In 1985 I bought a Schwinn Super Sport with Shimano SIS. Thought that was really cool, no more mis-shifts, but still had to sit back down to shift while climbing.
I think the classic era ended when bikes got gears and Al Capone quit going to the races.
Mark Poore
Slatyfork, WV lookout Lou, might be headed down you way again real soon!
ADP <aphillips9@mindspring.com> wrote: Mmmm, I don't think so. But when did Bicycling Magazine start running car ads?
Seriously though, I think the classic era ended when the bicycle and bicycling stopped being a symbol of individualism and started being a just piece of equipment used for fitness or competition.
I'm thinking of Jan Johnson talking about meeting Peter, the weird bike racer guy, in one of her classes. Its not that Peter was weird, it was that the sport he chose was unusual and Jan didn't know too many other guys who raced bikes.
Ray, (boyfriend) who started riding around the time I did, but on the other side of the country from me, says he thought cycling changed when Triathalons became really popular. Everyone did 'em, bicycles evolved into fairly function specific machines with new materials like carbon fiber and new accessories like aero bars and "fluid delivery systems."
So, I never paid any attention to it, because I got my first indexing road bike like 4 years ago, but when did indexing on road bikes become standard? What year did STI happen? What year did production move from Japan to Taiwan? When did the big euro companies start offering the high end in space age materials?
Ann Phillips Decatur GA
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