Originally Posted by
kesa101
70, and still riding i hope!
A bit older than that I think. 1955 was nearly the end of what is known as the "Golden Era" of cycling in the UK. Following the war there were few cars on the road and not too much money about. It was the time when cycling clubs flourished and each small town had its own cycling club. Young people flocked to the countryside and Youth Hostels were always crowded with walkers and cyclists.
English tourers tended to use cafes and pubs, but here in Scotland it was the custom to take the raw ingredients of your meal with you and cook and brew-up at the side of the road. My older friends talk of finishing work on a Friday evening and immediately cycling off to some Youth Hostel in the Highlands. On the way back on a Sunday evening in the twilight, a whole field would be dotted with campfires, as cyclists greeted each other and met to share a cup of tea before heading for home and work the next morning.
Many a couple met and married through cycling together in a club but all of this was to change with the increase of traffic on the road and increased affluence.