If you went back to the Golden Era, what would you notice first?

[scottyrocks]

Of course, you could always do it this way:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ro1LQbNqI

 

[Edward]

No, it makes sense. Have you ever tired to lock a bike up in a big city? Like parking the car, trying to find a safe (legal) place to lock up your bike can be more of a hassle than just using public transit and walking.

Forget parking it... would you *ride* in NYC?? Friend of a friend was killed there a cuple of years ago. I won't cycle in London for the same reason.

 

[Edward]

Can't cycle on the footpath, only on the road. Only in cycling lanes. Must wear a helmet. Must wear riding-gear. IF you cycle on the footpath, you MUST have a letter from your physician. All kinds of stupid bloody laws. In the end it's just not worth the effort.

It's illegal to cy le on the footpath here too. I wish they would enforce it. I'd bring back pu lic flogging for some of the lycra louts round here...

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Forget parking it... would you *ride* in NYC?? Friend of a friend was killed there a cuple of years ago. I won't cycle in London for the same reason.

[video=youtube;bU66e5Lz_ec]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU66e5Lz_ec[/video]

 

[Stanley Doble]

Oh my God- people do that? I understand not wanting people to run others down, but that could seriously seriously hurt someone, including innocent bystanders.

Here you have to ride in the road and follow the rules of traffic. It is not enforced, however, except on college campuses (where bikes are allowed on some paths but not on others). I have seen bicyclists get tickets on two college campuses I've been on.

If someone had no more respect for me than to knock me down when I was walking on a walking path I would have no more respect for him than to see him do a face plant.

 

[Gregg Axley]

I see this in our walking park.
Groups of people walking, running, and walking their dogs, and then some bicyclist comes out of nowhere going 10-15mph and whips around them. It's unnerving. Yes I know you need to ride somewhere, but our city has 10 miles of green-line dedicated to just that very activity.
Plus we have bike lanes all over the city. Enough that a HS friend rides 26-30 miles on Sat and Sun with some buddies.
The only problem as a bike ride IS cars, I'll concede that point, ESPECIALLY in my city where people are either on the phone or texting while driving. But if you move with traffic, and watch intersections, plus don't ride at rush hour, it's not bad.
Back to the original subject...
As far as I know, Bicycling was a good means of transportation, but I can't say it was safer.
Someone in a dark colored suit is easier to see than a safety vest of bright colored clothing?
Plus, there weren't any dedicated bike lanes, so you rode in traffic I suppose.
Oh yeah, my 29 Essex stopped much quicker with mechanical brakes than discs all the way around like I have now.

BTW Stanley, isn't that what canes/walking sticks are for? A good swing or poke at the offender as they ride by?

 

[Stearmen]

We are pretty lucky on our paths. Most of the bicycle riders have the old style bells on their handlebars, so when you here the bell ring behind you, you know to stay on your side of the trail. Besides, I like the sound of those bells! On the city streets, we have the riders from the Olympic Training facility. They ride in packs, and don't even look for cars when they pass each other. I decided along time ago, that I will not swerve into on coming traffic to save one of those riders.

 

[jamespowers]

We are pretty lucky on our paths. Most of the bicycle riders have the old style bells on their handlebars, so when you here the bell ring behind you, you know to stay on your side of the trail. Besides, I like the sound of those bells! On the city streets, we have the riders from the Olympic Training facility. They ride in packs, and don't even look for cars when they pass each other. I decided along time ago, that I will not swerve into on coming traffic to save one of those riders.

Geez, shades of Death Race 2000.
http://youtu.be/o2x7gHxQYYE

 

[dh66]

We are pretty lucky on our paths. Most of the bicycle riders have the old style bells on their handlebars, so when you here the bell ring behind you, you know to stay on your side of the trail. Besides, I like the sound of those bells! On the city streets, we have the riders from the Olympic Training facility. They ride in packs, and don't even look for cars when they pass each other. I decided along time ago, that I will not swerve into on coming traffic to save one of those riders.

Aaaahhh... the "pack" riders. We get a lot of that around here, too. 30 or 40 of'em at a time, all dressed in spandex lookin like unemployed superheros. Sometimes they get the cajones to ride down the main highway even. That causes some traffic delays, and the only stop sign I've ever seen them stop for is the one on the corner by the police station. Even then, once the first rider goes, they all go. The pack riders are so bad around here that last spring the city council considered a motion to ban bicycles in the city limits. It didn't fly, but the police did start cracking down on traffic violations by cyclists for a while. I haven't seen them too much lately, but I think it has more to do with the cold.

Getting back on track, something besides spandex clad cyclists you would not see in the golden era would be the spandex clad joggers. I don't imagine many of those folks were dodging the traffic, or vice versa, back in those days. It would probably be very unusual to see someone just running down the side of the road.

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk 2

 

[Gregg Axley]

If they were running down the road, you can bet there was an officer with a raised billy-club chasing them.

 

[LizzieMaine]

If they were running down the road, you can bet there was an officer with a raised billy-club chasing them.

Either that or they were athletes in training. The average American, though, who worked at a job requiring actual physical labor, generall had no need for extra "exercise." Maybe some calisthenics first thing in the morning, to stretch after getting out of bed, but the idea of running for the sake of running would have been ridiculous.

 

[Nobert]

If they were running down the road, you can bet there was an officer with a raised billy-club chasing them.

I can't help but imagine this scenario being played out in fast motion to up-tempo, beepy saxophone phone music, with somebody getting stripped to their unmentionables.

 

[RailRoad]

Probably notice the amount of clothes lines being used.

 

[jamespowers]

I can't help but imagine this scenario being played out in fast motion to up-tempo, beepy saxophone phone music, with somebody getting stripped to their unmentionables.

You mean like:
http://youtu.be/VUOe_hLg7Bo

 

[Gregg Axley]

I can't help but imagine this scenario being played out in fast motion to up-tempo, beepy saxophone phone music, with somebody getting stripped to their unmentionables.

Me neither, but that wasn't always the case.
I've seen way too many Laurel and Hardy, The Marx Brothers, and Three Stooges shorts not to remember Benny Hill at first thought.
Great, now I've got the Benny Hill show song in my head.
Thanks.:eusa_doh:

That was my point Lizzie. In government we imply things instead of stating them plainly, so as not to be held responsible for what was said.
Sometimes I can't turn that off.
If you did hard physical labor, that's the last thing you want to do when you get home. Exercise!
Instead, you'd crack open a Hamms, cook a burger on the stove, and watch the Masked Marauder take on another opponent in the ring.
Earlier in the period, you'd listen to it.

 

[jamespowers]

Me neither, but that wasn't always the case.
I've seen way too many Laurel and Hardy, The Marx Brothers, and Three Stooges shorts not to remember Benny Hill at first thought.
Great, now I've got the Benny Hill show song in my head.
Thanks.:eusa_doh:

You're welcome.

 

[vintageTink]

I like riding a bike but casually. I have no desire to whip around cars or pedestrians.

 

[dh66]

I liked riding a bike too. I had a real nice schwinn beach cruiser, red and white two tone paint, lotsa chrome, sweet looking bike Someone must've liked it more than me, 'cuz they stole it.
I'm pretty sure that a lack of petty thievery is NOT something I'd notice different if I went back to the golden era. Not in the cities anyway.

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[Nobert]

I used to ride a bike, until that building ran into me.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Balance issues make for a poor bike rider.
So I don't ride anymore.


In the winter?
Chimneys belching out smoke to heat the house.
It's rare I see that now.