# History of the bicycle - how did we get to this point?



## ninjichor (Jul 12, 2018)

As we add new chapters to history of bikes, I wonder how it was for people of older generations. Found a wikipedia page on it, and see that things haven't changed too much.

A few notes taken from the article:

[HR][/HR]
"In addition, bicycle makers adopted the annual model change[SUP][31][/SUP] (later derided as planned obsolescence)...

...bicycling remained the province of the urban well-to-do, and mainly men, until the 1890s,[SUP][33][/SUP] and was an example of conspicuous consumption.[SUP][34][/SUP]

The development of the safety bicycle was arguably the most important change in the history of the bicycle. It shifted their use and public perception from being a dangerous toy for sporting young men to being an everyday transport tool for men-and, crucially, women-of all ages.

Cycling steadily became more important in Europe over the first half of the twentieth century, but it dropped off dramatically in the United States between 1900 and 1910. Automobiles became the preferred means of transportation. Over the 1920s, bicycles gradually became considered children's toys, and by 1940 most bicycles in the United States were made for children. In Europe cycling remained an adult activity, and bicycle racing, commuting, and "cyclotouring" were all popular activities.

Bicycles continued to evolve to suit the varied needs of riders. The derailleur developed in France between 1900 and 1910 among cyclotourists, and was improved over time. Only in the 1930s did European racing organizations allow racers to use gearing; until then they were forced to use a two-speed bicycle. The rear wheel had a sprocket on either side of the hub. To change gears, the rider had to stop, remove the wheel, flip it around, and remount the wheel. When racers were allowed to use derailleurs, racing times immediately dropped.

China 1950 - the 'Kingdom of Bicycles'. A bicycle was regarded as one of the three "must-haves" of every citizen, alongside a sewing machine and watch - essential items in life that also offered a hint of wealth. The Flying Pigeon bicycle became a symbol of an egalitarian social system that promised little comfort but a reliable ride through life. [...] post-Mao leader who launched China's economic reforms in the 1970s - defined prosperity as "a Flying Pigeon in every household". 20-kilo black single-speed model [...] was four months' wages for most workers.

BMX bicycles [...] originated in the state of California in the early 1970s when teenagers imitated their motocross heroes on their bicycles. The 1971 motorcycle racing documentary _On Any Sunday_is generally credited with inspiring the movement nationally in the US. In the opening scene, kids are shown riding their Schwinn Sting-Rays off-road.

[HR][/HR]
Now I've become curious of all the things that hampered promising innovation. Still looking to find more recent info about how things progressed in other parts of the world, regarding pedal-only bicycles.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Why is this in the ebike forum?

And before anyone answers, they should read the wiki page.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

chazpat said:


> Why is this in the ebike forum?
> 
> And before anyone answers, they should read the wiki page.


Waste of bandwidth.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

ninjichor said:


> Now I've become curious of all the things that hampered promising innovation. Still looking to find more recent info about how things progressed in other parts of the world, regarding pedal-only bicycles.


Why is this in the e-bike forum? Sure hope it's not (yet) another thread about how electric bikes are the next step in the evolution of the bicycle.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

chazpat said:


> Why is this in the ebike forum?


Why is there an eBike forum?


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Mr Pig said:


> Why is there an eBike forum?


Must be for e-money.


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## ninjichor (Jul 12, 2018)

Mr Pig said:


> Why is there an eBike forum?


Same reason there's an XC race, fat bike, AM, singlespeed, etc forum. It's a different discipline. Ebikers get better at and more knowledgeable of ebiking. It's a different crowd here, that seem more reliant on scientific thinking, than speculation and ego (e.g. machoism).

There's no ebikes in the current article history of the bicycle, but plenty of references to motorcycles. I do wonder what kind of invisible war there'll be to keep ebikes off of it though. xD


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## Walt (Jan 23, 2004)

It is indeed interesting to look at what happened with early mopeds - same time period as the automobile. Early gas engines were... not real reliable so early motorcycles mostly came with pedals. 

Obviously the pedals disappeared (though mopeds do still exist, they usually don't have pedals anymore and are just very low power motorcycles) as the engines got better. We already see e-bikes coming with much shorter cranks and drivetrains with reduced gear ranges - will the evolution be toward more and more reliance on the motor (ie, same story all over again, 100 years later) or will they evolve toward being low power but lighter/longer range?

I'd guess probably a bit of both. The more we see uphill-shootout type magazine articles and the more people I see in full armor on the uphill (yes, I've seen it now) the less they'll be considered bicycles. It's easy to make the transition to 100% motor power, obviously.

On the other hand I would *love* a ~100w bike with a minimalist motor and battery that would give me that extra 100w for a full 6 or 7 hour ride. Plenty to let even lazy folks get up the hill, plenty to let slow buddies/significant others hang with faster folks, no need for e-bike specific super beefy chains or forks or what-have-you, and minimal extra weight/hassle. No attraction to the type of shred-head that tends to cause problems, either. 

-Walt


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

ninjichor said:


> Same reason there's an XC race, fat bike, AM, singlespeed, etc forum. It's a different discipline. Ebikers get better at and more knowledgeable of ebiking. It's a different crowd here, that seem more reliant on scientific thinking, than speculation and ego (e.g. machoism).
> 
> There's no ebikes in the current article history of the bicycle, but plenty of references to motorcycles. I do wonder what kind of invisible war there'll be to keep ebikes off of it though. xD


That's some real tin foil hat **** there.


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## sfgiantsfan (Dec 20, 2010)

ninjichor said:


> Same reason there's an XC race, fat bike, AM, singlespeed, etc forum. It's a different discipline. Ebikers get better at and more knowledgeable of ebiking. It's a different crowd here, that seem more reliant on scientific thinking, than speculation and ego (e.g. machoism).
> 
> There's no ebikes in the current article history of the bicycle, but plenty of references to motorcycles. I do wonder what kind of invisible war there'll be to keep ebikes off of it though. xD


Use that scientific thinking and try to figure which of those have motors. IF you can.


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