Originally Posted by
3alarmer
....when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's, 3 speeds were about all we ever saw in a multi-geared bike.
Originally Posted by
USAZorro
As others have noted, they were a pretty big thing until the 70's. Back then. not many adults rode bicycles at all, and most kids wanted the latest and greatest, so they really dropped off.
+1 to both comments. As I remember it, adult cyclists were pretty scarce and 3-speed "English racer" bikes were the hot ticket until derailleur bikes ("10-speeds") showed up. Derailleur bike sales got a lot of momentum from the OPEC embargoes and a growing public awareness of environmentalism in the early 1970's. By the time adults started buying bikes 10 gears were better than just 3!
I never owned a 3-speed but rode a younger brother's 3-speed enough to appreciate the lighter weight and gearing. By the time I was financially able and socially ready to buy an adult bike I didn't know anyone who rode or who owned a 10-speed. But I knew that more gears would be better. A 3-speed was never an option.