A few items about home trainers caught my eye in the free NYT
archives.
Apparently, roller races were thriving by 1887, only two or three
years after the introduction of the Rover safety bicycle:
http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/results.asp?image=10307348&wwwflag=2&imagepos=135
Cheers,
Carl Fogel
***
"Home Trainer Cycle Record Broken"
Worcester, Mass., Nov. 22 [1900] -- Frank Albert, the six-day bicycle
rider , broke all records on a home trainer for one hour at the Park
Theatre this morning, riding 48 1/2 miles in 60 minutes. The best
previous record was by Charles (Mile-a-Minute) Murphy of Brooklyn,
N.Y., who rode 41 7/8 miles on a home trainer in 1887.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F04E4D7153FE433A25750C2A9679D946197D6CF
***
March 6, 1904
"A. Krohn of the Monitor Cycle Club won first prize, in the home
trainer bicycle mile contest, his time being 1:07 4-5
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9804E5DB1130E333A25755C0A9659C946597D6CF
***
Aug. 26, 1903
"The novelty this week at Keith's is a race between the thoroughbred
Dolly Varden and [Bobby] Walthour, the bicyclist. The bicyclist sits
on a wheel mounted on a home trainer. The horse is ridden by Jockey
Kremer."
"The animal stands on a treadmill, nose pointing toward the audience,
and at a word from the starter, and some exceedingly lively music from
the orchestra, the race is on. It may be added that before the signal
to start the horse is securely fastened with steel cables so that any
danger of his plunging over the footlights is eliminated."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B02EFD61739E433A25755C2A96E9C946297D6CF