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When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 6th 19, 10:31 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Andre Jute[_2_]
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Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

Back near the beginning of bicycles, a bicycle advocate wasn't seen as a "scold" (as one journalist who rode with Krygowski described him), and there were lots of them with considerable influence:

https://daily.jstor.org/when-cyclist...olitical-bloc/

Andre Jute
At least we haven't had this discussion 29 times in the last ten years
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  #2  
Old June 8th 19, 02:16 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Andre Jute[_2_]
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Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

On Thursday, June 6, 2019 at 10:32:02 PM UTC+1, Andre Jute wrote:
Back near the beginning of bicycles, a bicycle advocate wasn't seen as a "scold" (as one journalist who rode with Krygowski described him), and there were lots of them with considerable influence:

https://daily.jstor.org/when-cyclist...olitical-bloc/

Andre Jute
At least we haven't had this discussion 29 times in the last ten years


Looks like it will be another 10 years of bovine regurgitations of iterative "thoughts" on helmets and separate facilities for cyclists.

Andre Jute
Not chewing the cud
  #3  
Old June 23rd 19, 10:06 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Chalo
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Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

In the early days of cycling, it was the pastime of rich fux, which gave it a certain implied legitimacy. Then for a time, it was the leading edge of high tech, to the point that the US government opened a second patent office just to serve cycling-related patents. So when this coalition of rich fux and tech boffins (and folks who aspired to be them) asked for some decent pavement, we started to get decent pavement.

It was the moral equivalent of today's public resources being thrown around to develop 5G, or yesterday's public resources being squandered to subsidize jet travel or freeways or railroads. Then as now, the rich and influential can use other people's money to get what they want. Sometimes it works out for those who pay the cost, and sometimes it doesn't. In the case of Good Roads, I think it worked in favor of almost everybody.
  #4  
Old June 24th 19, 12:16 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
AMuzi
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Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

On 6/23/2019 4:06 PM, Chalo wrote:
In the early days of cycling, it was the pastime of rich fux, which gave it a certain implied legitimacy. Then for a time, it was the leading edge of high tech, to the point that the US government opened a second patent office just to serve cycling-related patents. So when this coalition of rich fux and tech boffins (and folks who aspired to be them) asked for some decent pavement, we started to get decent pavement.

It was the moral equivalent of today's public resources being thrown around to develop 5G, or yesterday's public resources being squandered to subsidize jet travel or freeways or railroads. Then as now, the rich and influential can use other people's money to get what they want. Sometimes it works out for those who pay the cost, and sometimes it doesn't. In the case of Good Roads, I think it worked in favor of almost everybody.


I'm not sure I get your point.

So far, there hasn't been serious consideration for publicly
owned (or built) 5th generation telephone service. The
shareholders[1] of the various providers/networks/operators
have been willing to invest and they will either make or
lose money. Like I care.

Big misunderstandings abound after spectrum allocation
(which has become an exemplar of dirty politics). The fast
download protocols of 5G are not well suited to the current
tower systems[2]. Comparable coverage would require some
large increment of the present number of towers/repeaters.
That is unlikely. More probably urban areas will rely more
on WiFi fed by fiber and other pipes with lower coverage
density as one leaves densely populated areas - just like
now but a sharper curve to non-service.

Do you know about a serious proposal to make a government
built or operated network?

[1] includes public employee and union pension funds, mutual
funds and so on besides 'the evil rich' who worked hard and
saved and old ladies who clip stock coupons - a nice cross
section of America.
[2] which in rural areas are as yet frequently ineffective
for today's telephone formats.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971


  #5  
Old June 24th 19, 01:58 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
jOHN b.
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Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

On Sun, 23 Jun 2019 14:06:48 -0700 (PDT), Chalo
wrote:

In the early days of cycling, it was the pastime of rich fux, which gave it a certain implied legitimacy. Then for a time, it was the leading edge of high tech, to the point that the US government opened a second patent office just to serve cycling-related patents. So when this coalition of rich fux and tech boffins (and folks who aspired to be them) asked for some decent pavement, we started to get decent pavement.

It was the moral equivalent of today's public resources being thrown around to develop 5G, or yesterday's public resources being squandered to subsidize jet travel or freeways or railroads. Then as now, the rich and influential can use other people's money to get what they want. Sometimes it works out for those who pay the cost, and sometimes it doesn't. In the case of Good Roads, I think it worked in favor of almost everybody.



That makes a nice story but I did research the subject at some length
and yes, cyclists did complain loudly about the rough roads but the
real reason for making smooth roads in the U.S. was due to the rapid
growth of automobile ownership in the early years of the 20th century.
https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of...-roads-4077442

As for bicycles being used by the rich, I believe that exactly the
opposite is correct as the tremendous growth in bicycle use in the
very late 1800's and early 1900's must have been largely a growth in
use by the middle class. In fact I would suggest that "rich folks" as
a class were probably among the lowest participants in the cycling
craze. After all, one had the coachman and a horse and carriage, why
would one want to ride a bicycle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bike_boom
https://patch.com/minnesota/southwes...e-of-the-1890s
--
cheers,

John B.

  #6  
Old June 24th 19, 02:46 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
AMuzi
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Posts: 13,447
Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

On 6/23/2019 7:58 PM, John B. wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2019 14:06:48 -0700 (PDT), Chalo
wrote:

In the early days of cycling, it was the pastime of rich fux, which gave it a certain implied legitimacy. Then for a time, it was the leading edge of high tech, to the point that the US government opened a second patent office just to serve cycling-related patents. So when this coalition of rich fux and tech boffins (and folks who aspired to be them) asked for some decent pavement, we started to get decent pavement.

It was the moral equivalent of today's public resources being thrown around to develop 5G, or yesterday's public resources being squandered to subsidize jet travel or freeways or railroads. Then as now, the rich and influential can use other people's money to get what they want. Sometimes it works out for those who pay the cost, and sometimes it doesn't. In the case of Good Roads, I think it worked in favor of almost everybody.



That makes a nice story but I did research the subject at some length
and yes, cyclists did complain loudly about the rough roads but the
real reason for making smooth roads in the U.S. was due to the rapid
growth of automobile ownership in the early years of the 20th century.
https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of...-roads-4077442

As for bicycles being used by the rich, I believe that exactly the
opposite is correct as the tremendous growth in bicycle use in the
very late 1800's and early 1900's must have been largely a growth in
use by the middle class. In fact I would suggest that "rich folks" as
a class were probably among the lowest participants in the cycling
craze. After all, one had the coachman and a horse and carriage, why
would one want to ride a bicycle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bike_boom
https://patch.com/minnesota/southwes...e-of-the-1890s
--
cheers,

John B.



Rider reports of the era extolled the bicycle's main virtue
to the greater unwashed, that being travel without an actual
(expensive) horse:

https://www.alibris.com/How-I-Learne...964?matches=22

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971


  #7  
Old June 24th 19, 04:07 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
news18
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Posts: 1,131
Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

On Sun, 23 Jun 2019 20:46:08 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

On 6/23/2019 7:58 PM, John B. wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2019 14:06:48 -0700 (PDT), Chalo
wrote:

In the early days of cycling, it was the pastime of rich fux, which
gave it a certain implied legitimacy. Then for a time, it was the
leading edge of high tech, to the point that the US government opened
a second patent office just to serve cycling-related patents. So when
this coalition of rich fux and tech boffins (and folks who aspired to
be them) asked for some decent pavement, we started to get decent
pavement.

It was the moral equivalent of today's public resources being thrown
around to develop 5G, or yesterday's public resources being squandered
to subsidize jet travel or freeways or railroads. Then as now, the
rich and influential can use other people's money to get what they
want. Sometimes it works out for those who pay the cost, and
sometimes it doesn't. In the case of Good Roads, I think it worked in
favor of almost everybody.



That makes a nice story but I did research the subject at some length
and yes, cyclists did complain loudly about the rough roads but the
real reason for making smooth roads in the U.S. was due to the rapid
growth of automobile ownership in the early years of the 20th century.
https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of...-roads-4077442

As for bicycles being used by the rich, I believe that exactly the
opposite is correct as the tremendous growth in bicycle use in the very
late 1800's and early 1900's must have been largely a growth in use by
the middle class. In fact I would suggest that "rich folks" as a class
were probably among the lowest participants in the cycling craze. After
all, one had the coachman and a horse and carriage, why would one want
to ride a bicycle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bike_boom
https://patch.com/minnesota/southwes...ycle-craze-of-

the-1890s
--
cheers,

John B.



Rider reports of the era extolled the bicycle's main virtue to the
greater unwashed, that being travel without an actual (expensive) horse:

https://www.alibris.com/How-I-Learne...e-Reflections-

of-an-Influential-19th-Century-Woman-Frances-Elizabeth-Willard/
book/3009964?matches=22
For an Australian Bicycle History, Jim Fitzpatrick wrote "The Bicycle and
The Bush" about the common mans use of bicycles outside towns. Massive
number of labourers moved about during the various seasons. Sadly, t
never made it on line.

  #8  
Old June 24th 19, 04:15 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
news18
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Posts: 1,131
Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

On Mon, 24 Jun 2019 03:07:03 +0000, news18 wrote:

On Sun, 23 Jun 2019 20:46:08 -0500, AMuzi wrote:



Rider reports of the era extolled the bicycle's main virtue to the
greater unwashed, that being travel without an actual (expensive)
horse:

https://www.alibris.com/How-I-Learne...e-Reflections-

of-an-Influential-19th-Century-Woman-Frances-Elizabeth-Willard/
book/3009964?matches=22


For an Australian Bicycle History, Jim
Fitzpatrick wrote "The Bicycle and The Bush" about the common mans use
of bicycles outside towns. Massive number of labourers moved about
during the various seasons. Sadly, t never made it on line.


I stand corrected, It must have been reprinted unless someone uncovered
lost stock somewhere.

http://www.chartandmapshop.com.au/28...cycle-and-the-
Bush/9780859052504

  #9  
Old June 24th 19, 04:37 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Chalo
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Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

The Good Roads movement started in the 1870s, when cars weren't even a carcinogenic toxin in their daddy's eye.
  #10  
Old June 24th 19, 06:47 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
jOHN b.
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Posts: 2,421
Default When Cyclists Made Up an Entire Political Bloc

On Sun, 23 Jun 2019 20:37:38 -0700 (PDT), Chalo
wrote:

The Good Roads movement started in the 1870s, when cars weren't even a carcinogenic toxin in their daddy's eye.


The Good Roads Movement was officially founded in May 1880 and in 1892
began publishing Good Roads Magazine.You can read volume I at
https://tinyurl.com/y6cy4cxm

And, the Model T Ford was first offered in 1909 when 10,666 were
produced and by 1916 some 501,462 were produced. The following year
some 735,020 the volume continued to increase until 1923 when
2,011,125 were sold. During the period of 1909 - 1916 some 1,315,849
Fords were on the road and by 1926 some 10,306,075 Model T Fords had
been marketed..

Federal-Aid Road Act of 1916 created the Federal-Aid Highway Program.
This funded state highway agencies so they could make road
improvements.

In 1909 there were 305,950 registered privately owned motor vehicles
in the U.S. In 1916 there were 3,367,889 and by 1926 there were
19,267,967.

In terms of population, in 1909 there was 1 motor vehicle per every
296 individuals, in 1916 1 per every 30 and by 1926 there was one
privately owned motor vehicle for every six people in the U.S.

Do you really believe that cyclists were the determining factor in the
building of better roads?

--
cheers,

John B.

 




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