As you suggest, &quot;a driving wheel 58 inches in diameter&quot; is a big clue here. The safety bicycle (basically what we tend to ride nowadays) was invented in 1876, at least the version which became most popular. The so-called &quot;penny farthing&quot; bikes were often called just &quot;wheels&quot; by their owners, hence &quot;riding a wheel&quot; and &quot;wheelers&quot;. Some modern clubs are still called &quot;Something Wheelers&quot;, e.g. &quot;Bolton Wheelers&quot;, presumably because they have a history going back to the 19th C.<p>There is a surprising evolution to the bicycle, leading not least to the invention of the first automobiles. See Carlton Reid&#x27;s book &quot;Roads Were Not Made for Cars&quot; for a history of this from both a UK and US perspective.