50 Years Ago: Dec 1968 in Bicycling! magazine (formerly American Cycling)
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50 Years Ago: Dec 1968 in Bicycling! magazine (formerly American Cycling)
This is the first issue of Bicycling! magazine, previously known as American Cycling.
"The Magazine of Touring, Racing, and Family Bicycling" is dead. Long live "The World's Greatest Bicycle Magazine".
This inaugural issue certainly contained an interesting mix of articles.
In addition to the Cover, ToC, and Bike and Equipment Review. I've included:
"Fun Follows a New Cycle" -- I cringe and wonder if the child is still alive or if the father still has any hair.
"Touring Couples Enjoy Autumn in Vermont and New Hampshire" -- I cringe at what must be called.....has to be called...Dead Man's Curve, and wonder how many grave markers are there now.
"From Hoopskirts to Nudity" -- I cringe at the writing.
"The Sky's the Limit (Mt. Baldy Hillclimb) -- I cringe while reading paragraph 3.
Let me know if you'd like to see something else listed in the ToC and I'll do my best to send you a pdf or attach one to this post.
Happy holidays! See all y'all 50 years ago next month.
"The Magazine of Touring, Racing, and Family Bicycling" is dead. Long live "The World's Greatest Bicycle Magazine".
This inaugural issue certainly contained an interesting mix of articles.
In addition to the Cover, ToC, and Bike and Equipment Review. I've included:
"Fun Follows a New Cycle" -- I cringe and wonder if the child is still alive or if the father still has any hair.
"Touring Couples Enjoy Autumn in Vermont and New Hampshire" -- I cringe at what must be called.....has to be called...Dead Man's Curve, and wonder how many grave markers are there now.
"From Hoopskirts to Nudity" -- I cringe at the writing.
"The Sky's the Limit (Mt. Baldy Hillclimb) -- I cringe while reading paragraph 3.
Let me know if you'd like to see something else listed in the ToC and I'll do my best to send you a pdf or attach one to this post.
Happy holidays! See all y'all 50 years ago next month.
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LOL. The cover photo is flipped.
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Whereas all of the other side-by-side pages are as they appear in the magazine, the Cover and ToC are separate pages that linked to form a single image for uploading.
I did it thinking I was going to exceed the limit of 10 images in the post.
But actually, there is a funny mistake on the Cover that I see now. They used the title of one article as the subtitle for another.
I did it thinking I was going to exceed the limit of 10 images in the post.
But actually, there is a funny mistake on the Cover that I see now. They used the title of one article as the subtitle for another.
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WTB: Bike World issue Jun 1974.
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WTB: Bike World issue Jun 1974.
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Whereas all of the other side-by-side pages are as they appear in the magazine, the Cover and ToC are separate pages that linked to form a single image for uploading.
I did it thinking I was going to exceed the limit of 10 images in the post.
But actually, there is a funny mistake on the Cover that I see now. They used the title of one article as the subtitle for another.
I did it thinking I was going to exceed the limit of 10 images in the post.
But actually, there is a funny mistake on the Cover that I see now. They used the title of one article as the subtitle for another.
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What? Wait a minute. Are we seeing the chain ring inside of the chain guard as if the drivetrain was on left side of the bike?
You can't get that image by flipping the negative from a photo taken on the right side of the bike, can you?
Something's wacky, but what?
I'm going swimming, you guys figure it out.
You can't get that image by flipping the negative from a photo taken on the right side of the bike, can you?
Something's wacky, but what?
I'm going swimming, you guys figure it out.
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WTB: Slingshot bicycle promotional documents (catalog, pamphlets, etc).
WTB: American Cycling May - Aug, Oct, Dec 1966.
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WTB: Bike World issue Jun 1974.
WTB: Slingshot bicycle promotional documents (catalog, pamphlets, etc).
WTB: American Cycling May - Aug, Oct, Dec 1966.
WTB: Bicycle Guide issues 1984 (any); Jun 1987; Jul, Nov/Dec 1992; Apr 1994; 1996 -1998 (any)
WTB: Bike World issue Jun 1974.
Last edited by SpeedofLite; 12-03-18 at 08:09 PM. Reason: brain fog the first and second times
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Pretty common for editors to flip a photo to get a more desired composition. In this case someone preferred to have the riders appear to be going from left to right across the cover. So the photo was flipped with the result that the drive trains appear to be on the left side of the bikes.
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I like the Dad riding with the kid on his shoulders in the little family photo.
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Thanks for posting. Page 7 mentions the town I live in, New London, NH. It would be interesting if I could find a local reference of the visit.
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Enjoying the GA coast all year long!
Thanks for visiting my website: www.freewheelspa.com
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Too funny, plus the girls bike has a bent fork. Classic.
Recognize tech ed Fred DeLong (he had some brave builds with components, seen elsewhere on the net) and Roger St. Pierre as 'foreign' spondent (own one if his early former personal bike)
I say bring back the swinging sixties mad men
Recognize tech ed Fred DeLong (he had some brave builds with components, seen elsewhere on the net) and Roger St. Pierre as 'foreign' spondent (own one if his early former personal bike)
I say bring back the swinging sixties mad men
#10
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Haha the bent fork is what jumped out at me immediately.
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Thankyou. This is lovely.
#13
framebuilder
When I was in college in the middle to late 60's, bicycling as recreation in the midwest was not a common activity. I tried to find information about my hobby everywhere and was unsuccessful except a boy Scout book on bicycle safety in the Notre Dame library (yes the one with "touchdown Jesus" mosaic). One day when I was sitting in magazine section of my college's library (not ND's) around 1967 I looked over towards the racks and to my total amazement I saw this magazine American Cycling. I couldn't believe there was a whole magazine devoted to my interest. It got me to go the library more often. The magazine was always put out a month or two later than its cover date.
As mentioned this was the 1st issue of Bicycling but was just a continuation of American Cycling with a different name on the cover. An issue in 1969 influenced me because they did a road test on a Hetchins with Hellenic stays. I had never heard of the brand before. When I went to London a short time later with one of my buddies to do a bicycle trip in England, I bought one on Seven Sisters road. I got a straight stay Vade Mecum I model (the simplest fancy lug design but still with their trademark fork stiffeners on round blades). It was flam blue with gold bands on the seat and head tube. It cost me about $75. I still have it to show my frame building class students as an example of how to carve their own lugs out of blanks.
As mentioned this was the 1st issue of Bicycling but was just a continuation of American Cycling with a different name on the cover. An issue in 1969 influenced me because they did a road test on a Hetchins with Hellenic stays. I had never heard of the brand before. When I went to London a short time later with one of my buddies to do a bicycle trip in England, I bought one on Seven Sisters road. I got a straight stay Vade Mecum I model (the simplest fancy lug design but still with their trademark fork stiffeners on round blades). It was flam blue with gold bands on the seat and head tube. It cost me about $75. I still have it to show my frame building class students as an example of how to carve their own lugs out of blanks.
Last edited by Doug Fattic; 12-04-18 at 07:45 AM.
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Even in Sunny So. Calif. in 1958, cycling was still mostly a kid activity, but many students biked to school or the beach on klunkers. At our local junior college(El Camino), an acquaintance got the bike bug big time & rode his brand new Paramount to & from. He would come to class carrying his front wheel, with a spare sew-up over his shoulder. Back then, a cable lock & no front wheel was enough to deter bike thieves. Don
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Ah yes the days before bike helmets.
We really have come a long ways.
We really have come a long ways.
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Bicycling magazine was the only link I had to the greater world of cycling when I was growing up - I had a subscription from about 1971 to 1976 (when cars took over) and have many issues still (not all unfortunately). Thanks for the memories. If you are willing to send a scan of the whole thing i’d love to have one.
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One day when I was sitting in magazine section of my college's library (not ND's) around 1967 I looked over towards the racks and to my total amazement I saw this magazine American Cycling. I couldn't believe there was a whole magazine devoted to my interest. It got me to go the library more often. The magazine was always put out a month or two later than its cover date..
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WTB: Slingshot bicycle promotional documents (catalog, pamphlets, etc).
WTB: American Cycling May - Aug, Oct, Dec 1966.
WTB: Bicycle Guide issues 1984 (any); Jun 1987; Jul, Nov/Dec 1992; Apr 1994; 1996 -1998 (any)
WTB: Bike World issue Jun 1974.
WTB: Slingshot bicycle promotional documents (catalog, pamphlets, etc).
WTB: American Cycling May - Aug, Oct, Dec 1966.
WTB: Bicycle Guide issues 1984 (any); Jun 1987; Jul, Nov/Dec 1992; Apr 1994; 1996 -1998 (any)
WTB: Bike World issue Jun 1974.
#18
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The issue I was sorry I never bought a copy was the one in August (or maybe July or September) 1969 that contained the Hetchins road test and also had an article about TOSRV which I did with my brother for many years.
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