I can see that changing genetics amoung nearby villages.. But I bet the car made a huge impact because the car came pretty fast after horses. I’m not sure bicycles were ever a realistic motive transportation for most people, it was horses-then-cars.Originally Posted by bae
Bicycles were absolutely *huge* in the UK for many decades.
Might be worth a visit, talk to some folks there, look at some city/transport planning history of the UK. Where the modern bicycle was basically invented, and where it revolutionized life for the working class.
Road improvements in the UK were driven by the bicycle initially, before autos were a thing.
Even today, you may notice that most public transport in the UK has overhead bins capable of holding the very British folding Brompton bicycle, and you'll see businessmen getting off the train, unfolding their bikes, and riding to work/home. You can rent Bromptons at many public transport centers from vending kiosks.
I agree that bicycles were, and still are for the most part, really big for utilitarian uses, not just pleasure-riding. In the Netherlands, too, the numbers of people who ride bikes to get to town and buy groceries and other things is very high--at least when I went there I was amazed at how many bikes with baskets being ridden by people of all ages there were. Europe never really got into building suburbs the way we did-so their "small cities" never changed, and there was never much of a push to prioritize cars over bikes. They have integrated nicely through the years, at least in the places that I've seen.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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Ah, I stand corrected about my idea of bicycles in the UK. I’ve been there many times. I just don’t remember bicycles being that big of a presence, but I guess I was off looking at ancient piles I’m not paying attention to how the locals got around.
My brief take on bikes in early England was that a lot of rural farmers and residents were poor and did not even have horses and wagons in the late 1800s, unlike our American farmers. So they were popular among young people then for a number of reasons. Canoodling being one possible incentive.
Last edited by Rogar; 3-17-25 at 12:46pm.
"what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Mary Oliver
Rather ironic that Pam Bondi is referring to the attacks on Tesla dealers as "domestic terrorism", while the rioters involved in the 1/6 insurrection were given pardons.
"what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Mary Oliver
Funny how Teslas have morphed from expensive virtue signaling totems to performative hate objects at the flip of a switch.
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein
Maybe now there will be a boom in cybertruck sales to show you’re an Elon patriot. Although I’d not want to own Tesla stock right now
"what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Mary Oliver
A gun to my head probably couldn’t get me to buy one of those strange creatures.
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