What is really interesting is that the
basic form of the bicycle has not changed significantly since the
craziness of the late 1800s coalesced on the basic design of
Starley's Rover of 1885, with two wheels of the same diameter, a low,
center-mounted crankset, and chain drive. Materials have improved
dramatically, gearing has helped flatten the hills, frame geometry
has evolved to be suitable for modern roads, brakes can now actually
stop the bike, and tires have improved dramatically, but the basic
design hasn't really changed (ignoring recumbents, of course).
As the automobile replaced the horse,
bicycle and train in the period between WWI and WWII in the US, the
bicycle gradually became primarily a child's toy and there was little
development on this side of the Atlantic. In Europe, however,
continual development resulted in some very interesting bicycles,
primarily focused on long-distance cycling. Randonneuring became
popular, especially in France, with some amazingly lightweight
bicycles being produced by French “constructeurs.” Complete
bicycles with fenders, racks and generator lighting systems with
weights under 20 lbs were available in the 1930s—just try to
purchase a bike like that today! Racing was still big, as well. We
all know that the Tour de France ran, with breaks only in wartime,
continually since 1903. Once Europe rebuilt after WWII, and the
automobile became affordable even in Europe, the bicycle took a hit
there, as well. There were still many more fine bicycle
manufacturers and builders in Europe than in North America, and the
racing bicycles of the 1950s and 1960s are not a lot different from
those of the 1970s, but they are hard to find today, and probably
best left to the collectors.
Very little development of the modern
bicycle can be traced to the world beyond North America and Europe.
The most popular single bicycle model of all time was the
Chinese-made Flying Pigeon, with over 550 million produced. This
bicycle remained largely unchanged over its production life, having
been essentially copied from the 1930s British rod-brake, 28” wheel
design. The only real difference in the Chinese version was the use
of almost unbelievably inferior quality steels. It's amazing that
the third world has moved on that platform for so long, and it's a
lesson to the value of ingenuity and standardized parts.
Most of you are aware of the Bicycle
Boom of the late 1960s through the first half of the 1970s. Some of
you lived through it! This was the era when derailleur-equipped
bicycles became popular in the US and it became almost acceptable for
adults to ride bicycles for exercise and transportation. I say
“almost” because I lived through that time and I must say that if
you think that too many drivers are hostile to cyclists today, you
haven't seen anything compared to what we experienced in the 1970s.
The Bike Boom caught manufacturers unprepared and the components on
basic models represented designs that had been established over 20
years earlier. Generally speaking, only the top-level bikes of that
era are worth riding today. The heavy Schwinns, and the Raleighs and
Peugeots with steel cottered cranks and carbon-steel frames were junk
then and they haven't gotten better with age.
It was the Japanese who really improved
the performance and durability of bicycle components in the later
1970s and 1980s, leaving European manufacturers to play catch-up.
Once you get to the 1980s, you find a large variety of very nice,
affordable bicycles, with proportional sizing, modern 700C wheels,
and quality frames and components. It's these bicycles that may
deserve your attention today. These bicycles get little respect, but
are often available cheaply and the reality is, they can be fine
riding bikes. I won't say that they will offer the same level of
performance as a brand new model, but you may find that, at least for
some purposes, they can actually be superior in many respects.
The longer you are a cyclist, the more
you become aware of the gigantic disconnect between marketing and
articles in the mainstream cycling press and real differences in
bicycle performance. I won't say that there is no benefit to carbon
fiber frames and electronic shifting, but these improvements are
incremental, not revolutionary for most of us. Certainly, if you are
racing or time trialing, these differences are very important, and
some things, like electronic shifting, are just plain luxurious in
the same way as a high-end automobile, and there's nothing wrong with
that. The bottom line, though, is that a fast bike will not make you
go fast; it's the engine that's important. If you're not trying to
eke out every bit of performance from your bike, you'll find that you
can have just as much fun on a $200, 20 year-old bike as you can from
a $3,000 modern model, and feel a lot better about leaving it locked
up downtown or riding it on a dirt road.
A Bianchi, Trek, Cannondale, Fuji, or
even Schwinn from the 1980s or 90s can be an excellent bike for
commuting or dirt road riding. Many of these bikes have eyelets for
fenders and racks and sufficient clearances for 28mm tires, which are
fine for most Vermont dirt roads. You can pick up these bikes quite
cheaply at garage sales and bike swaps and you can often find
examples that have accumulated very few miles over their lifespans.
You can have a bike that not only rides very well, but one which you
will not care if a stone gets thrown up and dings the paint.
If you go shopping for one of these
dusty jewels, you do need to use some care. The biggest issue is
fit, and if it's not your size, it's impossible for it to be a good
deal. Resolve not to buy a bike that is not a perfect fit, even
though it will cause frustration if you require a very small or large
size. Be patient and wait for the right bike to come along. Decide
what features you need, such as eyelets or clearance for wide tires.
Spin the wheels slowly and look carefully at the trueness of the
rims. Gradual wobbles between the rim and brake pads can probably be
adjusted out, but flat spots and blips in the rim will require
replacement, and the bike may not be worth it (though you can get
decent wheels brand new for about $100 a pair). While you are
spinning the wheels, put your hand by the hub and feel for rumbling
caused by bearing wear. You will need to pull the greasy chain away
from the cassette so that you can feel the hub bearings, not the
ratchet. If you feel roughness that is caused by pitted bearings,
it's not something that will be corrected by repacking and you might
find the damaged parts difficult or impossible to replace. Check for
excessive wear on the teeth of the chainrings. Teeth that are hooked
on the front indicate a bike with a lot of miles and most of the rest
of the bike is probably worn out as well. Finally, steel frames need
to be checked for front-end damage. Sight down the fork to see if it
is bent back at all and check for any distortion in the top and down
tubes immediately behind the head tube. If you spot anything
unusual, pass the bike by—it's junk.
If you find your perfect closet queen,
don't ride it until it has been rebuilt. Grease can thicken and dry
out over years of storage and your bike will die a speedy death if
you just pump up the tires and ride it. It also may not be safe
without new tires, cables and brake pads. The big disadvantage to an
old bike for an inexperienced cyclist is that it should be completely
overhauled before use and the owner usually lacks the necessary
knowledge, skills and tools. This becomes especially problematic
when you've bought your new-old bike in May, when the bike shops are
swamped with work and simply cannot fit your complete overhaul into
their schedule. Your choices then become hanging onto the bike until
the off-season, when your favorite bike mechanic will be happy to
take on the job, or learn to do the work yourself. If you choose the
latter, you will find that it's not rocket science and you'll have
the added benefit of learning the skills and acquiring the simple
tools needed to keep your bike working well far into the future.
Just be patient with the process and you probably will end up saving
money in the long run.
An alternative is to spend a bit more
and buy your old bike from a shop that specializes in used bikes.
The Old Spokes Home is the leader in this regard, though some other
shops will have used bikes available from time to time. One of the
best things about northern Vermont is that we have a higher
per-capita concentration of bike shops than almost anywhere else in
the country. I have visited all the shops in the Burlington and
Montpelier areas many times and I have a great deal of respect for
the people working in them. We are very lucky to have such
universally solid professional support for cycling in northern
Vermont, and these folks deserve your support. It may sound crude,
but this is offset a bit by some of the idiots who sell used bikes
regularly on Craigslist. You are wise to stay far away from those
guys.
So don't look down your nose at that
dirty, steel-framed bike lurking in the back of your neighbor's
garage. I put more miles on my 1984 Bianchi Nuovo Racing while
commuting last year than any other bike I own (2300 miles out of
10,000 total) and never wished I was on a different bike. I bounced
across freshly-graded roads, slogged through the rain, and left it
unlocked outside grocery stores lots of times (you can get away with
that in Vermont). I wouldn't want to lose the bike to accident or
theft, but neither would it be a huge deal if I did. I never worry
about it, I just maintain it and ride it. It may be the perfect
bike.
