Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.Flaneur
07-11-03, 04:15 PM
Somebody gave me an old three-speed they no longer liked. It had spent it's whole life in a garage and had a little surface rust only. I cleaned that off, then removed all the add-ons (the early Harley owners called that 'chopping', of course), metal chainguards, a bell, clanking fenders, lights that didn't illuminate....... I had just customised a local errand bike for myself, with no resale value for thieves, and it got me thinking about my childhood experiences of riding; just being mobile was the thrill, there was no label worship, no conspicuous ownership, no techno-fetishism.
Last sunday there was a bike for sale in the market for £20. A Reynolds- tubed '80's tourer with 10 gears, and all the commuting accoutrements. Again, this bike was a little worn, a little dated, but perfectly serviceable for many thousands of miles, with some care and maintenance.
So, yeah, riding can be good on all kinds of bike, riding need not be another hymn to capitalism, more does not always equal better.
I read a lot of threads about $1500 plus bikes, $100 shoes, pedal systems, hydration systems, 'the right' this, or 'the best' that. I like a lot of that stuff too- responsive frames that fit well, comfy clothes, nicely designed and finished bits and pieces- but these are not essentials. The essence is in the self-propulsion, the freedom, the human-scale technology (all the serious innovations were made in the 19th century, weren't they?). Cycling is still a political statement, even if we don't want it to be. Cycling emancipates, just as it always did- but the kernel of that power resides in the cheap transport functions of the 3-speed, not the aerodynamics of lance's carbon fibre climbing bike.
Ride an old 3- speed, try a fixie, build someone a cheap ride, send one to Africa, fix one for a kid........
Last sunday there was a bike for sale in the market for £20. A Reynolds- tubed '80's tourer with 10 gears, and all the commuting accoutrements. Again, this bike was a little worn, a little dated, but perfectly serviceable for many thousands of miles, with some care and maintenance.
So, yeah, riding can be good on all kinds of bike, riding need not be another hymn to capitalism, more does not always equal better.
I read a lot of threads about $1500 plus bikes, $100 shoes, pedal systems, hydration systems, 'the right' this, or 'the best' that. I like a lot of that stuff too- responsive frames that fit well, comfy clothes, nicely designed and finished bits and pieces- but these are not essentials. The essence is in the self-propulsion, the freedom, the human-scale technology (all the serious innovations were made in the 19th century, weren't they?). Cycling is still a political statement, even if we don't want it to be. Cycling emancipates, just as it always did- but the kernel of that power resides in the cheap transport functions of the 3-speed, not the aerodynamics of lance's carbon fibre climbing bike.
Ride an old 3- speed, try a fixie, build someone a cheap ride, send one to Africa, fix one for a kid........