Whatever happened to the laid-back days of old?
#126
- Soli Deo Gloria -
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest Georgia
Posts: 14,779
Bikes: 2018 Rodriguez Custom Fixed Gear, 2017 Niner RLT 9 RDO, 2015 Bianchi Pista, 2002 Fuji Robaix
Mentioned: 235 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6844 Post(s)
Liked 736 Times
in
469 Posts
Please inform one of the unaware 99.9%ers - just how "big" was this alleged bicycle "racing craze" in the early years; how and where was this "craze" manifested? By what standard in comparison to other sporting activities of its day?
- Number of participants?
- attendance at racing events?
- money spent on the sport by participants or fans?
- coverage in the media of its time - books, movies, newspapers, magazines, etc.?
- or what?
Anyone with a keyboard can confirm my claim about the popularity of competitive cycling in the early 20th century.
Any number of books will give a feel for its popularity. I suggest "Road to Valor" about Gino Bartalli. It is an entertaining read even apart from cycling.
-Tim-
#127
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,612
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,099 Times
in
5,054 Posts
The point of the book was that people get a sense of belonging and community from the clubs and organizations they belong to, bowling leagues being just one such example. Putnam's argument was as such communal activity was declining, it leaves us more vulnerable to extremist politics as we turn to politics to fill that gap in our sense of belonging (or to use Putnam's word, being "implicated" in the community).
A lot of people are looking at it as an explanation for the rise of Trumpism, but that's for a different forum.
Not sure it relates at all to laid-backedness.
A lot of people are looking at it as an explanation for the rise of Trumpism, but that's for a different forum.
Not sure it relates at all to laid-backedness.
#128
What happened?
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Around here somewhere
Posts: 7,927
Bikes: 3 Rollfasts, 3 Schwinns, a Shelby and a Higgins Flightliner in a pear tree!
Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1835 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times
in
255 Posts
Those days take more naps.
__________________
I don't know nothing, and I memorized it in school and got this here paper I'm proud of to show it.
Likes For Rollfast:
#129
Been Around Awhile
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Burlington Iowa
Posts: 30,019
Bikes: Vaterland and Ragazzi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 1,579 Times
in
1,066 Posts
Anyone with a keyboard can confirm my claim about the popularity of competitive cycling in the early 20th century.
Any number of books will give a feel for its popularity. I suggest "Road to Valor" about Gino Bartalli. It is an entertaining read even apart from cycling.
-Tim-
Any number of books will give a feel for its popularity. I suggest "Road to Valor" about Gino Bartalli. It is an entertaining read even apart from cycling.
-Tim-
I find nothing on the Internet about any country where the general public , but especially in North America, has ever been crazed about the sport of bicycle racing anymore than they were about flagpole sitting or wing walking.
Now if you were talking about soccer or American style football, that might be another story
There are however some indications that perhaps 0.1% of bicyclists might be described as zealous bicycle enthusiasts who are just crazy (as in obsessed) about competitive/racing bicycling activities and its associated equipment and seem to not understand that 99.9% of bicyclists may not be so affected.
#130
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times
in
171 Posts
Whatever happened to the laid-back days of old?
From the thread, “Is Bicycling the New "Golf" and Then Some?”:
Many posts to several threads about expensive bicycles claim they are bought as status symbols (only, though I dispute that), so maybe in the social order, cycling is becoming more competitive than previously.
If you hang with me for a second, I can try to give a theory here......
There's a book titled "Bowling Alone". It documents a theory of a perceived loss of "social capital" within the United States in the last 4 decades...
The original observation in the book was that overall, the bowling alley industry hasn't died. It's numbers were actually higher. However, league participation used to drive bowling alley numbers to a higher extent. Nowadays, it's just people who show up with a few friends to toss some balls...
There's a book titled "Bowling Alone". It documents a theory of a perceived loss of "social capital" within the United States in the last 4 decades...
The original observation in the book was that overall, the bowling alley industry hasn't died. It's numbers were actually higher. However, league participation used to drive bowling alley numbers to a higher extent. Nowadays, it's just people who show up with a few friends to toss some balls...
CAUTION: Middle-Aged White-Guys Content Ahead!...
I sometimes joke that cycling has replaced bowling for many of us older men.
I read this thread in the context of the above quotes, i.e. golf as an adjunct to career advancement. I took up cycling early in my adult life before setting out on my career path.
When I joined my current organization in 1982, golf and tennis were those “advantageous” activities. Nonetheless, I think cycling was a career advantage to me, maybe because I was unique.
Currently those traditional sports are essentially out of the picture (no more tournaments, etc), but I have several strong cycling colleagues. Indeed the organization held a three months fitness challenge this Spring...
When I joined my current organization in 1982, golf and tennis were those “advantageous” activities. Nonetheless, I think cycling was a career advantage to me, maybe because I was unique.
Currently those traditional sports are essentially out of the picture (no more tournaments, etc), but I have several strong cycling colleagues. Indeed the organization held a three months fitness challenge this Spring...
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 05-23-19 at 05:38 AM.
Likes For Jim from Boston:
#131
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924
Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,056 Times
in
635 Posts
Again the 80s still seem to be the zenith of cycling so far. The bikes with their beautiful lugged frame and down tube shifters were a work of art. Now we have plastic frames or machine welded butt frames. Some of the romance and mystic has gone out of cycling. While I was never into racing my self, sadly the days of the Coors Classic are just a memory. I attended several. Fortunately many of us still cycle for the joy of it.
#132
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,624
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7703 Post(s)
Liked 3,615 Times
in
1,906 Posts
Lol .... good old twistedryder ...
Sorry that You have lost the mystical appeal of cycling. Sorry you can only appreciate the bikes which will never come back .... but those are Your choices.
Cycling at its zenith? In the U.S. or the world? Zenith of what? Ids a bike which reminds you of your youth in some way objectively "better" than a modern bike which does all the same things, and more, and does them better?
Were you riding a bent in the '80s?
Sorry you have lost the "romance" .... it happens with age, but you can medication for that.
How can we tell what is ahead for cycling? How can we say it has reached a "zenith"? (Well, we can Say any kind fo stupid crap ... I have proved that amply ... ) But for all w e know, in ten years there will be a North American Grand Tour. For all we know riding will spread massively across the globe with more people using bicycles than at any time in history. Quite possibly there are more people riding Today than ever before, so how has cycling passed its peak?
You are nostalgically attached to your favorite period---but you are also old enough to be wise enough to realize that it is just nostalgia, and personal preference. And even you, the Nostalgia King, don't ride a steel '80s diamond-frame with 12 or 15 gears and down-tube shifters.
There are more options nowadays---including beautiful lugged steel frames for those who want them---than ever before. more people riding, more acceptance of road riders, more bike paths and bike lanes, rails-to-trails which didn't even exist in the 80s, more MTB trails ....
People always have the option of growing old and bitter and saying the world sucks ... what they are really saying is that they enjoyed some earlier period of their lives more.
Me, I hope I get ever better at living and each year I get more out of my life.
However ... i am still scared to ride a tadpole trike in traffic. So even I have to admit the world is not perfect.
Sorry that You have lost the mystical appeal of cycling. Sorry you can only appreciate the bikes which will never come back .... but those are Your choices.
Cycling at its zenith? In the U.S. or the world? Zenith of what? Ids a bike which reminds you of your youth in some way objectively "better" than a modern bike which does all the same things, and more, and does them better?
Were you riding a bent in the '80s?
Sorry you have lost the "romance" .... it happens with age, but you can medication for that.
How can we tell what is ahead for cycling? How can we say it has reached a "zenith"? (Well, we can Say any kind fo stupid crap ... I have proved that amply ... ) But for all w e know, in ten years there will be a North American Grand Tour. For all we know riding will spread massively across the globe with more people using bicycles than at any time in history. Quite possibly there are more people riding Today than ever before, so how has cycling passed its peak?
You are nostalgically attached to your favorite period---but you are also old enough to be wise enough to realize that it is just nostalgia, and personal preference. And even you, the Nostalgia King, don't ride a steel '80s diamond-frame with 12 or 15 gears and down-tube shifters.
There are more options nowadays---including beautiful lugged steel frames for those who want them---than ever before. more people riding, more acceptance of road riders, more bike paths and bike lanes, rails-to-trails which didn't even exist in the 80s, more MTB trails ....
People always have the option of growing old and bitter and saying the world sucks ... what they are really saying is that they enjoyed some earlier period of their lives more.
Me, I hope I get ever better at living and each year I get more out of my life.
However ... i am still scared to ride a tadpole trike in traffic. So even I have to admit the world is not perfect.
#133
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Allen, TX
Posts: 2,648
Bikes: 2021 S-Works Turbo Creo SL, 2020 Specialized Roubaix Expert
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 767 Post(s)
Liked 4,081 Times
in
1,440 Posts
The whole point of this topic is that the Bicycle Rider covers in the original post show that things were still laid-back in the 80s. Covers on the major cycling magazines were likewise focused on fun and enjoyment. It wasn't until around the mid-1990s or 2000 that Bicycling, the last surviving US cycling mag, went whole hog on racing bikes, especially the $8000-15,000 models that show up in their reviews regularly now. Can't remember the last time I saw a touring or commuting article, not that I read it regularly anymore. No more articles on centuries, while there's the occasional list of competitive hillclimbs. Riders don't smile on the covers anymore. The message now seems to be if you're not suffering on the bike, you're not really riding. No articles on regular maintenance, like how to true your own wheels or even how to wrap your handlebars. Bicycling isn't an everyman's sport anymore.
2. Because that's all on YouTube, now. Except MUCH MUCH better quality and it's free. And it happens when the viewer wants/needs it. And there's LOTS of content. Touring for example: check out Iohan Gueorguiev. No name should have that many vowels, but his YouTube channel is as laid back as it gets. Awesome touring content.
3. As for other folks not smiling, I guess I just don't worry about it. Look around...there are lots of reasons for folks not to smile these days. Some people walking their dogs don't smile either. Additionally, some riders like to work hard and/or concentrate on training while riding. As a result, they don't spend a lot of time smiling and waving. Why should that concern anyone else?
-Matt
#134
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,624
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7703 Post(s)
Liked 3,615 Times
in
1,906 Posts
What ever happened to not conflating the limited and biased messages of certain small media outlets with general reality and the actual experience of real people?
#135
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,612
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,099 Times
in
5,054 Posts
1. What's a magazine?
2. Because that's all on YouTube, now. Except MUCH MUCH better quality and it's free. And it happens when the viewer wants/needs it. And there's LOTS of content. Touring for example: check out Iohan Gueorguiev. No name should have that many vowels, but his YouTube channel is as laid back as it gets. Awesome touring content.
3. As for other folks not smiling, I guess I just don't worry about it. Look around...there are lots of reasons for folks not to smile these days. Some people walking their dogs don't smile either. Additionally, some riders like to work hard and/or concentrate on training while riding. As a result, they don't spend a lot of time smiling and waving. Why should that concern anyone else?
-Matt
2. Because that's all on YouTube, now. Except MUCH MUCH better quality and it's free. And it happens when the viewer wants/needs it. And there's LOTS of content. Touring for example: check out Iohan Gueorguiev. No name should have that many vowels, but his YouTube channel is as laid back as it gets. Awesome touring content.
3. As for other folks not smiling, I guess I just don't worry about it. Look around...there are lots of reasons for folks not to smile these days. Some people walking their dogs don't smile either. Additionally, some riders like to work hard and/or concentrate on training while riding. As a result, they don't spend a lot of time smiling and waving. Why should that concern anyone else?
-Matt
Biking magazines attract bike marketers, and only the high end bicycles have enough of a margin to justify spending on marketing. No one buys higher end than racers, so the magazines appeal to racers. In the old days, the low end of the market also had a pretty good profit margin per unit, so advertising those items made economic sense, and the magazines were targeted at a broader spectrum of cyclists. Also, these days, magazines themselves are marketed to a much smaller segment of the market because casual bicyclists aren't going to take the trouble to get paper magazines when there's so much free info online. Your point about the types of videos available on YouTube being more indicative of the range of cycling is a really good one.
#136
Senior Member
Exactly! Magazines make money by delivering eyeballs to advertisers. So all that's going on here is that people are mistaking the marketing strategies of magazines for descriptions of how people actually bike.
Biking magazines attract bike marketers, and only the high end bicycles have enough of a margin to justify spending on marketing. No one buys higher end than racers, so the magazines appeal to racers. In the old days, the low end of the market also had a pretty good profit margin per unit, so advertising those items made economic sense, and the magazines were targeted at a broader spectrum of cyclists. Also, these days, magazines themselves are marketed to a much smaller segment of the market because casual bicyclists aren't going to take the trouble to get paper magazines when there's so much free info online. Your point about the types of videos available on YouTube being more indicative of the range of cycling is a really good one.
Biking magazines attract bike marketers, and only the high end bicycles have enough of a margin to justify spending on marketing. No one buys higher end than racers, so the magazines appeal to racers. In the old days, the low end of the market also had a pretty good profit margin per unit, so advertising those items made economic sense, and the magazines were targeted at a broader spectrum of cyclists. Also, these days, magazines themselves are marketed to a much smaller segment of the market because casual bicyclists aren't going to take the trouble to get paper magazines when there's so much free info online. Your point about the types of videos available on YouTube being more indicative of the range of cycling is a really good one.
M.
#137
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,624
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7703 Post(s)
Liked 3,615 Times
in
1,906 Posts
#139
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,612
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,099 Times
in
5,054 Posts
#140
Full Member
Limited view, limited perception. All of us to some degree.
#141
Administrator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Delaware shore
Posts: 13,560
Bikes: Cervelo C5, Guru Photon, Waterford, Specialized CX
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1107 Post(s)
Liked 2,216 Times
in
1,488 Posts
Good thread. But just a reminder before the thread turns south...no politics or current event discussions pleaser else the thread gets moved. I cleaned up the thread to take out posts going off topic. Carry on.
#142
What happened?
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Around here somewhere
Posts: 7,927
Bikes: 3 Rollfasts, 3 Schwinns, a Shelby and a Higgins Flightliner in a pear tree!
Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1835 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times
in
255 Posts
I can't carry most of my bikes anymore.
__________________
I don't know nothing, and I memorized it in school and got this here paper I'm proud of to show it.
#143
Senior Member
Saw an auction for these magazines on eBay. It feels so stereotypically 1980s and even 1970s, when bicycling (and especially Bicycling magazine) wasn't all about performance and competition. How did we get to that cutthroat, weight weenie, aero-everything world of today?
Spinay70
P.s. I got no clues on the whole fixie lifestyle fanatics tho. Mars is my best guess.
#144
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Locust NC
Posts: 726
Bikes: 1992, Cannondale R900. 1991 Paramount pdg
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 63 Post(s)
Liked 185 Times
in
72 Posts
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
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