Lotsa bikes.
Lotsa rides.
Tendy? Yup.
Staying power? We'll see.
2012-12-21
2008-10-29
2008: The Year of The Xtracycle
It could be called "The year of the longtail," but I prefer to give credit where credit is due. The Xtracycle Free Radical brought a cargo bike revolution to the bicycle industry, and 2008 was a tipping point.
It was apparent even by Interbike 2007: three full-frame longtail cargo-bikes were scheduled for production/availability in 2008: Surly's Big Dummy, Kona's Ute, and YubaRide's Mundo. While only the BD used the Free Radical "platform," before the end of the year, Xtracycle had "open-sourced" its design specs, brought out its own complete longtail (the Radish), and host of practical new accessories. In addition, as far back as NAHBS 2007, custom longtails were not uncommon, and at Interbike 2008 RANS had production recumbent longtail.
It was apparent even by Interbike 2007: three full-frame longtail cargo-bikes were scheduled for production/availability in 2008: Surly's Big Dummy, Kona's Ute, and YubaRide's Mundo. While only the BD used the Free Radical "platform," before the end of the year, Xtracycle had "open-sourced" its design specs, brought out its own complete longtail (the Radish), and host of practical new accessories. In addition, as far back as NAHBS 2007, custom longtails were not uncommon, and at Interbike 2008 RANS had production recumbent longtail.
2007: The Year of ...?
2007 was tough, there was a lot going on.
Here are some candidates:
The Year of the LED?
LED technology has taken over bicycle lighting. There are a few holdouts, but their days are clearly numbered and the pace of LED innovation continues to accelerate.
NAHBS?
This year saw the third, not the first, North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show. However, between 2006 and 2008, NAHBS grew by two full orders of magnitude, based on totally unscientific research (the number of pictures returned by searching flickr). Also, in response to the trend, a Best City Bike category was added to the awards.
Flat-Foot or Crank-Forward Technology?
Electra had it long ago, Cannondale went there in 2006, and Specialized went there in 2007. Lets examine this in more detail...
Here are some candidates:
The Year of the LED?
LED technology has taken over bicycle lighting. There are a few holdouts, but their days are clearly numbered and the pace of LED innovation continues to accelerate.
NAHBS?
This year saw the third, not the first, North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show. However, between 2006 and 2008, NAHBS grew by two full orders of magnitude, based on totally unscientific research (the number of pictures returned by searching flickr). Also, in response to the trend, a Best City Bike category was added to the awards.
Flat-Foot or Crank-Forward Technology?
Electra had it long ago, Cannondale went there in 2006, and Specialized went there in 2007. Lets examine this in more detail...
2006: The Year of The Porteur
Kogswell, et al.
Despite the introduction of the first production 650b frames perhaps ever available in the US (Rivendell/QBP's Bleriot), the 650b trend falls somewhere between the constructeurs and the porteurs. While a wheel size is important, it's not revolutionary in a cultural sense.
Despite the introduction of the first production 650b frames perhaps ever available in the US (Rivendell/QBP's Bleriot), the 650b trend falls somewhere between the constructeurs and the porteurs. While a wheel size is important, it's not revolutionary in a cultural sense.
2005-10-29
2005: The Year of The Constructeur
Jan Heine's The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles was published in January 2005, and the first NAHBS was held in February, at which contemporary constructeur Sacha White / Vanilla Bicycles won Best In Show.
2004-10-29
2002-10-29
1998-10-30
1998: The Year of The Single Speed
The emergence of single-speed mountain bikes/biking was an important step away from the more-better-faster thinking that drives so much capitalist thinking.
I chose 1998 as the year of the single-speed because that was the year that QBP produced the Singulator, the first product to be branded under the name Surly.
The tipping point for the Surly brandname was a little later, and was perhaps an even more landmark event. When was it, exactly? Lets try to figure it out together...
1994-10-29
1994: The Year Grant Petersen Started RBW
http://www.rivbike.com/company_history
I don't know exactly where Rivendell Bicycle Works (RBW) belongs in the Zodiac, but it clearly belongs. Despite not having made much profit, or much of a stink about it, Grant Petersen has been one of the most influencial figures in the U.S. bicycle culture of the early 21st century, although it's too soon to gauge how far his influence will be carried into the bicycle industry.
He is a bit of a wingnut, but the things he was talking about ten years ago have all become vital elements of the mainstream bicycle community: long (or standard, if you prefer) reach brakes, fenders, upright riding positions, baskets, regular old pedals, 650b... Of course, these are all practical things that may have (re)appeared regardless of GP's promotion. It's often hard to tell the difference between prediction and influence, or between insight and zeitgeist, or something. Anyway, a nod to the man in the itchy sweater.
I don't know exactly where Rivendell Bicycle Works (RBW) belongs in the Zodiac, but it clearly belongs. Despite not having made much profit, or much of a stink about it, Grant Petersen has been one of the most influencial figures in the U.S. bicycle culture of the early 21st century, although it's too soon to gauge how far his influence will be carried into the bicycle industry.
He is a bit of a wingnut, but the things he was talking about ten years ago have all become vital elements of the mainstream bicycle community: long (or standard, if you prefer) reach brakes, fenders, upright riding positions, baskets, regular old pedals, 650b... Of course, these are all practical things that may have (re)appeared regardless of GP's promotion. It's often hard to tell the difference between prediction and influence, or between insight and zeitgeist, or something. Anyway, a nod to the man in the itchy sweater.
NOTE: This was first posted in 2008, but it's even more true today than it was then.
1991-10-30
1989-10-29
1989: The Year of Greg Lemond
Of course, Greg Lemond won the Tour de France in 1986, and that was the first time an American had won the TDF, but the 1989 victory was a watershead moment for several reasons:
- Lemond was returning to cycling that year after having been horribly injured in a hunting accident--no one thought he would amount to much. Also, GL was SI's "Sportsman of the Year."
- It was the last time that the final stage of the TDF was a time trial. Too much nail-biting, not enough Chanpange, I suppose. Nevertheless, how many of us were glued to ABC's pathetic tour coverage watching the seconds tick away as GL pushed a 55/12 down the Champs-Elysées?
- This was the event that confirmed the practical efficacy of aero-bars, firmly establishing a place for the science of aerodynamics in the cycling world, for better or worse.
Other significant events:
In 1989 the product manager at Bianchi was Bill Horner, who is much better known for Felt Bicycles than this, but he began working on a bike labeled "Project 7" that year. It had 700c wheels, flat bars, thumb shifters, mountain bike brake levers and brakes (cantilevers) and a triple crank. Bill really believed in his work and pushed this Project 7 into production by 1990 under the name "Volpe." (Don Cook, The Big Wheel Mountain Bike Story, Dirt Rag #130)
1980-10-30
1980: The Year Keith Bontrager Made a Mountain Bike
His frames from the late 1980s and early 1990s are aces, if you can find one. He has been a seminal contributor to innovations over the last 30 years, though I believe less so after selling his company to Trek.
1979-10-29
1979: The Year Charlie Cunningham Made His First Mountain Bike
I saw a Cunningham at Point Reyes Cyclery in 1986. Man I wish I'd bought it. A terrific interview with CC is in Rivendell Reader #27 (and reproduced here).
CC's first mountain bike was also his first aluminum bike. It weighed 23 lbs. and had many features common today, but hithertofore unknown: short(ish) wheelbase, steep angles, sloped top tube, hand-made brakes, wider sealed bearing hubs, seatpost quick release, machined magnesium stem, titanium chainguard, toe clips, and custom curved drop handlebars.
http://www.cunninghambikes.com/innovation/bicycles/bicycles_3.html
1970-08-07
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