Would anybody believe, there was a Mr Thomas Stevens who had the nerve of riding around the world ( he cheated a bit in China) on one of those contraptions, starting in San Francisco in 1884 and returning back there in 1887.It's a great read if it's sleeting outside. (472 pages!).Republished by Stackpole books.This guy was truly amazing.
www.stackpolebooks.com.
Title:Around The World On A Bicycle.