The below list was originally published by the New York World in 1895.
It’s not known whether the author(s) were male or female, but that doesn’t make it any less ridiculous.
For those who get nostalgic for that 1890s golden era of cycling, it’s important to realize it wasn’t golden for everyone. Major Taylor can vouch for that.
Besides, did anyone really think that making a list of 41 “dont’s” would encourage more women to ride?
The suggestion to not coast is referring to one taking their feet off the pedals of a fixed gear bicycle on downhills.
Can you really light a match from the seat of your bloomers?
GREAT video of Idaho's "Rolling Stop" law.
Bike dilemma at four-way stops
by John Whitehead
Special to the Enterprise, One of a biweekly series from Davis Bicycles!
Are we glad that many people - and perhaps especially Davisites - drive their car with extreme caution and extra courtesy when they see a bicyclist? Absolutely! Do we routinely expect motor vehicle drivers to relinquish their right of way to cyclists? We had better not. A wide range of behaviors and expectations brings complexity to car-bike interactions. One situation, unusually prevalent in Davis, is the four-way stop.
In order to preserve forward momentum and conserve time and energy, some cyclists (and even a few motorists) don't always stop completely. Bicyclists have less impeded sight and hearing, with more time to look and listen when approaching an intersection at lower speeds. They may feel that this gives them license to take some liberties to preserve momentum. When cars and bicycles approach a four-way stop from different directions at about the same time, no one can be sure what to expect. It is not simply a matter of taking turns in the order of arrival as typically happens for cars only.
Many cautious and courteous drivers often wait for a cyclist and wave "go ahead," even if the car was there first. Cyclists usually appreciate the courtesy, but an unfortunate side effect is to reinforce the tendency for cyclists to not always stop. As a result, there can be dangerous surprises when such cyclists meet drivers who aren't extra courteous. Perfect predictability might be nice, but we can't realistically expect everyone to behave the same way when driving a car or when riding a bicycle.
As a mostly law-abiding cyclist, sometimes in a hurry, I do my best to avoid the kind of awkward encounters described above. Consider a situation that arises when my bicycle is heavy with groceries, and I try to be nice to a sore ankle and other road users at the same time. A car is approaching a 4-way stop sign at right angles to my path. I slow down to erase any doubt about who arrived first. Some drivers will stop and proceed through the intersection before I arrive, then I can avoid pushing on the weak ankle to get going from a complete stop. I would bet Davis bikers with kids in trailers often do the same. Once the cyclist commits to arriving second, the car would ideally proceed first.
In other cases, however, a person in a car will just wait and wait, seemingly concerned that a cyclist who is trying to yield will suddenly appear in front of the car. Not yet at the intersection, I wonder in such situations whether I'm inconveniencing others by not forging ahead to take advantage of the courtesy being extended to me. Putting my feet on the ground, or even removing a foot from a pedal as I coast could send a clearer message to the driver.
A variation on this theme is that I might coast slowly into an intersection after a car has entered first and is moving faster than I am. We are not on a collision course and the motorist has the right of way, but the car sometimes screeches to a halt nevertheless.
Among our population, there is a wide variation in reaction times, and a range of experience at judging the speed and future position of moving objects. There is even a wide variation in people's understanding of the rules of the road. There can be unintended consequences when a driver stops and waves "go ahead" to a cyclist at a crosswalk. Another car approaching from the opposite direction should not be expected to stop, because only pedestrians have the right of way in a crosswalk.
Unexpected behaviors from people driving or cycling are not going to go away any time soon, so my own conclusions from all the above experiences are threefold. I definitely appreciate the planners, traffic engineers and police who strive to keep cars and bikes moving safely about Davis. Second, despite the unpredictability, it's a good thing that many people are very cautious and extend extra courtesy. Most importantly, it is always appropriate to constantly look around and listen in all directions when using the road.
John Whitehead has been bicycling for most of his local transportation since 1982, and he has also worn out a couple of cars. He is a member of the Davis Bike Club board of directors. To offer a Davis Bicycles! column, write to Joe Krovoza at column@davisbicycles.org. For more on the group, visit http://www.davisbicycles.org
So you are a road biker and want to be a Mountain Biker?
As a road cyclist, you have no doubt asked yourself, from time to time, the following question:
"What would happen if I rode my bike offroad?"
Well, the answer is quite simple. If you took your bike offroad, your brainpan would be shaken loose and your tires would explode, right before your rims crumpled in a heap.
But that may not have been the question you meant to ask. Maybe you meant to ask, "What would it be like to ride a mountain bike on these trails I sometimes see intersecting the tarmac? Would it really be that much different?"
Yes, it would be different. Here are some of the key tips and tricks to help you prepare for your grand offroad cycling transformation.
1. You must get a tattoo. Before you even begin thinking about shopping for a mountain bike, let alone taking your first mountain bike ride, you must get a rad tattoo. It's the law. There are actual mountain bike police out monitoring the trails, and they are liable to ask you if you have a tattoo. If you don't, they are authorized to give you one -- of their choosing -- on the spot.
Now, I'm certain that you are thinking, right this moment, "I'm pretty sure I saw a mountain biker without a tattoo, once." I assure you: that mountain biker had a tattoo. It was just more discretely placed than most, probably because that biker still lives at home and is afraid his mom will find out.
So the question is, what should your tattoo be? Well, the mountain biking bylaws stipulate that a chainring must be one of the graphical elements, a mystical Asian glyph must be included, and there must be a whimsical third symbol: wings, a skull-and-crossbones, or a cloud are all good examples. I recommend a yin-yang symbol inside a chainring, peeking out from behind a cloud, as if it were the sun.
Feel free to make up your own story as to what this means.
2. None of your existing equipment transfers. You might think that since you already have an outrageous quantity of cycling gear that you would have significant equipment overlap, making it easier for you to get your foot in the door.
That is, naturally, ridiculous.
You will need to buy all new clothes: baggy shorts, jerseys promoting different products, a helmet with a visor. You will need different shoes, and a high volume / low pressure floor pump. You will need different lube and different tools.
And none of the spare bike parts you have a accumulated over the years will be of any use. The wily bike part manufacturers have made certain of that.
3. Your bike will be be too complex for you to understand. Here's an interesting exercise: sketch out your road bike from memory. Be thorough: draw where the cables go and the where the brakes are.
That was easy, wasn't it?
Now, ask a mountain biker to sketch out his full-suspension bike from memory. He won't be able to. The frame is just too complex -- The fork moves up and down, the whole back section of the bike flexes around, and disc brakes are black magic that require either a degree in physics or theology (preferably both) to properly repair.
4. You must choose a tribe. When you ride your road bike, the bike type describes precisely what you're doing: you're riding on the road. Sure, there are a few outlier bike types (TT bikes, fixies), but even those are minor degrees of difference.
When you decide to go mountain biking, on the other hand, you haven't yet decided anything. You must still narrow down by these oh-so-important factors:
5. You must learn new tactics. When you first start mountain biking, you'll be tempted to draft, riding as efficiently as you always have. You will quickly discover, however, that this tactic doesn't have much benefit at 2.5 mph.
And don't point out obstacles. Unlike roadies, who want to help each other stay upright, one of the primary reasons mountain bikers hit the trail is because there's always a good chance someone's going to have a good wipeout, and they don't want to miss it.
Finally, and most importantly, start drinking more beer.
6. Be ready to work harder for your miles. If you go on a three-hour road ride, you've probably covered 50 miles or so. If, on the other hand, you've gone on a three-hour mountain bike ride, you may not get out of site of the trailhead.
7. Be prepared to be injured in new and interesting ways. As a road cyclist, you no doubt live in constant terror of road rash. The good news is, as a mountain biker you'll never have to worry about road rash again.
The bad news is, there are numerous new ways you can be injured while mountain biking:
You'll be glad to know, however, that your big, burly mountain bike is built to take the kind of beating you're sure to give it, and it will only rarely have mechanical difficulties.
No, I'm just kidding. Your mountain bike will break as (or more) often as your road bike.
So please, allow me to conclude by welcoming you -- my roadie friends -- into the sport of mountain biking.
I'm sure you're anxious to dive right in.
Elden "Fatty" Nelson blogs as The Fat Cyclist. He loves mountain biking and road biking equally, which is the same thing as saying he sucks at them in equal parts.
How to talk to Non-Cyclists by Elden Nelson
The fact that you are reading this tells me all I really need to know about you. You're a cyclist. I'm a cyclist. We therefore both know what's really important in life (riding). We see the world as it truly is (a place to ride our bikes). If we were each to answer the question, "What would you do with a million dollars?" our answers would vary perhaps in what equipment we'd buy and where we'd go to ride, but in little else.
If we were to have a conversation, we'd have an understanding of how each other thinks. Maybe you're a Cat 2 roadie and maybe I'm a cross-country endurance geek, but we both know that turning the cranks in a perfect circle is the ultimate form of self-expression.
Sadly, not everyone is like you and I. I am sad to say that there are people
out there who rarely - if ever! - ride bikes at all. It's possible you even
know someone like this. A coworker. A family member.
You'd be surprised at how common non-cyclists are, actually. You probably
encounter them several times per day and simply don't notice them, because
they aren't interesting.
Mostly, you can safely ignore these people, simply by riding away from them. Sometimes, though - at a company party, say - it is impossible to avoid non-cyclists. Surrounded, you have no choice but to communicate with them.
Don't worry. I'm here to help. Just follow these five simple rules.
Rule 1: Understand their bizarre world view
You need to understand that non-cyclists don't realize that cycling is the
most important thing any person can be doing at any given moment at any point
in the universe. Non-cyclists' eyes - and minds - are shuttered, leaving them
to believe that things like friends, community, work, and even family supercede
what they naively call "just exercise."
It's sad - OK, it's pathetic - but it's true.
To appease non-cyclists, when asked about what matters to you, you must from time to time mention friends, family, the environment, or some other such nonsense. Otherwise, they'll never leave you alone and it will be hours until you can get away, back to the comfort and kinship you feel when with your bicycle.
Rule 2. Use metaphors from "real life"
Non-cyclists aren't ready to hear about your exquisite existence in its unadulterated
perfection. No, you will need to translate the sublime cycling experience
into terms they might be able to understand.
Naturally, you and I know that the following metaphors don't do the actual
cycling event justice, but they'll have to do.
To describe how it feels to ride down perfectly banked, twisty forested singletrack
on a cool autumn morning: "It's like that scene from Return of the Jedi
where Luke and Leia are zooming on their flying motorcycle things. Except
you're the one powering the flying motorcycle. And you're not being chased
by stormtroopers. And you don't have to tolerate the constant chattering of
Ewoks."
To explain why you gladly get up at 4:30am each weekday morning to ride your
road bike for three hours on an entirely unremarkable road: "You know
how you have to drive your car in stop-and-go traffic to get to work every
morning? Well, imagine if you didn't have to stop. And imagine your car going
as fast as you can make it go. And imagine starting the day feeling perfect.
It's kind of like that."
To explain why you pay $200 to participate in a race you have very little
chance in winning: "Ever play the lotto? It's like that, except much,
much more so."
Rule 3: Pretend to be interested in their life
This one's going to knock you off your feet. Believe it or not, non-cyclists sometimes think they have something interesting to say, have an interesting hobby, or an interesting experience to relate.
This, of course, is utter nonsense.
Still, for the sake of propriety, you must act as if you care. Feel free, as they talk, to pleasantly daydream about biking. Just smile and say, "Absolutely," from time to time.
Warning: It's entirely possible that a non-cyclist will say something with which you disagree. When this happens, do not engage. If you do, you will have unwittingly stepped into a non-cycling conversation, and who knows where that will lead, or when it will end.
Always remember: Be polite, be brief, be gone.
Rule 4. Act like their theory on doping in cycling is very interesting
A tactic non-cyclists will often employ, once they have discovered you are a cyclist, is to try to talk with you about cycling. This usually takes the form of trying to talk with you about doping in cycling.
You will, no doubt, be tempted to gouge your ears out rather than hear their simplistic, uninformed opinion ("Doping is bad") to its rambling, incoherent conclusion. After all, as a cyclist, you have no doubt been pummelled with story after story after story about doping. You have heard so much about doping that you could now be called as an expert witness at the next doping trial. Or open a lab. Or be the next president of WADA (and you're rightly confident you'd do a much better job).
But if you point any of this out to your non-cyclist "friend," he will no doubt take that as a sign that you are interested in continuing the conversation. So, instead, repeat this simple phrase, "Yeah, doping sucks."
Your friend will feel like he has made his point, whatever it was.
Rule 5. Don't tell the truth about how much your bike cost
Few people ever own anything that works, fits, or looks as well as a truly well-built bike. And yet, when they find that your bike costs as much as their high-end computer or mid-range stereo, they will fake a heart attack, guaranteed.
The solution? Tell non-cyclists you paid $499.99 for your bike, no matter how much you really paid for it. This number has been scientifically formulated to sound like more than a non-cyclist would pay for a bike, without otherwise drawing attention to itself.
No matter how you try, you can't always avoid non-cyclists. All you can hope to do is minimize contact with them - so you can get back to what's important.
And I think we both know what that is.
The Modern Bicycle and its Accessories
A Complete Reference Book for Rider, Dealer, & Maker The Commercial Advertiser
Assn., 1898
PREFACE.
Bicycles without number have been consigned to the scrap heap or discarded for new mounts, as the result of abuse and the lack of proper care, due solely to the Ignorance of riders as to a wheel's constructlon and requirements, while disappointments have resulted, in many instances, because the same lack of knowledge has prevented the wise selection of an well constructed and properly adjusted mount at the outset.
A bicycle can no more be expected to run smoothly without a proper adjustment of its parts and their maintenance in perfect running condition than can any other piece of machinery, and while the chain and chainless productions of 1888 are admirable for their simple mechanism, such points as the bearings and running gear require periodical inspection and attention to insure satisfactory service. This cannot be adequately given by a rider who has no conception as to the details of construction of his machine and so it frequently happens that a bicycle sinks into an early grave because its rider persists in calling upon It for continued service, while utterly indifferent to Its construction and requierments.
"Know thy wheel"' is an excellent maxim for every rider to follow; for those who heed it the matter of emergency repair will be a simple thing, a smooth running wheel will be assured, the chance of accident reduced to the minimum, and the life of the machine extended throughout Its fullest period. It is partly with a view to bringing about a better acquaintance between the average rider and his wheel that the following pages are presented.
To the bicycle manfuacturer and to the repair man and dealer - who are frequently called upon for advice and service concerning any and all makes of wheels - to the student of cycle construction, and to the mechanical expert, this volume will scarcely fall to be regarded as a valuable reference book for many years to come.
The idea of presenting to riders -- through the columns of "The Commerclal
Advertiser" -- an illustrated description of the lines, parts and improvements
of the bicycle for
1898 was conceived chiefly because of the absence during the winter of 1897-98
of a National Cycle Show. Just prior to the opening of preceding seasons tens
of thousands of riders throughout the country were able to see at the annual
shows, and at those held under the auspices of the various local cycle trade
organizations, all that the maker had to offer In changes and improvements
for the new year. This opportunity was also furthered by the columns of descriptive
matter published by the daily press and cycle trade journals in their of these
shows and the exhibits. Riders were to have none of these advantages for the
season of 1898, however, and "The Commercial Advertiser" accordingly
began the work of collecting and presenting the information which appeared
in its columns in serial form during February, March and April of 1898, and
which is now presented in this volume.
It is not claimed that all of the new features and changes evolved by the master mechanics of the cycle building industry have been embodied. It is believed, however, that none having an important bearing upon, or any way likely to cause material changes in, the methods of bicycle construction have been overlooked. Further than this, the gradual processes through which these changes and improvements have been evolved are shown throughout the periods of distinct advancement, also those of reversion, as they have followed, one upon the other, until the present state of the industry is reached and its product set forth as the most advanced, from every standpoint In the history of bicycle building.
Likewise the progress and improvements made In the manufacture of tires, saddles, lamps, bells, brakes and the many other articles common to the well-equipped modern bicycle, have received careful attention, with the result that the work of presenting this amount of information to the readers of "The Commercial Advertiser" has, we believe, been as complete and thorough as it has been practicable to make it.
Bicycle Repairing: A Manual Compilied from Articles in THE IRON AGE By S.D.V. Burr, Jan 25, 1896
Introduction.
The Bicycle of to-day is built on scientific principles by the most competent mechanics and of the strongest and best materials. Although no expense is spared by the leading manufacturers in their efforts to produce perfect Bicycle, it happens. unfortunately that, through accident or abuse, the machine is injured and breaks down. It therefore requires at times the attention of one having knowledge of the methods necessary to repair it. Placed in the hands of an inexperienced practitioner it may be permanently injured and perhaps ruined, but if treated by one skilled in the art it may be restored to its original strength and usefulness.
The wonder is not that the Bicycle occasionally breaks down but that it lasts as well as it does. When we consider the relative weight of the Bicycle and its rider, and think of its apparently frail construction, and then remember the severe strains to which it is subjected in service, we are compelled to admire its design, the strength of its parts, and the perfection of its workmanship. When a machine of this character, so delicate in its component parts and so finely adjusted, is in need of repair, it should evidently be taken to one who will understand the difficulty and who knows how to apply the proper remedy.
This seeming delicacy of the Bicycle has been of the utmost importance to the Bicycle trade as a whole. To it, and to it alone, can be ascribed the wonderful scarcity of really poor Bicycles. The Bicycle is a chain, and every part constitutes a link which must of necessity bear its portion of the strain. To weaken one of these links or parts by the introduction of inferior material means the speedy destruction of the Bicycle. To keep up the strength by using a greater quantity of cheap metal would meet with no demand, because the rider of to-day will not mount a heavy Bicycle. This delicacy is, in a certain sense, a guarantee of the honesty of manufacture of the Bicycle, and the Bicycle itself is the best safeguard against imposture.
The millions of Bicycles now in use have created a demand for the services of bright mechanics. Almost every town, no matter how small in population, can boast of some one who at least profess to make a specialty of Bicycle repairing. Unfortunately, too many men have gone into this business who have had no previous training to fit them for the work. They thought the Bicycle was as easy to repair as it was simple in appearance. These men have succeeded… in ruining thousands of good Bicycles. On the other hand, there are men in this business who are mechanics of experience, who have studied the Bicycle as they would an intricate problem, and who can repair it so as to bring it to its first condition of usefulness. When a manufacturer knows his Bicycle will be repaired properly he prefers that the work should be done at the shop nearest the home of the owner rather than that it be sent to his own works. The principal reason for this is that the rider is not deprived of the use of his Bicycle for so long a time.
Modern Cycles: A Practical Handbook on Their Construction & Repair By A.J. Wallis-Tayler, C.E. 1897, London
INTRODUCTION.
SO accustomed have people become to cycles that they are accorded but little admiration. Nevertheless a well-constructed modern cycle is most undoubtedly a very clever piece of mechanism, and one that has only become gradually and slowly evolved, by the exercise of great ingenuity, from a very crude and unpromising commencement.
The prejudice, or rather the dread, which for some time prevented many people from availing themselves of this mode of locomotion, has now, with the supersession of the old front-driving high bicycle or dicycle, known as the ordinary, and the perfection of the modern machine, known as the safety, almost completely disappeared, and the cycle now not only affords a ready means to both sexes of obtaining a pleasant and healthful recreation, and admits of a rapid transit from one place to another for business purposes, but also allows of a like convenient moving from place to place of passengers or goods being effected.
The great advantage derived from the use of a well-made cycle is, that the weight of the rider being borne entirely upon the wheels, the whole of his strength can therefore be profitably exerted upon the propulsion of the machine, and, as is well known, the weight of the body in walking necessitates a far greater muscular effort than that requisite for the above purpose, hence the gain experienced in riding a cycle.
The time for expressing any doubts as to the advantages to be derived from the use of cycles has now gone by, and the healthfulness of the pursuit when not abused is almost universally acknowledged.
In addition to the possession, however, of a good machine, it is absolutely necessary, in order to obtain satisfactory results both as regards pleasure and utility, that the surface upon which it is to be propelled be in a hard and smooth condition. It is clear, therefore, that unless the art of roadmaking had progressed, or rather, perhaps, to speak more accurately, the application of the said art had become more universal, the development of the cycle, even if it had not been entirely checked, would have been to a large extent bereft of its utility. In America, where the cycle, or as it is there styled, the "wheel", has become, if possible, even more popular than here, special roads or tracks have been laid down for cyclists, which they are free to use upon payment of a small toll.
Before proceeding to give a short historical account of the growth of cycles,
a few preliminary remarks upon the balance of bicycles will not be out of
place. It is of course obvious to any one that a bicycle, being supported
only at two points, cannot be stable, but must have a constant tendency to
fall to the one side or the other. This tendency can be counteracted by the
bicycle rider when in motion in two ways—viz., first, by inclining the
body in the opposite direction to that in which the machine is falling, and,
secondly, by turning the steering wheel towards that side to which the machine
is falling, or, as it is termed under-running. The latter action causes, when
the machine is in motion, the recovery of the balance. In practice it is probable
that the expert bicycle rider maintains his balance partly by the inclination
of his body to one side or the other, and partly by under-running. The more
expert the rider the less necessity will there be for correction by underrunning,
and consequently the straighter and the less wavy will be the path of the
bicycle.
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