I too cycled to school in the 70s and don't remember anyone using a rucksack. It was either a briefcase, a satchel or a sportsbag (usually a big Adidas vinyl affair with handles but sometimes smaller affairs with shoulder straps). The number of cyclists at school must have been in the 100s; briefcases and satchels were usually on a spring clamp rear carrier (occasionally satchels were carried over the shoulder or even worn rucksack stylee with a bit of clever manipulation of the strap). If the large sports bags weren't carried on the rear carrier, they were usually rested on the top tube (always referred to as a "cross bar") and the handlebar stem/handlebars, with the knees going up and down either side of it. Some people had front carriers. The girls' school bikes almost all had baskets on the front.
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
My mate and I both bought old US Army gas mask bags and sewed leather buckled straps to them to attach to the handlebars and use as bar bags for our first cycle-camping trip.
Toshiba Boy
N+1er
- Location
- By the beach, West Zummerzet
Ironically freiston, noting where you're from, I went to senior school in Coventry, The Woodlands (1975-82), all boys comp, and a decent chunk of the 1,500 lads cycled in those days, and they all, almost without fail, wore school rucksacks (had to be blue), no briefcases, sports bags, etc., and certainly no panniers, racks etc, you would, at best be laughed at, at worst, have something "done " to your bike or yourself. No idea what girls used, unfortunately, they went to Tile Hill Woods school and our paths didn't cross.
Oldhippy
Cynical idealist
Sadly these days if you don't have the zillion quid click catches in colours you can see from space you're considered eccentric or very poor.
Ah! I moved to Coventry well after leaving school. I went to an all boys (Grammar) school in Boston, Lincolnshire the same years as you went to Woodlands. My sister went to the all girls school. Our lunch breaks were staggered and our schools some distance apart but we boys could cycle there and catch 15 minutes of "social time" before we had to head back (though that didn't happen often). We all used our bikes for transport and would see each other after school. iirc, the most popular model of bike by far was the Raleigh Wayfarer.
We had a cadet force at school and used to have "man packs" which were metal framed radio carriers with a rucksack style harness. I do recall our Signals sergeant using one to walk home with his very heavy briefcase lashed to it.In the sixties, 'rucksacs' were Army surplus, or if you were 'posh / a bit snobby', RAF surplus, backpacks. To us, that was the norm; get books & sports kit in, no problem and just the job on a bike.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
Was there room to squeeze books in as well. You'd have copped it from the ARP warden if you'd left your gas mask out
Toshiba Boy
N+1er
- Location
- By the beach, West Zummerzet
Spot on, what we almost all used were very much military/ cadet type haversacks.In the sixties, 'rucksacs' were Army surplus, or if you were 'posh / a bit snobby', RAF surplus, backpacks. To us, that was the norm; get books & sports kit in, no problem and just the job on a bike.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
I also went to school in the 70s
normal arrangement was one of those brown haversacks - or that was what we called them
On sports days I often used a sports bag just for the room - if we had physics homework (HUGE text book) and French - large size but not too thick - plus rugby kit there was no chance of it going in a smaller bag
It was generally a bit too far to get there by bike so I only cycled there a few times - and always in summer when we did cricket which needed very little in the way of kit - just pumps (what? trainers? - nah - not invented or at least we had never heard of them)
normal arrangement was one of those brown haversacks - or that was what we called them
On sports days I often used a sports bag just for the room - if we had physics homework (HUGE text book) and French - large size but not too thick - plus rugby kit there was no chance of it going in a smaller bag
It was generally a bit too far to get there by bike so I only cycled there a few times - and always in summer when we did cricket which needed very little in the way of kit - just pumps (what? trainers? - nah - not invented or at least we had never heard of them)
That's interesting - at my school, we had 1½ hours homework per night timetabled and we had to take sports kit to cover all eventualities (the PE teachers seemed to take delight in unexpectedly choosing an activity if they thought we'd all taken a gamble and brought kit for one activity only - a few times we were made to play cricket in swimming trunks). We carried a lot to and from school.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
We had 3 subjects per night - except one night with 2 - plus 3 over the weekend - each was supposed to be 20 minutes in 1st Year (Year 7 in new money) - working up by about 5 minutes per subject per year until 5th Form (year 11) when anything went
depending on the subjects you bag could be OK right up to totally full
adding Rugby kit on Wednesdays and Saturdays (yup Saturdays!!!!) and PE kit on two day of the week and the actual space wna weight varied a lot.
It did require forward thinking to be able to get to school with the right stuff - and have the right bag to get home with the next day's stuff
We had it hard in them days.
When I was a teacher - started on it about 2003ish so when I was over 40 - I sometimes told the kids about this and they generally considered it a form of child abuse about the same level as medieval torture or denial of internet access
That last paragraph tickled me
Alex321
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
Another here at grammar school in the 70's, and I did usually cycle (about 3 miles).
My school bag was identical to this one (even the same colour)
https://www.militarykit.com/products/highlander-canvas-webbing-backpack-raf-blue
As my dad was in the RAF, they were probably sourced via the NAAFI.
So this was obviously quite easy to cycle with.
Most of my books stayed in my desk, I only took home the ones needed for homework each night, but I would often have sports gear to carry, so it could be quite full.
