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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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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
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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
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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
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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.
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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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