Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixed gear illustrations from 1898 (Sears of Chicago)

http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/outsidelink.html/http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HBS.BAKER:413360

From the days when men rode ordinarys and chain-driven fixed-gear "safety" bikes were for little girls in pettycoats. Some things never change.

I want some fork pegs like that.

Dude, I've been jonesing for some pegs this last week. Spinning downhill on a 26er with 40/17 makes a guy really want to just take his feet off the pedals and let 'er go.

From the days when men rode ordinarys and chain-driven fixed-gear "safety" bikes were for little girls in pettycoats. Some things never change.

Nice!

If you hit the "Next Page" links, there's tons more. This is a Sears Catalog from 1898. Great ideas for lookalike bikes, etc.

Very cool find! Reading some of the technical "details" like on p. 11 was pretty interesting.

I want the king. Very cool.

Oh, maybe the king tandem.

I want to order the 'Acme King' for $30. What is their email address.

I find it funny than they're pushing 25lb bikes. Sure, I can get something lighter nowadays, but not THAT much lighter. Day-to-day is there really such a diff between 18 and 25 pounds? Probably not. Just a reminder than bicycle technology hasn't changed that much in a century, at least not until you break the $1k barrier.

I find it funny than they're pushing 25lb bikes. Sure, I can get something lighter nowadays, but not THAT much lighter. Day-to-day is there really such a diff between 18 and 25 pounds? Probably not. Just a reminder than bicycle technology hasn't changed that much in a century, at least not until you break the $1k barrier.

What about derailleurs and freewheely ability. I'd say those are both major developments in the bicycle, and are available on almost all bikes now... not that that's good, or anything.. :D

Actually by 1898, freewheeling and even multispeed bicycles were pretty widely available. Obviously not from Sears & Roebuck, but still.... My point is that it's taken 100 years to drop the weight of a bicycle by 25%, not great for an industry that survives on planned obselescence.

Actually by 1898, freewheeling and even multispeed bicycles were pretty widely available. Obviously not from Sears & Roebuck, but still.... My point is that it's taken 100 years to drop the weight of a bicycle by 25%, not great for an industry that survives on planned obselescence.

In my readings on bike history, I have seen no evidence that bikes with freewheels were being sold to the general public in 1898. Although patents were being taken out by the gazillion on things related to bikes, new ideas seemed very slow to filter into the mass market.

The industry went through a "collapse" between 1898 and 1905, with the price of a "average" adult bike, such as those sold at Sears, dropping from $25 or $35, down to $10 or $15. Hundreds of bike makers went bankrupt, or merged into one of the surviving companies. The handful of large scale manufacturers that survived to 1905 were simply struggling to keep the doors open, and were not in a postion to promote "new" ideas. Then came the "motorcycle" fad, the automobile "fad" (which is now over 100 years old), WWI, and other distractions.

As a result, bikes with freewheels probably did not outnumber bikes with "fixed" gears in the USA until around 1920. And, by then, the "adult" market in the USA had dwindled to almost nothing.

And, although the 3-speed hub was making headway in the UK by 1920, it did not become popular in the USA until the 1946-48 period, with GI's returned from Europe raving about what they were calling "English Racers". And, in the 1960's, single speed adult bikes still outsold multi-speed bikes in the USA.

So, for fifty years AFTER the 1898 Sears Catalog came out, most American adults were riding bikes that were not much better than the bike their grandfather rode.

And today, the majority of adult bikes sold in the USA sell for between $50 and $175 (at Wal-Mart and K-Mart, not Sears). And, most of those bikes weigh MORE than the 25 pound Sears Acme King of 1895. And, most of them are not as durable or as well made as an 1898 Acme King.

In my readings on bike history, I have seen no evidence that bikes with freewheels were being sold to the general public in 1898. Although patents were being taken out by the gazillion on things related to bikes, new ideas seemed very slow to filter into the marketplace.

Sachs introduced a commercially viable freewheeling bike in 1898. http://www.jimlangley.net/ride/bicyclehistorywh.html


And, even today, the majority of adult bikes sold in the USA sell for between $50 and $175. And, most of those bikes weigh MORE than the 25 pound Sears Acme King of 1895. And, most are not as durable or as well made as an 1898 Acme King.

All too true.

somehow i just might have to pass on the "standard quality wood rims"....

the automobile "fad" (which is now over 100 years old), WWI, and other distractions.

.

A 100 year old "fad"...LOL

Page 11:

Gear 68 to 90 as desired.

we're wimps, folks...

How does the girl slow down when she gets to the bottom of the hill?

Seriously..

..And where is her msngr bag? I smell a faker...

gorgeous typesetting. The never ending endorsements and customer quotes are pretty hilarious. You can only assume that there was so much fraudulent advertising that S&R would do anything to appear honorable and worthy of patronage.

"Our artist has here shown a front view of our ACME PRINCE Bicycle. You will find this bicycle will be handsomer than the illustration can show. You will find no handsomer wheel at any price." awesome.

The tandems have dual steering! Cool!