Advances in BICYCLING gear that made bicycle popular?

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. A few of the advances that I think helped make bicycling as popular as it is now we pneumatic tires, macadame/asphalt road surfaces, decent clincher rims and tires, reliable and simple to use index shifting. alloy rims and decent brakes.

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

Cheers

public nudity ?


http://goo.gl/XaKG3n

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. A few of the advances that I think helped make bicycling as popular as it is now we pneumatic tires, macadame/asphalt road surfaces, decent clincher rims and tires, reliable and simple to use index shifting. alloy rims and decent brakes.

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


1) That it is *so* much fun.

2) The demand for physical exercise as technology has enabled more sedentary lives.

3) Economics.

4) Community.

5) Engagement with the world outside the windshield.

Bicycle components?

1) Kickstand.

2) Lights.

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 10:09:33 AM UTC-7, 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. A few of the advances that I think helped make bicycling as popular as it is now we pneumatic tires, macadame/asphalt road surfaces, decent clincher rims and tires, reliable and simple to use index shifting. alloy rims and decent brakes.

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


1) That it is *so* much fun.

2) The demand for physical exercise as technology has enabled more sedentary lives.

3) Economics.

(Not just money, but the *many* costs of alternatives.)

4) Community.

5) Engagement with the world outside the windshield.

Bicycle components?

1) Kickstand.

2) Lights.

Those curb cut wheelchair ramps at crosswalks.

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. A few of the advances that I think helped
make bicycling as popular as it is now we pneumatic tires,
macadame/asphalt road surfaces, decent clincher rims and tires, reliable
and simple to use index shifting. alloy rims and decent brakes.

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

Cheers

Health benefit. Plus it's a lot of fun.
--
duane

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 10:39:08 AM UTC-7, Dan O wrote:
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 10:09:33 AM UTC-7, 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. A few of the advances that I think helped make bicycling as popular as it is now we pneumatic tires, macadame/asphalt road surfaces, decent clincher rims and tires, reliable and simple to use index shifting. alloy rims and decent brakes.

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


1) That it is *so* much fun.

2) The demand for physical exercise as technology has enabled more sedentary lives.

3) Economics.

(Not just money, but the *many* costs of alternatives.)

4) Community.

5) Engagement with the world outside the windshield.

Bicycle components?

1) Kickstand.

2) Lights.

Those curb cut wheelchair ramps at crosswalks.

General design advances that have made common bicycles
lighter and easier to get going from a stop. Many gears
that allow people to always find a relatively effortless
one.

The "Comfort" or "Hybrid" Mountain/Road bike, which
only came about thanks to the development of the MTB
design.

Reduced maintenance designs that keep moving parts
"well oiled", and bikes less apt to be relegated to
collecting dust.

TV coverage of Tour de France.

"Popular" being relative, of course. ... Because outside
of the third world, bicycling is only popular in certain
societies that have political will and vision to actively
oppose the rampant car culture - creating an environment
more conducive to using any sort of bicycle.

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

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

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?

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.

And playthings of any kind are more accessible today.

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.

-- Jay Beattie.