The technology that has so changed the world of computers, cars, and
airplanes did not leave the bicycle behind. Bikes are streamlined and created
for all sizes. Today, the world’s most technologically advanced bicycles weigh
6 pounds. The bikes used in the first Tour de France in the early 1900’s
weighed a whopping 30 pounds!
And don’t think the bicycle has been entirely replaced by the automobile.
Many adults choose bicycles for their cheapness (no gas, no parking fees), and
the maneuverability (streets in European cities have not changed so much in the
past 200 years). A fair number of college students rely on their bikes to get
them from class to class.
Children became a huge market for bicycles with the Baby Boom generation
after WWII. They continue to be a popular group fro bicycles. Children cannot
have cars, so they speed around their neighborhoods on bikes.
Bicycling is also excellent exercise. It works the cardiovascular system and
leg muscles without the joint jarring impact of other activities (running, high-impact
aerobics). In a society increasingly…well, increasing, the bicycle could have a
crucial role yet to play.