Let's not forget the clothes that accompanied those late 50s early 60s bicycles for a kid. In my case my patched knees Levi's over cotton briefs, cotton T-Shirt summer, add a long sleeved flannel shirt in the winter and semi-hi-topped Red Wing Flyer lace up boots. Yet during summer vacation from school I would ride 10-20 miles a day on a bike that weighed the same or a little more than me.
Last time I rode a bike wearing briefs and Levi's the combination of sweat and wet cotton made a pretty good polishing compound, took a couple days to calm down the contact points.
