Originally Posted by
locolobo13
What bike boom? I got my first bike as a tyke in the mid 60s. I loved the psuedo freedom it gave me. The freedom to go all over the neighborhood and beyond. "Psuedo" because my Mom gave me Heck for staying out too long.
As a teen and 20something in the 70s the bike gave me another freedom. Freedom from car payments that a lot of my friends were going thru. Most of the kids I grew up with just HAD to have a car. "You can't get laid on a bike!" Yes they said exactly that to me. Not true but using Mom and Dad's vehicle for such purposes always had it's problems.
As far as a sport? Never raced. To me the bicycle was a great, fun way to travel. Maybe there were elitist cyclists back then. If so I never met them.
BTW: At that time the bike also gave me an unintentional benefit, fitness. Nowadays I ride at least partly to get fit. Back then, NAH!
Pretty much the same story (except that I was a tyke in the late 50s). Had a bike as far back as I can remember. I remember my first solo ride without training wheels. My dad was "holding on" for me and when he felt I was balanced and wouldn't fall, he let go.
I looked back and he was 200' behind me.
My first adult bike was a nice little Motobecane Nomade that I got in the mid 70s. No urge to race, I just wanted a nice road/touring bike for vacations and such. Where I grew up--they weren't road or touring bikes--they were "10-speeds".