Hi again.
I was just thinking about all the things ,we once thought were trendy in the world of cycling ,but have now been relegated to history. Some of these old trendy bike fashions you may of had may be a little to embarrassing to own up to as well :-) :-)
I always liked those thick foam grips on my road bike back in the 80s. I think the expensive ones were made by a company called Grab On. I could never afford them and always settled for the cheaper ones. For some reason I would always buy the lovely poo brown coloured ones , and now looking back on this they looked absolutely awful. They would go soggy in the wet weather and hold water like a sponge. It was horrible riding home from school on a cold winters day with these things soaking wet and the skin on your palms looking like a prune.If I remember rightly the cheap ones would wear away really quickly and would look terrible after a few months, with the chrome bars showing through. Does anybody remember those Huret mileometers that would bolt on to your front wheel. A little peg attached to your spoke would turn the spigot on the huret. Where those things ever accurate. When led lights first made an appearance they were truly awful in design and quality. The front ones didn't even emit a white light. They were actually green and I can remember the police around here took a very dim view on anyone using them. Back in the 70s though were probably were the most embarrassing cycling trends happened. With the advent of platform shoes and drain pipe trousers doing the rounds ,the Chopper bike was kitted up like nothing else. A gear stick robbed off your dads old Vauxhall viva was the must have accessory fitted to any self respecting Chopper owner. Yes we must not forget though that it wasn't complete, without the Whip aerial, furry covered leopard skin seat and a bulb horn.
We may think and remember it as cringe worthy nowadays, but you got to admit it certainly brought a bit of character into our lives back then.
All the best.
Johnny
I was just thinking about all the things ,we once thought were trendy in the world of cycling ,but have now been relegated to history. Some of these old trendy bike fashions you may of had may be a little to embarrassing to own up to as well :-) :-)
I always liked those thick foam grips on my road bike back in the 80s. I think the expensive ones were made by a company called Grab On. I could never afford them and always settled for the cheaper ones. For some reason I would always buy the lovely poo brown coloured ones , and now looking back on this they looked absolutely awful. They would go soggy in the wet weather and hold water like a sponge. It was horrible riding home from school on a cold winters day with these things soaking wet and the skin on your palms looking like a prune.If I remember rightly the cheap ones would wear away really quickly and would look terrible after a few months, with the chrome bars showing through. Does anybody remember those Huret mileometers that would bolt on to your front wheel. A little peg attached to your spoke would turn the spigot on the huret. Where those things ever accurate. When led lights first made an appearance they were truly awful in design and quality. The front ones didn't even emit a white light. They were actually green and I can remember the police around here took a very dim view on anyone using them. Back in the 70s though were probably were the most embarrassing cycling trends happened. With the advent of platform shoes and drain pipe trousers doing the rounds ,the Chopper bike was kitted up like nothing else. A gear stick robbed off your dads old Vauxhall viva was the must have accessory fitted to any self respecting Chopper owner. Yes we must not forget though that it wasn't complete, without the Whip aerial, furry covered leopard skin seat and a bulb horn.
We may think and remember it as cringe worthy nowadays, but you got to admit it certainly brought a bit of character into our lives back then.
All the best.
Johnny
