I Ain't Superstitious

[badger34]

While processing newspaper articles for my files this morning I randomly selected the following piece dated June 13th 1913, of course that happened to fall on a Friday also! What are the odds?



The article states that the #13 superstition for cycle racers started with pacers about 20 years earlier and cited a few instances that resulted in fatalities. This carried on with a majority of motordrome racers and promoters as well, some motordrome operators instructed sign painters to never use the #13. Australian Brownie Carslake is named as being the only rider at the time to not mind riding with the #13 on his back.

[Rubone]

I personally like to paint bikes green.....

[pem]

Thanks for posting that cool bit of information. I wonder what the pacers thought was wrong with 13 and why. I'm assuming multiple bicycle crashes on the 13th.

Thanks

[badger34]

Robbie, I like green too. When I was looking to purchase an Evo powered Road King a few years ago I was looking for one with the green/black two tone paint but ended up with something different because the bike was so well optioned and maintained.

Dick, I didn't post the full article because the scan quality is so poor and you really have to work to read the type. It says that the pacing men initially didn't have a #13 bug-a-boo, but that the superstition developed after some prominent racers were either fatally injured wearing #13, or while following a pacing machine numbered 13, drew position 13 for a race that resulted in fatality or were killed during competition on 13th day of the month.

[AFJ]

The #13 has been considered unlucky for various reasons for at least 1000 years.
eg. Judas was said to be the 13th person at the Last Supper.
Many other examples.

[T. Cotten]

The #13 has been considered unlucky for various reasons for at least 1000 years.
eg. Judas was said to be the 13th person at the Last Supper.
Many other examples.

I'm not well-versed on the subject, AFJ,..

But if there were twelve Disciples, then the odd-man-out was JCHimself.

Give or take a thousand years.

Yet then it might be a Norse tradition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskaidekaphobia

....Cotten

[AFJ]

"Don't have 13 persons seated at a table for a meal, one of them will have bad luck." Is the way it was told to me and when I asked where that came from, I was told that it was a reference to Judas as being "the odd man out."
AFJ