YouTube documentary: The Extraordinary Journey of the Bicycle

[Jeremy McCreary]

Worthwhile YouTube documentary on the history of the bicycle:

Well-researched and nicely illustrated with no glaring errors till the ebike is reached at 45:50. Some relatively minor misconceptions about how ebikes really work follow but nothing egregious.

Their version of the early history squares with what I recall from Wilson & Scmidt, 2020, Bicycling Science, 4th ed. But the video adds some interesting connections — e.g., to the cataclysmic 1815 eruption of Tambora and the women's emancipation movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Another one on the birth of mountain biking in Marin County, Bay Area, California in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Bought my first and only MTB — a Specialized StumpJumper — there in 1985. Gave it to a neighbor in our move to SoCal in 2022.

 

[Chargeride]

The Rough Stuff Fellowship
In 1955, off-road cyclists in the United Kingdom established the Rough Stuff Fellowship, which is considered Britain's oldest off-road club. The club's members include people from all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Some notable feats include the first self-supported bicycle trip across Iceland's desert interior in 1958 and the first trip to Everest South Base Camp by bike in 1984.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

The Rough Stuff Fellowship
In 1955, off-road cyclists in the United Kingdom established the Rough Stuff Fellowship, which is considered Britain's oldest off-road club. The club's members include people from all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Some notable feats include the first self-supported bicycle trip across Iceland's desert interior in 1958 and the first trip to Everest South Base Camp by bike in 1984.

They have a book out with stunning pictures. But every time a picture pops up on instagram with these skinny bearded pipe smoking fellas in short shorts carrying their touring bikes over some impossible waterfall I want to scream at them to get wider tyres! Fit lower gears! But of course there wasn't anything like that back then. Shows that we live in lucky times - at least for variety of bikes out there.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

They have a book out with stunning pictures. But every time a picture pops up on instagram with these skinny bearded pipe smoking fellas in short shorts carrying their touring bikes over some impossible waterfall I want to scream at them to get wider tyres! Fit lower gears! But of course there wasn't anything like that back then. Shows that we live in lucky times - at least for variety of bikes out there.

I think the best time for the Repack downhill in Marin in the early days was around 4:30. That was on a rigid DIY "klunker" with coaster brakes. Wonder how much faster a modern FS downhill MTB would be?

Spent a lot of time riding trails in southern Marin on my rigid steel StumpJumper in the mid-late 1980s. Recognized some of them in the documentary, but my memories of those rides would probably be a lot sharper if I hadn't rattled my brains out on the descents.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'd love to watch the Original Post video but it is unavailable in my country. I could turn Nord VPN on but is the film worth it?

Shows that we live in lucky times - at least for variety of bikes out there.

Amen to that!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I'd love to watch the Original Post video but it is unavailable in my country. I could turn Nord VPN on but is the film worth it?

Probably nothing new to anyone who's read an authoritative history like that in Bicycling Science.

 

[Chargeride]

We had wood irons as we called them, 10 geared Puch Free Spirit fitted with 'stag' handlebars and knobbly tyres.
1979ish, we had one each and there was always one broken, so 90% of the time we were two up with one on the handlebars.
It was such cool bike back then and now looks hilariously vintage.
Bit like myself

 

[Mike_V]

Here is an abundance of reading images and links by Eric Brightwell in "Nobody Drives in LA"

Nobody Drives in LA — Bicycling in Los Angeles

INTRODUCTION I don’t know about you but I’m feeling “pain at the pump.” You see, I’ve had a slow leak in the front tire of my bike, Cream Soda, for months. So I have t…

ericbrightwell.com

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I think the best time for the Repack downhill in Marin in the early days was around 4:30. That was on a rigid DIY "klunker" with coaster brakes. Wonder how much faster a modern FS downhill MTB would be?

Spent a lot of time riding trails in southern Marin on my rigid steel StumpJumper in the mid-late 1980s. Recognized some of them in the documentary, but my memories of those rides would probably be a lot sharper if I hadn't rattled my brains out on the descents.

Same over in Ireland - after years on a bmx got my first proper mountain bike around 85. Would devour the monthly MTB magazines, the only way to see what was happening and so my first intro to the Gary Fisher Charlie Cunningham et al exploits were b&w photos from the 70s; long hair and flared jeans & probably stoned heading down hill fast in Marin & Colorado. Made a big impression. Only saw moving images with the arrival of Youtube. Never realised there was an earlier crazy off road go anywhere group until recently seeing the Rough Stuff Fellowship pics.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

From a PressReader article behind a paywall:

From the internet:

Rough stuff indeed. To fend off temptations like this, I've purposely set up my bike with no good way to carry a big rope.
;^}

 

[Rás Cnoic]

From a PressReader article behind a paywall:
View attachment 187972

From the internet:
View attachment 187973
Rough stuff indeed. To fend off temptations like this, I've purposely set up my bike with no good way to carry a big rope.
;^}

GET BIGGER TYRES! LOWER GEARS! MORE ROPE! LONGER SHORTS!