this post was submitted on 08 May 2024
47 points (92.7% liked)

Bicycles

3127 readers
24 users here now

Welcome to [email protected]

A place to share our love of all things with two wheels and pedals. This is an inclusive, non-judgemental community. All types of cyclists are accepted here; whether you're a commuter, a roadie, a MTB enthusiast, a fixie freak, a crusty xbiking hoarder, in the middle of an epic across-the-world bicycle tour, or any other type of cyclist!

Community Rules

Other cycling-related communities

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
[email protected]
47
130-year-old bicycle vs brand-new modern bike (www.youtube.com)
submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
10 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I've often wondered why, after a century of innovation, modern bicycles look so similar to the ones that people rode in the 1890s. After all the innovations in the world since that time, why haven't we improved on the bicycle?

That question drove me to compare a brand-new, just-out-of-the-box bike to one that was built in 1895. And maybe you'll be as surprised as me at the similarities and the differences between them.

A big thanks to the Reynolds Museum, particularly to Juanita Voth, who shared her time and knowledge. You should visit the museum: https://reynoldsmuseum.ca/

The modern bike is a 2024 Priority Eight (and it's super fun to ride). The old bike is an 1895 Singer Ladies' Safety Bicycle (and it's fascinating).

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Cool video, fellow Albbertan! (And at the end, I thibk you were riding along beside Deerfoot north of 32nd, so fellow Calgarian.)

I'd love to see a breakdown of the true innovations that draw the line from Singer to modern day. Surr materials have improved, but that's incremental. The freewheel and the derailleur are fundamental new innovations. Rim brakes improved over a century, but weren't really new. Disc brakes might qualify as a true innovation. And of course, pneumatuc tires - every few years an attempt to replace them fails once again, because they were an absolute miracle.

I'd also love to see a discussion of what might be, if it weren't for the UCI's punitive rules.