Here's a question just out of curiosity.

[Barbara_Reed]

What improvement to the bicycle since 1885 has been, in your opinion, the most significant? In particular, what has made cycling more popular, and more enjoyable, as well as more useful as a means of transportation. I'd be interested to hear from all of you on this!

 

[irie]

Pneumatic tyres

 

[7869hodgy]

Gears.

 

[Bomble]

Electric motor

 

[Silent Drone]

The chain

 

[Jackware]

Having looked at the original 1885 Safety Bicycle, I'd say brakes

 

[Zimmerframe]

Having looked at the original 1885 Safety Bike, I'd say brakes

View attachment 95401

I guess there was no freehub so you could brake (well, try to) with your legs .. until you panic, release and have your legs chopped into tiny pieces by the ever increasing speed of the egg beaters.

Other than that, if you look at the basic design then everything has been evolution rather than revolution and the main evolution has been price

Even then it had 29" wheels, rear suspension - two part via the saddle and spung saddle stem - you could even say it had a rear coil - looks a bit like an early ohlins.

I bet if you measured all the way around those bars, they'd be 780 - you just heat them up and bend them out to your desired riding width.

That chainstay is about as short as you could go, there must be about a 10mm gap between crank and the outside of the tyre measured vertically.

 

[Jackware]

And I'm guessing it was fairly lightweight?

 

[Zimmerframe]

And I'm guessing it was fairly lightweight?

The weight was perfect .. not too heavy, not too light ..

apparently - no one ever said X/Y/Z was better anyway ....

What's the story with the none consistent spoke pattern ? It hurts my head ! It's like one guy did one side of the wheel and another guy did the other side and they hated each other ?

 

[Tim1023]

In terms of making cycling popular and a useful form of transportation: Industrialisation. This lead to lower costs, making bikes available to more than the rich few people that could afford hand-made toys.

Why from 1885, by the way? Any significance to that date? Whilst trying to answer that myself, I came across this nice little timeline of bike developments: 58 Milestones from Bicycle History You Must Know

 

[Beekeeper]

Muc Off bike protect spray to make it smell fruity as you ride along

 

[RustyMTB]

Muc Off bike protect spray to make it smell fruity as you ride along

Username checks out.

 

[Kilham5]

The 1885 Safety Bicycle itself.

Everything else is just fluff round the edges.

Since ? 1894 Shozaburo Shimano was born

 

[Tim1023]

The 1885 Safety Bicycle itself.

Everything else is just fluff round the edges.

Since ? 1894 Shozaburo Shimano was born

Aha! Thank you. Wasn't specifically aware of that.

For anybody else interested, the 1885 safety bicycle was so named as it was the first bike that had wheels of the same size (unlike the penny farthing), meaning that the rider could put their feet "safely" on the ground. More on Wikipedia: Safety bicycle - Wikipedia

 

[Tubby G]

No doubt there were people that pushed the ‘safety bicycle’ to the top of a hill / mountain / forest in 1885, and then rode down as fast as possible shouting ‘yeeew’ and fist bumping their mates at the end of the ride. It’s just not documented

 

[steve_sordy]

Geared transmission.

 

[The Hodge]

No doubt there were people that pushed the ‘safety bicycle’ to the top of a hill / mountain / forest in 1885, and then rode down as fast as possible shouting ‘yeeew’ and fist bumping their mates at the end of the ride. It’s just not documented

I was that man !
Edit ...sorry thought it said 1985 ..( note to self ..need to wear reading specs !)

 

[RickBullotta]

Anodized purple components, obviously.

 

[yomoe]

dropper post

 

[Barbara_Reed]

No votes for comfortable saddles then? Oh, wait, maybe nobody has made one yet?

 

[E-MAD MALC]

Having looked at the original 1885 Safety Bicycle, I'd say brakes

View attachment 95401

I like the way they've proped the bike up
I think a stick would have looked better

 

[R120]

Freewheel

 

[ShinySideUp]

Bike lock. If someone's nicked it all the innovations in the world won't help.