League of American Wheelmen, created in Newport, Rhode Island on May 30, 1880. One hundred fifty bicyclists from 32 different clubs came to Newport, where they officially formed the organization, and wrote and ratified its constitution the next day. Their mission, as stated in the constitution, was “to promote the general interests of bicycling, to ascertain, defend and protect the rights of wheelmen, and encourage and facilitate touring.”

This History section provides much more information. You can find it here.

Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8

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