BobbyG

+100! Bikeforums changed my riding which has changed my life, all for the better!

Kapusta

I think the article makes a very good point in questioning if this is THE Golden Age.

I think the problem is that with cycling, like many other things (television, music) there is not really a single “Golden Age”.

Comparing cycling 2018 to 1898 is apple and oranges. But both have merits to be considered a Golden Age.

1500SLR

I was lucky enough to be born in the mid 80s which puts me on the crest of going through what Team Once created. To be honest six of one half a dozen the other. I still ride a French fit bike by choice and I advocate that because its simply more comfortable and statistically at the elite level not any slower. That said I ride a French fit bike with DI2 shifters, modern compact drop handlebars a comfy seat and grip tape on 23mm wide tyres. I can't exactly say I'm not living in the now.

However, I will acknowledge we live in the world where Giant changed the geometry of bikes for good.

ExPatTyke

Everyone will have their own Golden Age, when everything seemed right for them.

For me, this was the early to mid 1980s.
The road network was well developed. but there was nothing like the insane amount of traffic on the roads that we have now. With the lower level of traffic the roads were in a far better state that they are now - I can remember the common tyre sizes were 21 or even 18mm, as opposed to the 28mm used nowadays - and were maintained to a far better standard.
Most motorists had been or still were, cyclists and consequently were far more courteous to cyclists.
Bikes were generally well developed, and components that worked well and were reliable were available, even if they weren't fitted to bikes at the cheap end of the scale.
Good quality clothing was available.
This is probably somewhat rose-tinted. and things were not perfect - today's lower gearing didn't exist, and there was less choice in the new bike market as two examples - but I have good memories of cycling back then.

Kapusta

For me, the developement of modern mountain biking and trail riding makes this unquestionably the golden age of cycling.

Harhir

It is not just when but also where. Compared to Europe the US is not in the golden ages but more in the middle ages in regards to the cycling infrastructure.
But I am not complaining. Many cities here are spending great efforts to make it more bike friendly. But it will take a long time to get where most of Europe is right now. A lot of minds need to be changed as well. Many people don't look at cycling as alternative way of transportation. Here most look at it as a leisure activity you do once a while. Hardly anyone here uses a bike to run their daily errands, haul the groceries or commute to work.
Just look at many bike stores: Most carry tons of street bikes, mountain bikes, cruiser bikes and kiddy bikes. But if you are looking for a touring or utility bike the selection becomes limited. Same for accessories. Tons of stuff to tune the performance of your racer or dirt bike. But when it gets to racks, bags, fenders, baskets, trailers... most stores only have a limited selection.

It has it advantages and disadvantages. Yes I miss the dedicated bike lanes and trails from Europe but I also love the fact that the few lanes and trails we have are not clogged by cyclists because not many people are using them.

cycleheimer

Relatively speaking, it's a golden age. More bike paths, plenty of choices in new bikes, tons of nice older bikes and cycling gear super cheap or free, Craigs List, online bargains, smart phones and GPS to save the day, many choices in personal sound systems to listen to on long rides, more public acceptance of cycling as a lifestyle choice, more riding groups, etc. I remember cycle commuting to work when the "station wagon" /"mini van" set still associated bikes with kids, and that was post-70s bike boom. Back then, I could do 80+ mile rides on the weekends and still hang out at night with friends. That to me was more impressive than some Waldo pressing down on a gas pedal for a workout. The "golden age" thing really hits home with me when I can find really serious bikes from the late '70s and early to mid 80s (IMHO, the golden age for production bikes) for the price of a large pizza. Many are still like new when you wipe the dust and cob webs off. I think they are called "G.I. bikes". Bikes that were bought with the good intentions of riding them, but it just didn't happen. BTW, I do believe Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway bike path fom the 19th century was the first in the U.S., and maybe the world. Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.!

jlaw

Agreed!

For those of you who may not be familiar with the author he is the blogger 'BikesnobNYC'. He blogs several times a week at: Bike Snob NYC. His writing is pretty entertaining - his blog is a bit more racy than what he writes for Outside magazine.

He also writes the 'daily forecast' for 'Transportation Alternatives' at https://www.transalt.org/bike-forecast . This group is a bike/ped. oriented interest group in NYC. The Trans. Alt. blog has made me aware of all of the amazing bike infrastructure that has been built in NYC over the past 10 -15 years. He covers all sorts of interesting current bike-related topics.

Trsnrtr

What you are saying has some truth, at least in my area of the US. We were in a recession and due to unemployment and other reasons, there were fewer cars on the road. In fact, as a highway engineer, I remember we had negative growth in the 80s in average daily traffic. We still had money at that time to re-pave roads and they were in good condition.

Grinstead

Each and every country is different. In Europe cycling as in turning the pedals, 100% with your own power is waining and is slowly but very surely going over to the electric bike.It will never completely replace it but it's certainly going to compete in say 5 years time when prices really drop
Even in Britain after a massive boom after Wiggins and Froome winning the Tour de France sales are down. Australia, on the other hand, is booming and as 'Giant' will tell you that Australia is it's the biggest export although i think that is down to the population is of a very young average age
What about the east as the bicycle is still very much a way of life and not a fitness machine or hobby so you could say it has always been a golden age

I am just not sure you can confine the word 'Golden age' about bikes they mean so many different things to so many different people worldwide.