Tag: bicycles

Boomer Bikes Had Kickstands

If you haven’t ridden a bicycle in a while, you may or may not have noticed that the styles have changed quite a bit compared to the bicycles that boomers rode as kids. For one thing, what the heck happened to the kickstand? Newer bikes rarely come with an attached kickstand anymore. Some children’s bikes still come equipped with one, and lower-end adult models sometimes have the device, but for the most part, the kickstand — standard equipment on a bicycle in the 1950s and ’60s — has disappeared.

Kickstands were that metal rod with a spring attached that was mounted below the pedal wheel sprocket. The spring enabled the metal rod to be kicked up or down for use. The purpose of the kickstand was to allow the bike to stand upright on its own. Kickstands usually had a bend near the bottom that set a more parallel surface to rest on the concrete or ground. That bend, plus the roundness of the rod, meant the kickstand was not always very stable. A brush against the handlebars or even a gust of wind may have toppled the bike over.

The thing was, many boomers had their bikes with them all day, every day. If they rode to a friend’s house, the kickstand could be employed when there was no rider. Boomers would pedal to baseball practice, parks, or, as was the case with Mister B, the occasional A&W Root Beer stand with his neighborhood friends, where the kickstands kept the bikes upright while they were at the outdoor counter, enjoying a cold root beer in a frosty mug.

So what happened to cause manufacturers to ditch the kickstand? Several factors seem to be in play, starting with the “cool” factor. The Schwinn bicycles of the 1960s set the standard for cool in boomer bicycles, picking up the mantle from Radio Flyers of the 1950s. As the 1960s rolled along, it just didn’t seem cool to have a kickstand any more. Yet there were probably other reasons that were more pertinent. For one thing, a whole “serious” class of riders was emerging. There was a split between leisure riders and racers and road riders. That contributed to the increased adoption of hand brakes over the more traditional coaster brakes boomer kids had learned to use, and multiple-speed shifts as well. Two-speed and three-speed bikes were available as far back as the turn of the century, but most boomers (in Mister B’s unscientific poll) had bicycles with only one speed, coaster brakes, and a kickstand. Pedal forward to propel the bike, flip the pedals back to brake. Hop off the bike and deploy the kickstand, which was always on the left side. The story goes that people usually mounted horses from the left, so when bicycles came around, people kept that tradition, and the kickstand followed suit.

As trail and mountain bikes became more popular in the 1970s, it became apparent that there was no reason for a kickstand. Riders were hopping on and pedaling away, not stopping at a store or an ice cream shop. Serious bicyclists didn’t want the added weight as well, and even though the spring was meant to keep the kickstand stowed when riding, the shock of rough terrain and the need for clearance below the pedals for potential objects on the trail could easily trip it into flipping open, thereby endangering the rider.

Finally, there began in the boomer years a rise in bicycle theft that required users to lock up their bicycles when not in use. Locks could be attached to street signs, fences or bike racks. In any case, a kickstand was not necessary.

Today’s bicycles have a myriad of styles, seating, speeds and tire options, so much so that they are barely recognizable as the same vehicle boomers rode as kids. Remember fenders on bikes? They were another casualty of the changing times.

Did you keep your boomer-era bicycle, or repurchase one as an adult, to relive that nostalgia for the freedom a bicycle offered? Does it have a kickstand?

Boomers Were Born to Ride … Bicycles

There was a boom in bicycle purchases and riding between 1965 and 1975. It seems only natural, since baby boomers, the largest demographic in sheer numbers up to that point, were in their prime bike-riding years. Mister Boomer proposes there were other contributing factors to the doubling of bike sales in that ten year span. First, the move to suburban life put things at a greater distance than when more families were city dwellers. Schools, stores, the onset of shopping malls, doctors and others could be more than a mile away. Kids may have lived a mile from school, but had a classmate friend that lived a mile on the other side of the school. Where city dwellers might have taken a streetcar or bus for destinations further than a mile, now boomers could ride a bike.

Along that same train of thought are two other intertwining considerations: space and improved roads. Many boomers recall how roads in their area went from dirt and gravel in the 1950s to concrete and asphalt by the 1960s. Secondary roads connected with the new interstate highway system, and there was space for new roads. Streets in suburban subdivisions were all paved for the convenience of the boomer families moving in.

Another factor was, it became cool to ride a bike. When Schwinn introduced the Sting-Ray bicycle in 1963, every kid wanted one. (see: Young Boomers Inspired Stylish Bikes)

It wasn’t long before, in Mister Boomer’s neck of the woods, bikes were the main form of transportation for kids between the ages of 8 and 16. By 1974, bike purchases had reached their peak and more bikes were sold that year than cars. With more kids riding bicycles around, it was inevitable that rules for riding would follow as safety measures. Schools began to teach safety rules for riding as early as the 1950s, including hand signals for stopping and turning, and riding against the direction of traffic. There were no helmet requirements in the boomer years. Mister B did not know of a single person who owned a helmet. Night riding required reflectors and a headlight for optimal safety.

Mister Boomer rode his bike everywhere. For several years, he rode to school, to Little League practice and games, and for fun and adventure. There were large intersections to cross along the way, but he remembered his school training and crossed only at traffic lights, and walked his bike across busy intersections. Busy roads were scary to him, so he avoided them and did not dare bike on the highways themselves. Side streets provided a tree-lined casual ride, and in retrospect, a false sense of security.

Now we know that bike-riding rules have changed, especially in riding with traffic rather than against. More municipalities and states are requiring helmets, too. It is estimated that as late as the early ’80s, less than 20 percent of bike riders wore a helmet. That percentage has more than tripled since then. Take a look at today’s suburban kids on bikes and the change is striking.

How about you, boomers? Did you bike strictly within your neighborhood or was your bicycle the go-to form of transportation it was for Mister B?