1973 oil crisis and bike prices

[Drago]

I remember the grear fuel picket of 2000. A quick flash of the warrant card and I bypassed the queue. Some petrol stations were set aside entirely for EMS personnel only.

And when I'd done my car I'd go back and do the wife's Boxster, then id go back again and brim up my P6. At rhe time I was cycling to work anyay, but It was nice to have what equated to about 3 months of fuel on board my cars.

 

[Moodyman]

The oil crisis also led to big imports of Japanese cars into US/UK. These were smaller and more fuel efficient than local produce and led to GM/Ford et al to develop smaller cars. This could be a factor in explaining why the bike boom didn't last. The next resurgence came about in the 80s in the form of the MTB from California. But that was leisure cycling whereas the oil crisis led to utility cycling.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I also read that Schwinn Varsity was made in USA but because demand was so high, Schwinn outsourced to Japan and were called Schwinn Approved. Those bikes were a little cheaper and more reliable (tubes for forks rather than flat blades and also the derailleurs were more reliable and longer lasting).

In the later 70's, as well as the mid 70's, Schwinn branded those as "World". They were lugged like a normal bicycle and built by Giant and Panasonic, IIRC. Schwinn Varsities were U.S. made in Chicago near the Wrigleyville neighborhood, but as the 70's wore into the 80's they started building regular lugged bicycles in Greenville Mississippi. Previous Schwinns had internal lugs on plain steel frames. The Sports Tourer, which was just below the Paramount models, cost 196 USD in 1972, and 220 USD in 1973. Prices stopped being listed after that, as price raises came more often after that, but it gives you an idea.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

But that was leisure cycling whereas the oil crisis led to utility cycling.

When I picked up a very ratty Puch 3-speed for peanuts as a project/parts donor in 2018, the original owner's son told me that it had been bought new in late '73/early '74 in response to the oil price spikes and used to go to the local station on before getting a train. More recently I picked up another identical donor one and when I checked the frame numbers they were only a few thousand apart, so both dated from about the same time. My Raleigh 3-speed is also an early '74 frame number.
Clearly, for a short period, quite a lare number of people were at least hedging their bets by buying bikes, even if they subsequently didn't use them that much.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I saw this on FB near me, differing from domestic Traveler models in that it has external lugs, not internal, and is much lighter, I'm sure. I think this was the time I figured Schwinns were too heavy and expensive, and my dad bought me a used but nice higher end bike which was much cheaper and much nicer. My parents saw Schwinns as durable bikes for kids, but not really sensible for adults as they were too heavy and a bit leaden in terms of ride. Schwinn dominated the American market, but also marketed bicycles as a child's plaything. The energy crisis changed that, and Schwinn was left behind.

 

[GuyBoden]

During the 1970's oil crisis, early hybrid cars were designed in the USA by Victor Wouk, but when the oil crisis was over the design was abandoned by the US government. The first commercially available hybrid car, the Toyota Prius was based on the Victor Wouk design, this was released in 2001 in USA.

 

[mustang1]

In the later 70's, as well as the mid 70's, Schwinn branded those as "World". They were lugged like a normal bicycle and built by Giant and Panasonic, IIRC. Schwinn Varsities were U.S. made in Chicago near the Wrigleyville neighborhood, but as the 70's wore into the 80's they started building regular lugged bicycles in Greenville Mississippi. Previous Schwinns had internal lugs on plain steel frames. The Sports Tourer, which was just below the Paramount models, cost 196 USD in 1972, and 220 USD in 1973. Prices stopped being listed after that, as price raises came more often after that, but it gives you an idea.

Thanks, gravity. This (bold) is good info and what I was interested in (as well as everyone else's replies of course).

 

[mustang1]

During the 1970's oil crisis, early hybrid cars were designed in the USA by Victor Wouk, but when the oil crisis was over the design was abandoned by the US government. The first commercially available hybrid car, the Toyota Prius was based on the Victor Wouk design, this was released in 2001 in USA.

I thought the Honda Insight might have come out before Prius?

 

[GuyBoden]

I thought the Honda Insight might have come out before Prius?

Wiki confirms it was the Prius, but that doesn't make it true.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_electric_vehicle

"The first mass-produced hybrid vehicle was the Toyota Prius, launched in Japan in 1997, and followed by the Honda Insight, launched in 1999 in the United States and Japan. The Prius was launched in Europe, North America and the rest of the world in 2000."

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

"The first mass-produced hybrid vehicle was the Toyota Prius, launched in Japan in 1997, and followed by the Honda Insight, launched in 1999 in the United States and Japan. The Prius was launched in Europe, North America and the rest of the world in 2000."

In terms of passenger cars maybe, but petrol-electric buses were being made 100 years ago, so the concept is certainly not new.

 

[Rocky]

In terms of passenger cars maybe, but petrol-electric buses were being made 100 years ago, so the concept is certainly not new.

And remember the old electric milk floats? Pretty slow, needed huge batteries but worked well.

 

[Drago]

Indeed. Up until about 1915, particularly in the USA, steam and electric power were vying with petrol to become the mainstream power supply for cars, and all were very common until around that time.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I believe hearing tell one of my aunts had an electric car, this would have been in the 1920s, but I recall little of that conversation, as it was 50 years ago. Baker Electric sticks in my mind for some reason.

 

[a.twiddler]

What goes around, comes around. Steam power for road haulage remained viable in the UK until 1934 when new taxation based on axle weight favoured internal combustion engined lorries, which were lighter. Obviously economic enough and fast enough until then. Trolleybuses lasted until the late 50s early 60s. Who is to say what disincentives a government might bring in to discourage the use of petrol and diesel vehicles once the sale of them is stopped, even though there will be many of them around and in good condition for years after that. It's easy enough for governments to influence what types of vehicles are in use through taxation.

 

[Moodyman]

I thought the Honda Insight might have come out before Prius?

Honda was the first to invest in and trial hybrid cars, but Toyota was the first to the market. Honda took longer to perfect their system, whereas Toyota got it right from the outset and became the market leader.