This seems to be a popular topic so I will add my two cents. I was born in 1940 in a smallish upstate NY town. I started riding what we now call road bikes in 1947. I moved to Florida in 1972. In those years I do not remember anyone who road bikes as being laid- back. I road so much that in high school I was known as the guy who is always on a bike. In the 1960's I was on college campuses all over southern NY including Cornell and never saw a lot of bike riders and none that looked like those old Schwinn pictures. I entered a few local races but was a passionate sport rider. I do not remember anyone older that late 20's riding a bike back then. Last years when I was back in my home town for at least the 30th time I took one of my bikes with me and road many of the same places I did as a kid and young adult. One thing that I noticed right away was I felt safe riding in traffic. It was light compared to what I have had to put up with in the last 30 years. There seemed to be a lot more people out riding now that when I lived there years ago. Before I had a car I road my bike to the hobby shop I worked in summers, 35-40 miles round trip.
Funny thing about memory is we remember what we want to remember but it can get distorted with time. I now wish I has some of those old 1930's bikes given to me as a kid. I through them all away as junk around 1960.
EddyR