At 10:12 PM +0000 1/30/08, Emily O'Brien wrote:
>Over the decades, as bike construction and geometry have changed, so
>have rider positions and preferences. Some things are relatively
>obvious how they affect riding styles, such as handlebars getting
>lower in relation to the saddle. Older bikes had higher bars, and
>the drops were in a position that was more comfortable for spending
>lots of time in, and the brake hoods were not as comfortable to ride
>on top of. As handlebars got lower, the drops got usable for a
>smaller percentage of the time, but the brake hoods got bigger and
>more designed for holding onto from above.
>
>I'm curious about other ways that riding styles or techniques have
>changed over the years. Has thinking changed about crank length?
>Cadence? Seat tube angle? How have bikes changed or changed back to
>favor one style of riding versus another? How have riding styles
>changed to favor one type of bike design versus another?
>
>I'm just curious what you all have to throw out there, be it
>speculation, hearsay, or from refutable sources.
>
>Emily O'Brien
>Medford, MA
When you look at old bikes, you begin to realize that much of the technology changed because riding styles changed, and on the other hand, riding styles changed because technology changed.
For example, in 1951, a 51-14 was considered enough to win Tour de France sprints. Riders rarely had whole teams leading them out, and most of all, they often sprinted in the saddle, turning the cranks at 180 rpm or more.
When I tested the 1957 Cinelli Supercorsa, I had to think of this. With a tread (Q factor) of only 120 mm, the bike really wanted me to spin.
Try that riding style on a modern bike, and you will wonder "How did they do it." Take the 1957 Cinelli to a modern race, and sprint out of the saddle, and you'll be left behind.
Narrow handlebars are another case in point. They work well with low trail geometries, because you don't need leverage to wrestle with the wheel flop. (Wheel flop is proportional to trail.) Put a wide handlebar on a 1950s bike, and you'll find it sluggish and odd - we tested a bike set up like that. Put the narrow bars on a modern bike, and it'll be hard to control. (It's not surprising that 42 cm and wider handlebars in the old styles are so rare. They were available, but few riders used them, because they did not work well with the bikes.)
Tire size plays into it, too. The old geometries don't work well with skinny tires, and modern geometries aren't ideal with fat tires... but that is getting away from riding styles and the original question.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
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