At 09:55 PM 09/02/2008 -0500, Dr. Paul Williams wrote:
>A question or two for the older, British 1940s and 50s club riders and
>racers. With all the emphasis on "fixies" at the moment (and my plans
>for the Carpenter still unfolding) I began to wonder how many were
>riding fixed gears in the day? Did many ride fixed gears on club runs?
>How many used single-speed freewheels instead? hubgears? derailleurs?
>What sorts of set ups were favoured most often?
Just speaking from my own experience (early to mid-1950s), many people converted their bikes over to a fixed wheel for the winter months. This was around London and snow was rare. During the summer most rode derailleurs. There were a few hub gears and one or two rode fixed year round, but I don't remember any single speed freewheels on club rides at this time.
John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada