Temperance advocate Frances E. Willard wrote in 1895, “… the bicycle was perhaps our strongest ally in winning young men away from public-houses, because it afforded them a pleasure far more enduring, and an exhilaration as much more delightful as the natural is than the unnatural.”
She Drank Her Ale At The Bar(!) – NY Times, 1896.
Two posters ten years apart
1940s blame-the-cyclist cartoons (sent to me by a few people, thanks)
1988(?) Japanese commercial for Panasonic bikes.
1979 Honolulu bicycle license sticker, seen on an old Schwinn
Another article from 1970: “A sport the whole family can enjoy together. A way to get into condition and fight pollution. It’s the bicycle. […] For the serious cyclist the bike itself is only the beginning. There are special shoes and socks […] and special seamless pants […] But the family bicycler takes things much less seriously. An old pair of jeans, tennis shoes and a sweatshirt do just fine”
Another 1970s article from the library: a group (43 amateur riders, men and women, ages 15 to 53) biking 800 miles and over all 8 major passes through the Sierra Nevada, in 8 days. Presumably on steel bikes with all-1970s component technology, without spandex shorts, and so on – another good reminder that the engine matters more than the chassis…
More history: in 1971 there was a “Pedal Hoppers” bike bus (24 bikes + 24 passengers) between the East Bay and SF (as usual, clicking on the image should enlarge it). This is especially relevant when you realize the BART Transbay Tube didn’t open until 1973 (per BART history).
Another from-a-visit-to-the-Oakland-library biking photo and article from 1976 (click through for a detailed view). Note: 200-300 SFBC members then vs. 12,000 now…