Classic & Vintage - Old Bicycling magazines

My dad just found about 40 issues of Bicycling from 1969-1972. He is trying to get rid of stuff and is going to give them to me the next time we get together. I remember looking at them when I was young. They're what got me interested in road bikes at an early age. It should be neat looking at the old advertisments and reading the tests.

I looked at some used, but much newer, issues of Bicycling last night at a used bookstore. They aren't quite the same anymore.....

J. Crouse

I'd be interested in scans of Schwinn ads if you could manage it. Let me know ...

Thanks,

Bob Hufford
Keeper of the Schwinn Lightweight Data Book
Springfield, MO

Bob-

I'll post when I receive the magazines. I've got a scanner so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get some scans to you.

J. Crouse

I think it is interesting to read what the "experts" were saying was the latest thing to go faster, save weight, train better, etc. Frequently, we now laugh at what they (we) were doing back then, but sometimes you learn that the latest thing is just recycled from the past.

I'll post when I receive the magazines. I've got a scanner so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get some scans to you.


Thanks!

Bob

Hi J. Crouse,
The early Bicycling magazine was really good reading. In your looking over them I would be interested in any evaluations of the Italvega and the Holdsworth bikes during that period (I have both bikes). Advertisements too. Thanks.
Skip

"Bicycling" was a heck of a magazine in the old days. Very good articles about how bikes are made, and how to make them work better. For example, an article about adjusting PSI EXACTLY for the weight of the rider to get the best performance from a tire. More recently, "Bicycling" editors have told readers to use the PSI on the tires, which is the WRONG advice if the rider weighs less than 150 pounds. But, the current generation of editors seem to know very little about bikes, although they are experts on how articles can look like advertising.

Some of the old issues had "buyers guides" listing all of the specs for road bikes that were available. It would be terrific is someone could scan those old buyers guides, and post them for Forum members to read.

They might be worth something...look after them.

"Bicycling" was a heck of a magazine in the old days. Very good articles about how bikes are made, and how to make them work better. For example, an article about adjusting PSI EXACTLY for the weight of the rider to get the best performance from a tire. More recently, "Bicycling" editors have told readers to use the PSI on the tires, which is the WRONG advice if the rider weighs less than 150 pounds. But, the current generation of editors seem to know very little about bikes, although they are experts on how articles can look like advertising.

Some of the old issues had "buyers guides" listing all of the specs for road bikes that were available. It would be terrific is someone could scan those old buyers guides, and post them for Forum members to read.


You're definitely right about the articles looking like advertisements. That is exactly what struck me when I was flipping through a newer issue recently.

My parents live four hours from me so I don't know when I can make it over and pick up the magazines but we're due for a trip over there so hopefully it won't be too long.

J Crouse

I hadn't seen an issue of Bicycling Magazine since 1974 when I bought one recently. There is NO resemblance at all! It all looks like "editorial supplementation", aka kissing the advertisers butts!

I hadn't seen an issue of Bicycling Magazine since 1974 when I bought one recently. There is NO resemblance at all! It all looks like "editorial supplementation", aka kissing the advertisers butts!
I buy it occasionally and am usually disappointed. I thought "Bike Town" (a series initially about giving bikes to people in towns that are facing hardship, to see if it stimulates community spirit and economic development) was very promising, until the issue where they gave bikes to Microsoft employees!!!

I must say I really enjoyed the article a month or two ago on invisible bikers (poor people who ride mountain bike beaters to work out of necessity) except for the slightly Antoinettish tone ("Let them ride road bikes").
RGC

My dad just found about 40 issues of Bicycling from 1969-1972. He is trying to get rid of stuff and is going to give them to me the next time we get together. I remember looking at them when I was young. They're what got me interested in road bikes at an early age. It should be neat looking at the old advertisments and reading the tests.
J. Crouse

would be cool of you did scan some and post here (at 72-75dpi) so the rest of us can reminisce (sp?).
I'm missin those old articles. It wasn't until 74ish that I realized that I should keep some of that stuff, cause it was very cool.
come to think of it, I haven;t posted 'Vintage Word' in a few weeks... I'll get something up 2nite...

During the 70's and 80's I subsscribed to Bicycling magazine. Had lots of info regarding touring and general inormation as well as training. Then it seemed to become almost all equipment and training. So I lost interest. I then subscribed to a magazine that concentrated on bike touring. It didn't last long.
I still have some of these magzines. They are interesting to look at.

I'm glad I just found this forum.

I picked up the magazines a couple weeks back but hadn't had time to look at them until this past weekend. Unlike the newer version of Bicycling, these have very few advertisements. The bike ads tend to be Schwinn (always on the back cover), Huffy, and Columbia. Each issue has VERY small Gitane ads. I've seen a few Fuji ads, a Dawes ad, and an ad for 'West Coast Cycle Supply Co.' that has pictures of a Mondia, Windsor, and a Nishiki.

I've quickly gone through them looking for road tests. I've found the following tests:

1969 Cinelli Super Corsa
1969 Huffy Tourister
1969 Dawes Galaxy
1969 Schwinn Paramount Tandem
1969 Hetchins
1970 Gitane Tour de France
1971 Colnago
1971 Bottecchia
1971 Masi Gran Criterium
1972 Victoria Alpine De Luxe
1972 Nishiki Safari
1972 Fuji Road Racer
1972 Ficelle Racer
1972 Mondia Special
197- Raleigh Professional (I saw the ad the other day but can't find it now so I'm not sure of the date)

These tests tend to be rather short but most have a list of the components, cost, and weight.

There was also a 1980 and a 1986 copy in the mix. The tests in these are:
1980
Fuji America
Miyata Gran Touring
Univega Gran Turismo
Mariposa

1986
Cannondale SR 400
Klein Quantum
Trek 2000
Miyata Omnium
Guerciotti Record
Cilo-Vitus
Raleigh Technium 440
Kettler Alpha SM Pro
Eclipse Carbon 7
Nishiki-Alan Carbone
Peugot PY-10-FC


I'll scan these tests as time allows and make them available if there is any interest. Another neat item he gave me is a 1971 Schwinn catalog that has a "Hawaiian Holiday" theme.

Joe C.

A good public library should have decades-worth of back issues, for anybody who wants to look for specs, ads, reviews of their favorite classic marques.

Joe,

Don't forget me for the Schwinn ads and the road test! I've been going through a small stack of '84 era Bicycling! mags that I was given this weekend. If anyone needs anything from that era, let me know and I'll take a look for it.

Thanks!

Bob Hufford
Keeper of the Schwinn Lightweight Data Book Website
http://www.geocities.com/sldatabook/cover.html
Springfield, MO

Bicycling is a former shadow of itself, sad to say.

Bob-

I get some ads and the test scanned this week. Could you check out your '84 magazines for a test or ad for a Raleigh Super Course?

Thanks

Joe C.

As far as Bicycling mag being a shadow of it's former self, I wholeheartedly concur. I didn't get into cycling until the 80's, but even the issues from that time period had a lot more in common with the average rider than what is in the magazine now. There is indeed a slant towards glorifying the advertisers, and not an unbiased viewpoint in the lot of writers and editors they have. Dan Koeppel seems to be "real" more often than the rest, but he even sucumbs to the tone of the rest of the magazine. I long for the days of Jim Langley and his contemporaries.

The other thing that chaps my hide is their giving in to the massive over-pricing of the industry. The value per dollar in bicycles and parts has seriously changed over the last few decades, and nobody can convince me the increases have anything to do with anything other than the bottom line of profit. Seriously, a magazine that makes statements that a $1000.00 bike is a good value for an "entry level" buyer....thats crap.

I wish there was some sort of mag for classics and vintage bike fans. Even an online mag would be great. Perhaps all the members of this forum could do one collectively.....

I wish there was some sort of mag for classics and vintage bike fans.

VBQ ...

http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/vbqindex.html

Or just going back over these old issues of Bicycling! has been fun for me.

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

Could you check out your '84 magazines for a test or ad for a Raleigh Super Course?
Joe,

I have a 17 page comparison road test that includes the Super Course (entitled "Racing Bikes Anyone Can Afford") from the Aug. 1984 issue of Bicycling scanned. How do you want it sent? The scans are 150dpi and 1280 x 1660. I can email them to you or I have some web space I can put them up on for you to pull them off of (I'm not sure I can get them all up there at once, so we may have to do a few at a time).

Actually -- that might be better if more people are interested than just you. The bikes tested were the Raleigh Super Course, the Bertin C-70 Debutante, the Trek 560 and the Peugeot PGN-10 (thank God there wasn't a Schwinn in there with that Peugeot! :p )

Let me know ... (does your bike really say "Raleigh" on it 38 times?)

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

Bob-

That comparison road test sounds great! I agree it would probably be best to put them on the web for all that are interested. I appreciate you taking the time to scan the article.

I'll scan some items for you tomorrow.


I haven't counted how many times "Raleigh" is on the bike but it is just a bit overdone!

thanks again

Joe C.

Bob,

You've got a PM.

Joe

Bob,

You've got a PM.

Joe

Bob-

That comparison road test sounds great! I agree it would probably be best to put them on the web for all that are interested.
Here they are:

http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt01.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt02.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt03.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt04.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt05.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt06.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt07.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt08.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt09.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt10.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~thufford/bicaug84rt11.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/bicaug84rt12.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/bicaug84rt13.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/bicaug84rt14.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/bicaug84rt15.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/bicaug84rt16.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/bicaug84rt17.jpg

I'll probably leave them up for a week or so (I need the space for eBay stuff). Copy them to your hard-drives for posterity.

Enjoy,

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

Thanks mate! I remember that issue!! The adverts are almost as much fun to look at as the article. The prices! Oh, and the Powercam crankset on page 12...anyone ever try one of those? I always wondered how well that worked...


Raleigh Reynolds framesets on page 14 for $215? Now I just need a time-machine!

That is really cool. The 560 was a bike that I coveted, and I saved this article for the comparo for a while. And the ads! Stumpjumper, Ouelette, Quick Stik! Man, I, ah, I guess I feel a little dated...

I'll probably leave them up for a week or so (I need the space for eBay stuff). Copy them to your hard-drives for posterity.
Enjoy,
Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

Great stuff -- I've got an '84 Peugeot 12 speed, but not the PG-10 in the article. Got it recently for free so there is no sentimental attachment, but your article is a good read, thanks.

I found a old beat up Biycling Magazine from 1975 (my high school days) at a Vintage Book Shop and I loved the articles and ads.......I want more! I been looking for some online and found your posting. So I just registered today. My email is chazzfong@hotmail.com - I have a paypal account too. Please contact me at your convenience. Thanks a Bunch! Charles

http://www.whiteapplemultimedia.com/Zombie-Attack.jpg

My friend happened to be on the cover of one of the 1987 issues of Bicycling magazine and I've been desperately trying to find it for him. If anyone has the covers of these issues especially June/July/August and could scan and let me know I'd really appreciate it!

Well, he's not on Augist's voer, unless your friend is Greg Lemond, but I imagine Mssr. Lemond has lots on cover shots of himself. Here are the other two you requested.

:(

I remember those issues. T-Mar, that was nice of you to scan those covers, even if noobie zoecdg didn't have the decency to thank you for your troubles. Some people! :rolleyes:

If you ever decide to get rid of those, I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd love to get their hands on 'em.

I remember those issues. T-Mar, that was nice of you to scan those covers, even if noobie zoecdg didn't have the decency to thank you for your troubles. Some people! :rolleyes:

I wasn't looking for thank-you but hoping to find out which one was zoedcg's friend. It kind of nice to have a face, even if you don't personally know the individual.


If you ever decide to get rid of those, I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd love to get their hands on 'em.:

Some of them are over 40 years old, so if I haven't got rid of them by now, I doubt it will ever happen. Besides, I've probably destroyed their value, as they're getting pretty ratty from being constantly used to research some query. If you want them, your best bet is to make friends with Mrs. T-Mar and hope she outlives me.

while this is bumped, over the years I have brought quite the stock pile of french cycling magazines - miroir du tour- from the 70's and 80's. I know the french language is a hurdle, but the photos are fascinating. Have a look on ebay.fr and think about buying a few.