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The American Bike Boom - 1970s
I've been reading that bicycles have outsold cars for the last few years in the U.S. and in many other countries long dominated by cars. Even during recent downturns when bicycles sales have fallen,...
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Bike Boom Bargains
As described in my article on the American Bike Boom of the 70s, millions of bicycles were sold during the Boom, but just because people bought the bikes doesn't mean they actually rode them. Barns,...
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Bicycles Aren't Fast
It's true. Bicycles aren't fast. Until someone gets on and starts pedaling, they are basically stationary objects. And as far as speed goes, it has much more to do with the engine (that's you or me)...
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Classic Equipment: Silca Pumps
It was the pump that the shaggy, unshaven mechanic at my local bike shop swore by. It was a battered-looking old beast that had once been a deep, burnt orange color -- now chipped and battle-scarred,...
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Caps, Not Hats
"One thing I love about cycling is the odd traditions that still exist no matter how hi-tech it gets. The cycling cap is one of these so it seems a shame that on the podium, the showcase for the race,...
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I Used to Like Cars
Not so much anymore, but I used to like cars a lot. When I was in my teens, apart from wanting a Masi just like the one the kid in Breaking Away rode, I also wanted a little two-seat roadster -- like...
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The Ultimate "Inflation Tool"
I suppose when a pump sells for $445, you really can't call it a "pump" anymore. Hence, the Ultimate "Inflation Tool" from the new Silca.It's not a "pump." It's the "UltimateInflation Tool."I had...
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Smart Wheels - Dumb Wheels
I was out for a ride this weekend, and while riding along a very popular stretch of road in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), I came upon a guy on foot, carrying his very expensive-looking...
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50 Bicycles That Changed the World
I just finished reading Design Museum's Fifty Bicycles That Changed The World, a slim volume, little more than 100 pages, that takes a chronological look at the evolution of the bicycle through 50...
View ArticleRetro-Grouchy Anniversary
I just realized that The Retrogrouch Blog has marked its first anniversary. One full year on the web, and I almost missed it. In that year there were 189 posts, the first of which was posted on August...
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A Popular Rerun
As The Retrogrouch Blog marked its first anniversary, I looked back at some of the posts from the first year of the blog, and found which ones proved to be the most popular or had the most visits. Of...
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BMC Concept Bicycle-Shaped Object
At Eurobike last week, BMC unveiled a new "concept" bike. It's big news of course. Now, just like a concept car that might include futuristic styling and all kinds of "what if" ideas that may never see...
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Handbuilt Schwinns
In the 60s and 70s, the Schwinn bicycle company was a giant in the industry, and their unique mass-production methods were remarkable. Nobody else built bikes the way Schwinn did. Without going into...
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Getting Reacquainted With An Old Friend
I got out for a ride yesterday with an old friend I hadn't ridden with in quite a while. There wasn't much reason for the long time that had passed since we last rode together -- but it's probably been...
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Limited Edition 40th Anniversary Specialized Allez
Specialized Bicycle Imports, now known as Specialized Bicycle Components, or simply as Specialized, got started 40 years ago -- in 1974. To mark their 40th anniversary, the company has created a...
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Give 'Em a Good Shellacking
Some years back, I was at the Classic Rendezvous Cirque du Cyclisme -- a classic and vintage bicycle show and gathering. Part of the annual event includes a bike ride which turns out to be a great...
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The Simpleton's Guide to Simplex: SLJ 5000
The following contribution, from special guest blogger Robert "Simplex Simpleton" Broderick, of Velo-Pages.com, is a fresh installment from his "Simpleton's Guide to Simplex" -- not available in...
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Direct Mount Brakes?
Even as the bicycle industry is trying hard to convince us all that rim brakes are dark-ages technology, and that if you're not riding with disc brakes then god help you because you are a danger to...
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Forget 11. Now There's 13!
You knew it was coming, didn't you?Eleven speed cassettes wouldn't satisfy gear junkies forever. At Interbike last week, Phil Wood (NOT even Campagnolo or Shimano!) revealed a major trump card and...
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A Rare Find: Suwe Cortina Derailleur
Searching through vintage bicycle components on eBay today, I spotted a very rare and interesting item: An Austrian-made Suwe Cortina rear derailleur from about 1954. It was listed at just under $400....
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