I’ve often wondered why, after a century of innovation, modern bicycles look so similar to the ones that people rode in the 1890s. After all the innovations in the world since that time, why haven’t we improved on the bicycle?
That question drove me to compare a brand-new, just-out-of-the-box bike to one that was built in 1895. And maybe you’ll be as surprised as me at the similarities and the differences between them.
A big thanks to the Reynolds Museum, particularly to Juanita Voth, who shared her time and knowledge. You should visit the museum: https://reynoldsmuseum.ca/
The modern bike is a 2024 Priority Eight (and it’s super fun to ride).
The old bike is an 1895 Singer Ladies’ Safety Bicycle (and it’s fascinating).
0:00 Introduction
1:03 Juanita’s welcome
1:20 The iconic penny farthing
3:04 The safety bicycle
3:39 Comparing shape
5:55 Comparing gears and transmission
7:36 Comparing brakes
8:23 Comparing rideability
10:00 Overall comparison
Historical footage in this video is as marked, from the U.S. Library of Congress, Archive.org (Gould), Science Museum Group, Powerhouse Museum, Pathe, Denis Shiryaev (he upscaled the archive video from San Francisco).
#cycling #bike #commuting
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49 Comments
OK, so modern bicycles are the end product of only incremental improvements over its first iteration, which was about 95% correct more than 100 years ago. This phenomenon is represented in almost all physical solutions we use today compared to their beginnings in the industrial revolution. In 200 years, people will be studying the industrial revolution as the major awakening of the era, while the so-called "Information Age" will be renamed "The Great Rumination of Humanity".
I think something that was missed was improvements to bike geometry. steering, fit have never felt anywhere near as good as they do today.
Back then you braked with your nose
The highwheeler shown at the museum is a novelty reproduction created in the 1970s. Real vintage highwheelers c1890 had a much higher level of craftsmanship.
6:14 – Those crank arms look misaligned with each other. If looks like if you positioned the drive-side crank arm so that it was precisely horizontal and pointed toward the rear, the other crank arm would be angled down toward the ground. I wonder if they are really misaligned or if that's just an illusion caused by the angle of the picture.
Another innovation that has happened in bicycle design has been in frame geometry. Especially in the last decade, there's been a lot of science in how the subtle changes of tube angles effect the feel and handling of a bike. You can take a recent hardtail frame and compare it to something made a few decades ago, and they will visually look almost identical. However the performance of the two will be completely different.
I'm one who believes the only place in the world a fixie bike belongs to is in a circus side-show act.
Awkward comparison. Of course technical details like material, brakes, chain, gears, freewheel etc made progress, but the real question for a fair comparison would be: How does a modern bike do on streets and mud tracks, like they were standard, when these bikes came out? Did the big wheels (up to 28"), saddle with big spring, ergonomics and geometry (front fork angle while steering) provide a decent ride? Thinking back to the oldest bikes, I rode: not really. Riding a farm track is quite a pain, not much better than a modern street or trekking bike. It takes quite a mountain bike to do a bit of speeding there.
I think, the average speed before really good paved street, maybe was just twice the one walking, despite the fast gear ratio. You never get to faster cadence or momentum, but most of the time you have to apply force and do balancing, especially on bad paths.
no but I would say design peaked around the 1980s-90s. Now innovation is simply made for the purpose of changing things with no real benefit and as far as the past 5 years, to the detriment… At least as far as the road bike and it's derivatives go. I haven't studied modern mountain bikes enough to have any comment on them, and personally, no real interest.
Why is it mostly the same? Because the safety bike was nearly perfect. We keep trying to improve, but the base design just can't be improved.
When in my 30s I had a Schwinn mountain bike and went on 20 to 30 mile rides a couple times a week. Now I'm 62 and have a steel frame single speed Huffy Cruiser. I commute everywhere on it, don't have a car. I carry groceries on it and I do just great. Don't need extra gears or any bells or whistles.
Same reason why the pedals in cars has been in the same order for 70 years or so….. it works… dont change it ….hehe
I sure would like to see you go back so we can view the selection of older bikes, if indeed they have some. I’ve always loved cycling from a young boy right up to today. Many cycle for different reasons. A form of transportation eliminating the need for cars in their lives, fun and recreation, and for fitness training. Whatever your pleasure. Bottom line, get out there and ride. The benefits are huge.
In general I think anything that was built long time ago is more reliable people brought it once and they kept it with minimum maintenance required
City planning on the other hand, has not improved.
Most things about cities and the trends of these cities opposes the well being of citizens. Moving about, using travel infrastructure, the efficiency of time, the appearance of the environment, the cleanliness or quality of the environment, and general dangers all oppose the citizen well being. As a result the emotional and mental condition of the citizens who live and use the city is low, is unhealthy, and opposed.
But what does modern city planning do? It efficiently funnels billions of dollars into the coffers of governments who also oppose citizenry.
I still ride steel frame with single speed and coaster brake, and leather+ spring saddle, the only space age tech is the LED head and tail lights, many things in our modern life still use old age tech, like our clothes are still sewn together by thread and sewing machine and not glued or bonded with something new.
Modern bikes are ugly and the angles are just off with the slouching down in the back destroying leverage. The straight bars suck as well. If i couldn't get a 70's type road frame id build it.
This is true for many, many inventions and technologies. Once the basic form factor is perfected or standardized, there are innovations in materials, ergonomics, and comfort but users of the old innovation could use the new one without much of a learning curve. Another example of this is firearms. The basic operations have been the same for 100 years, new materials and new ergonomic innovations are the only real difference.
There is something else that was invented around the same time as the safety bike, it has remained completely unchanged as the first iteration was perfect with the exception of materials science. Even then it will still be steel, just a better quality of steel from modern production methods. I give you the humble paperclip.📎🖇
There has been a major improvement in bikes. They are called recumbents. Totally superior in every way to standard "safety bicycle," (except for climbing, you can't win them all). But recumbents haven't been marketed, are too rare and expensive, or maybe there is a conspiracy against them.
In my opinion almost all old bicycles look like works of art. Great attention was paid to the details. While modern bicycles often look boring.
And if we talk about materials, I chose steel (especially chromoly)
Give me my steel tubed omafiets. Indestructible. Everlasting.
One factor you didn't mention is that many innovations like the recumbent bike, the Lotus Bike riden to a record by Chris Boardman and Graeme Obree's record breaking innovative riding position bikes, have been strangled by the UCI rules which insists that competition bikes have to retained the diamond format, even when with materials other than metal tubes it really doesn't make sense anymore. The rest of the market takes its design cues from competition bikes.
Recumbent bikes represent a huge change. And in many ways an improvement in frame design!
Excellent video and more historical content please.
So fixie gear bikes where the first invented
I think that's right. E-bikes flatten the hills. It's a whole new era for personal transportation.
E-bikes are going to have a massive impact on planning and building; on all kinds of stuff (e-bicycles, not Surrons; that's a different thing). But personal transportation? First in bicycle form, and then it'll evolve. I can see people cruising around in little powered 2-wheeled enclosed pods, maybe? lol
I live just 12 miles north of Coventry, England, the city where in the 19th century James Starley made the safety bicycle popular. Two years ago I bought an electric bike from a company called Estarli. I reviewed that bicycle online and later Estarli loaned me an updated version so I took the opportunity to go on pilgrimage from here in Nuneaton the 12 Miles down to Coventry to visit the Transport Museum where there is an original safety bicycle from the 1890s and then onto the statue of James Starley, which is in Coventry city Centre.
See the second part of this journey here
https://youtu.be/DlDwkf0Nj6Q?si=97aparKUxw04CA4e
If I’m not mistaken didn’t Albert Pope buy an old singer factory in Massachusetts and converted it into a bicycle factory? Pope bicycles were the best selling bicycle in 1896. He’s also in the Congress library for inventing a solid surface for bicycles to ride on and test drove one of his bicycle on the new surface demonstrate in the Harvard campus.
The bicycle liberated the women. Electricity also.
I ride a 85 year old bicycle all the time
I've have ride bikes like the Singer showed, and some of then are amazing to ride. If it's well manteined they ride very silent
yes, take a look at my 64 year old Raleigh Superbe, thats just getting its 1st service… all these modern bikes, are like modern cars, throw away sh1t! 🥰enjoy my restoration on my Reyolds 531 avanti, 501 mirage, or the ground breaking, Dynatech 653 TT Lo-Pro 🥰
6:16 thats not how gear ratios work, youre getting more speed at the cost of more effort. While its probably more efficient than a penny farthing, the mechanical advantage isnt there as its an overdrive requiring more torque for more speed.
Question straight out of left field: Do you know anything about Mossberg making bikes (specifically tandems) in the late '40's – mid '50's? I have one and cannot find any history on it.
Nostalgia is a disease!
Your videos are so informative and cool
Those frame materials, especially the Aluminium and Carbon Fiber ones are not likely to be on the road in 100 years. So, improvement? Sure for speed, but for durability, I'm not so sure
this is like asking why is your front door essentialy identicle to a 1000 year old one- its a solved problem
The 100 year old bikes used a wheel with a radius exactly one half of the diameter. Fast forward to a modern bike – it uses a wheel with a diameter twice that of the radius.
This woman knows nothing about engineering
Now we are dodging E-Bikes! 😂😂 and people on their phones not looking! E-Bikes are seriously injuring and killing pedestrians
Your Nepolien story is true. Aluminum used to be more valuable than gold. The top of the Washington Monument in D.C. is capped with aluminum.
Ok but the safety bicycle cost 2cents at the time
Good Morning, E-bikes have been around for 130 yrs. The first electric bike patent was issued to American inventor Ogden Bolton Jr. on December 31, 1895, for a battery-powered bicycle featuring a rear-wheel hub motor, a design that closely resembles modern e-bikes. While other inventors also worked on electric bicycles around this time, Bolton's design is recognized as the earliest known patent for an electric bicycle with a hub motor. Thank You and Always Ride Safe 😎
the best bike I ever had was made around 1958, a large steel-framed commuter-style one. I had it equipped with a hub dynamo in front, so it had perfect lighting, and a shimano hub gearshift at the back, so I had seven gears. Fast, and comfortable! Nothing beats a well-made steel frame. Sadly, some morons stole it a while ago, and I'm stll looking for a replacement.
Massive improvements, but most of them are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. I agree that assisted eBikes are a revolutionary improvement, similar to going from pennyfarthing to safely bicycle.
One might also consider recumbent bikes and trikes revolutionary.
It's nice to know that the poopless horse is still with us
My daily driver is a 1940 monark mens bicycle, and i can confirm that it's much more resilient and practical than my 2010s mountain bike (also I drive it every day 16 km in the forest even in the harsh Swedish winter and the sometimes 30 cm deep snow)