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Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?



 
 
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  #11  
Old June 23rd 14, 01:24 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Jeff Liebermann
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Posts: 4,018
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 09:25:47 -0700 (PDT), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

What else do you think has led to bicycling being as popular as it is?


1. Unlike a horse, you don't have to feed, groom, or exercise a
bicycle. Unlike a motor vehicle, you don't have to feed it gasoline.

2. Economics of scale and mass production has reduced the cost to the
point where anyone can afford one.

3. Mostly interchangeable components and defacto standards have
allowed easy maintenance, option versatility, and mixed systems
(despite Shimano's attempts to proprietarize their grouppos).

4. Secondary infrastructure. Bicycle lanes, paths, racks, storage
facilities, air stations, bus carriers, bike parks, etc have made it
somewhat safer to ride bicycles (or at least given the perception of
being safer).

5. Incrimental and continuous improvements in performance (carbon
fiber), ease of use (electric power assist), trail/road handling
(mountain bike), and capacity (utility racks).

6. Transition from an all custom assembled bicycle to a ready to ride
commodity department store machine.
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
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  #12  
Old June 23rd 14, 01:27 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Duane[_4_]
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Posts: 1,546
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 12:46:14 PM UTC-7, Duane wrote:
Dan O wrote:

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 9:25:47 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:




When bicycles first came out they were the domain of the wealthy.




There have been many advances in bicycling gear abd/or components


since bicycles came on the scene.






As for what enabled the shift from plaything of the wealthy


to everyman's vehicle, that would be the Safety Bicycle


design, which enabled utilitarianism with things like cargo


racks, versatility, and control.




snip




Not sure if I agree with the play thing of the wealthy concept. We were 5

kids and my father was a fireman. Hardly wealthy. We all had bicycles

growing up. We were not very concerned with utilitarianism either. It

was the ride bike is fun thing that got us.



I don't like this either/or with utility cycling and recreational cycling.

I think it's largely bull****.


When I was a kid, no one drove me anywhere unless I needed to go to the
ER. Same with all my siblings. We rode bikes because it was the only
way to get around. However, adults didn't ride bikes because it was not
an adult thing to do. Imagine Mad Men Don Draper on a bike -- or any 50s
or 60s adult. You would have to sell a bike with an ash tray and a
scotch-on-the-rocks holder. Earth Day rolled around in 1970, which got
some young adults on bikes and some people thinking about bicycle
commuting. I don't think the ensuing bike boom or the increased
popularity of bikes in the early '70s was driven at all by equipment.
The equipment barely changed for the whole decade, although Dura Ace came
along in the mid-70s, it was just a Campy knock-off. SunTour, etc. was a
bargain and worked better in some ways, but it was just a spin on the
same old derailleur. The rider-friendly advances were those idiot brake
levers and lots of drop bar bikes. SMS complains about all the pseudo
racing bikes today. Well, it was worse for the average consumer in '74.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroral...talog-1974.pdf

It wasn't equipment that got people on bikes. It was social changes --
health consciousness, the environment, increasing MV traffic and gas
prices in '73-74 and thereafter.

I got in to bikes because I was saturated and fascinated. My fifth grade
teacher was the US Road champ.
http://www.usbhof.org/inductee-by-year/88-bob-tetzlaff Phil Wood's son,
Barry, was my friend and got me interested in equipment. In Jr. High, he
told me all about Campagnolo (it was on an Italvega parked in our
bandroom -- a bike that was owned by the husband of our band director).
Campagnolo became a fascination and a secret language for me and my bike
fanatic friends. Fast Freddy Markham was a friend and climbing the junior
ranks and ultimately an Olympian, although after Jr. High, he was several
echelons of cool above me, and I felt dorky asking him questions about
his equipment (but I still did).

Until college, I was just in love with the equipment. Then I got some
fitness and started racing. I used to ride with Hans Heim who took me on
rides with the owner of Specialized, Mike Sinyard. Hans later became
Keith Bontrager's partner (and withdrew before Keith got bought by Trek).
I spent untold hours at Dale Saso's shop in SJ (and built wheels for his
customers -- and owe him a lot). Dale taught Keith how to braze. The guy
who started Giro, Jim Gentes, was big in the racing scene and another
graduate of SJSU. Jim Blackburn was maybe five years ahead of me at SJSU.
Gary Klein sponsored my team, SJBC and would come to races. Tom Ritchey
was building bikes up at Palo Alto bikes. Gary Fisher was bombing down
hills in Marin County. Jobst was being Jobst and already a legend in the
Valley. The PAB brothers were getting Avocet off the ground. Terry Shaw
of Shaw's Lightweight Cycles was a mentor to practically everyone and had
one of those rare shops where you could go hang out. He had shop "rides"
(races) that got me in to racing.

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Bik...ightweight.htm Terry
taught me all sorts of wheel building lore -- the kind of stuff that
drove Jobst crazy (lots of tying and soldering).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ario/2...-4rNW3n-89xtmB

For me, living and around San Jose in the '70s was like being a car nut
and living in Detroit.



Nice post.


--
duane
  #13  
Old June 23rd 14, 01:27 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Duane[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,546
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

Dan O wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 12:46:14 PM UTC-7, Duane wrote:
Dan O wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 9:25:47 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:


When bicycles first came out they were the domain of the wealthy.

There have been many advances in bicycling gear abd/or components
since bicycles came on the scene.


As for what enabled the shift from plaything of the wealthy
to everyman's vehicle, that would be the Safety Bicycle
design, which enabled utilitarianism with things like cargo
racks, versatility, and control.

snip


Not sure if I agree with the play thing of the wealthy concept. We were 5
kids and my father was a fireman. Hardly wealthy. We all had bicycles
growing up. We were not very concerned with utilitarianism either. It
was the ride bike is fun thing that got us.


All on safety bicycles, right?


Don't know. We were more concerned with popping wheelies than carrying
groceries.

I don't like this either/or with utility cycling and recreational cycling.
I think it's largely bull****.


From a pure "Ride Bike!" perspective, there's nothing to it.


What other perspective do you need?

And playthings of any kind are more accessible today.


Not so sure. We were not bored.

--
duane
  #14  
Old June 23rd 14, 02:56 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,374
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

WHEW

that said.....

Unlike a horse, you don't have to feed, groom, or exercise a
bicycle. Unlike a motor vehicle, you don't have to feed it gasoline.

right and u doahn need to ride it.

I am surrounded by Thousands bike owners not riding bikes. MEGASLOTH.

same ol **** see it buy it urine.

place it in the garage n continue watching the Tube.

YAWL OFF THE DEEP END HERE SMELLING YOUR TRAIL

Lieb has intelligent explanations after that fact. Not something conducive to electronics troubleshooting so lets retract there Lieb.

Now the overview. This is like MLB. Once upon a grain elevator, MLB had uh 16 teams. ???

But demographics in pop education deficit spending of the Cold War...USC 1964...JFKJohnsonmore war spending....more people more more...what you see is merely MORE not a cultural shift toward cycling.

ITS EVERRET DIRKSEN ALL OVER AGAIN...

Beattie does make a point (and Lieb transistionally) exposure produces MORE riders from the MORE POOL.

Exposure is UP as per Sheldon Brown and friend.

But it is only MORE not a process of evolutionary selectivity where you are in the IN CROWD of NON NEANDETHALS...whom we will not name .

  #15  
Old June 23rd 14, 04:25 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Dan O
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Posts: 6,098
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 5:27:36 PM UTC-7, Duane wrote:
jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 12:46:14 PM UTC-7, Duane wrote:
Dan O wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 9:25:47 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:


When bicycles first came out they were the domain of the wealthy.

There have been many advances in bicycling gear abd/or components
since bicycles came on the scene.


As for what enabled the shift from plaything of the wealthy
to everyman's vehicle, that would be the Safety Bicycle
design, which enabled utilitarianism with things like cargo
racks, versatility, and control.


snip


Not sure if I agree with the play thing of the wealthy concept. We were 5
kids and my father was a fireman. Hardly wealthy. We all had bicycles
growing up. We were not very concerned with utilitarianism either. It
was the ride bike is fun thing that got us.

I don't like this either/or with utility cycling and recreational cycling.

I think it's largely bull****.


When I was a kid, no one drove me anywhere unless I needed to go to the
ER. Same with all my siblings. We rode bikes because it was the only
way to get around. However, adults didn't ride bikes because it was not
an adult thing to do. Imagine Mad Men Don Draper on a bike -- or any 50s
or 60s adult. You would have to sell a bike with an ash tray and a
scotch-on-the-rocks holder. Earth Day rolled around in 1970, which got
some young adults on bikes and some people thinking about bicycle
commuting. I don't think the ensuing bike boom or the increased
popularity of bikes in the early '70s was driven at all by equipment.
The equipment barely changed for the whole decade, although Dura Ace came
along in the mid-70s, it was just a Campy knock-off. SunTour, etc. was a
bargain and worked better in some ways, but it was just a spin on the
same old derailleur. The rider-friendly advances were those idiot brake
levers and lots of drop bar bikes. SMS complains about all the pseudo
racing bikes today. Well, it was worse for the average consumer in '74.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroral...talog-1974.pdf

It wasn't equipment that got people on bikes. It was social changes --
health consciousness, the environment, increasing MV traffic and gas
prices in '73-74 and thereafter.

I got in to bikes because I was saturated and fascinated. My fifth grade
teacher was the US Road champ.
http://www.usbhof.org/inductee-by-year/88-bob-tetzlaff Phil Wood's son,
Barry, was my friend and got me interested in equipment. In Jr. High, he
told me all about Campagnolo (it was on an Italvega parked in our
bandroom -- a bike that was owned by the husband of our band director).
Campagnolo became a fascination and a secret language for me and my bike
fanatic friends. Fast Freddy Markham was a friend and climbing the junior
ranks and ultimately an Olympian, although after Jr. High, he was several
echelons of cool above me, and I felt dorky asking him questions about
his equipment (but I still did).

Until college, I was just in love with the equipment. Then I got some
fitness and started racing. I used to ride with Hans Heim who took me on
rides with the owner of Specialized, Mike Sinyard. Hans later became
Keith Bontrager's partner (and withdrew before Keith got bought by Trek).
I spent untold hours at Dale Saso's shop in SJ (and built wheels for his
customers -- and owe him a lot). Dale taught Keith how to braze. The guy
who started Giro, Jim Gentes, was big in the racing scene and another
graduate of SJSU. Jim Blackburn was maybe five years ahead of me at SJSU.
Gary Klein sponsored my team, SJBC and would come to races. Tom Ritchey
was building bikes up at Palo Alto bikes. Gary Fisher was bombing down
hills in Marin County. Jobst was being Jobst and already a legend in the
Valley. The PAB brothers were getting Avocet off the ground. Terry Shaw
of Shaw's Lightweight Cycles was a mentor to practically everyone and had
one of those rare shops where you could go hang out. He had shop "rides"
(races) that got me in to racing.

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Bik...ightweight.htm Terry
taught me all sorts of wheel building lore -- the kind of stuff that
drove Jobst crazy (lots of tying and soldering).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ario/2...-4rNW3n-89xtmB

For me, living and around San Jose in the '70s was like being a car nut
and living in Detroit.

Nice post.


Just for the record, my youth was something like that, but
steeped in motorcycle racing. (Sorry for being me.)

Ride Bike! (Applies more broadly than you might think.)
  #16  
Old June 23rd 14, 04:44 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Dan O
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Posts: 6,098
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 5:27:37 PM UTC-7, Duane wrote:
Dan O wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 12:46:14 PM UTC-7, Duane wrote:
Dan O wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 9:25:47 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:


When bicycles first came out they were the domain of the wealthy.

There have been many advances in bicycling gear abd/or components
since bicycles came on the scene.


As for what enabled the shift from plaything of the wealthy
to everyman's vehicle, that would be the Safety Bicycle
design, which enabled utilitarianism with things like cargo
racks, versatility, and control.

snip

Not sure if I agree with the play thing of the wealthy concept. We were 5
kids and my father was a fireman. Hardly wealthy. We all had bicycles
growing up. We were not very concerned with utilitarianism either. It
was the ride bike is fun thing that got us.


All on safety bicycles, right?


Don't know. We were more concerned with popping wheelies than carrying
groceries.

I don't like this either/or with utility cycling and recreational cycling.


I think it's largely bull****.


From a pure "Ride Bike!" perspective, there's nothing to it.


What other perspective do you need?

And playthings of any kind are more accessible today.


Not so sure. We were not bored.


You miss my point. One, it was not my premise that bicycles
were ever playthings of the wealthy. I was (trying to appease
the newsgroup Nazis by) very specifically addressing the scope
and content of the OP, which started off with the premise...
well, there it is at the top - first line.

There are a number of sources that suggest this was the case
_long before your dad was born_.

I had a problem with the premise from the get go, though, in
that bicycling is not really very popular; but I went with
an examination of some things that I think have promoted
greater participation.

I'm with you on riding a bike for any reason or none at all
(the latter probably the purest form). Keep Portland Weird!

I will note, though, that I (personally) do derive something
extra from fulfilling transportation requirements *while* I
enjoy the hell out of just taking a bike ride.
  #17  
Old June 23rd 14, 05:05 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Sir Ridesalot
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Posts: 5,270
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 3:46:14 PM UTC-4, Duane wrote:
Dan O wrote:

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 9:25:47 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:




When bicycles first came out they were the domain of the wealthy.




There have been many advances in bicycling gear abd/or components


since bicycles came on the scene.






As for what enabled the shift from plaything of the wealthy


to everyman's vehicle, that would be the Safety Bicycle


design, which enabled utilitarianism with things like cargo


racks, versatility, and control.




snip




Not sure if I agree with the play thing of the wealthy concept. We were 5

kids and my father was a fireman. Hardly wealthy. We all had bicycles

growing up. We were not very concerned with utilitarianism either. It

was the ride bike is fun thing that got us.



I don't like this either/or with utility cycling and recreational cycling.

I think it's largely bull****.

--

duane


Hi Duane.

I was referring to when bicycles first came out in the 1800's.

The bicycling fad for the wealthy lasted until the hoseless carriage got more popular.

Cheers
  #18  
Old June 23rd 14, 05:26 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
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Posts: 6,374
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

http://goo.gl/y2cPj6












Cheers
  #19  
Old June 23rd 14, 12:35 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Duane[_4_]
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Posts: 1,546
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 3:46:14 PM UTC-4, Duane wrote:
Dan O wrote:

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 9:25:47 AM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:




When bicycles first came out they were the domain of the wealthy.




There have been many advances in bicycling gear abd/or components


since bicycles came on the scene.






As for what enabled the shift from plaything of the wealthy


to everyman's vehicle, that would be the Safety Bicycle


design, which enabled utilitarianism with things like cargo


racks, versatility, and control.




snip




Not sure if I agree with the play thing of the wealthy concept. We were 5

kids and my father was a fireman. Hardly wealthy. We all had bicycles

growing up. We were not very concerned with utilitarianism either. It

was the ride bike is fun thing that got us.



I don't like this either/or with utility cycling and recreational cycling.

I think it's largely bull****.

--

duane


Hi Duane.

I was referring to when bicycles first came out in the 1800's.

The bicycling fad for the wealthy lasted until the hoseless carriage got more popular.

Cheers


I know. My point was that this was no longer the case, even when I was a
kid but I don't think it had much to do with the utilitarian aspect of
bikes. More to do with fun riding a bike. I guess for kids, the ability to
get around is utilitarian but if it wasn't fun to begin with ...
--
duane
  #20  
Old June 23rd 14, 12:45 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
AMuzi
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Posts: 13,447
Default Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

On 6/22/2014 5:46 PM, Dan O wrote:
-snip snip-

My favorite CL moment was "FS: Woman's Bicycle Shorts (used once)"


Here's my choice for #1:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/wdc/212946173.html

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971


 




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