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For the first half of the 20th century, an “American bicycle” had balloon tires, a single speed, a rear coaster brake, and was designed to appeal to children too young to drive a car.   Schwinns were prized for their quality, which included a high level of finish and legendary durability, with a lifetime frame […]

This is one of the classic racing bikes of the 1960s and 1970s, made from high-quality Reynolds 531 steel tubing. The Belgian rider, Eddy Merckx began his professional career astride a PX-10 for the BP Peugeot team in the mid-1960s. Sadly, British racer Tommy Simpson died while ascending Mount Ventoux on one in the 1967

This design was the first mass-produced mountain bike. It came with a lugged-steel frame, knobby 26-inch tires, powerful cantilever brakes, “bull moose” handlebars, a “biplane” front fork, and a 15-speed wide-range drivetrain. When traditional European and American suppliers showed no interest in mountain bikes, Japanese companies such as SunTour, Shimano, and Dia-Compe stepped in to

Trek was an early adopter of carbon-fiber technology. In 1992 it unveiled its first US-made, full carbon-fiber-framed bicycles, the 5200 and the 5500, featuring a new technology called OCLV. This stands for Optimum Compaction, Low Void and refers to Trek’s proprietary process for creating carbon-fiber structures that exceed aerospace standards. 1992 marked another first for

 Albert A. Pope, or Colonel Pope as he liked to be known, was a tireless promoter of his Columbia brand. In an effort to develop a premium product that would command higher prices, he developed the so-called “chainless” bicycle based on a driveshaft connected by beveled gears at each end. Although it worked well enough

Although Barberon & Meunier first patented the retro-direct system in 1869, the gear system was further developed and refined by other companies, including Manufrance, at the turn of the 20th century. The Hirondelle, or “swallow” (the bird) in French, was introduced in 1903 and became the leading example of the retro-direct gear system and the

The ladies’ Hirondelle model features slightly more modern features than its predecessor such as both front and rear brakes. It also offers a “basket weave” protection to keep ladies’ garments away from the rear spokes.   Later versions had 4 speeds, 2 forward and 2 in reverse, thanks to a front derailleur. The Hirondelle Retro–Direct