my sons transport project

[gary r]

my son has to do a project on cycling as a mode of transport in the past & present,any good sites where we can go for info??,thanks

 

[sheddy]

try a google for cycle museum. Also www.ctc.org.uk and (at the risk of being flamed) www.sustrans.co.uk. If you want to look further afield look for Denmark and Holland

 

[Hilldodger]

The history of the bicycle here

http://www.ba-gb.com/index.php?ps=8

is just about correct.

 

[Hilldodger]

He can also add that without the development of bicycle technology, later inventors couldn't have made the first cars and aeroplanes.

The early bicycle clubs in the 1880's saved many old coaching inns from closing down after the trains took traffic away from the roads. They also campaigned successfully for improvements in road surfaces and paid for the first warning signs for steep hills and other dangers..

 

[ufkacbln]

Bike For All

Company of Cyclists

One interesting (alleged) fact that will get the discussion going......

Cyclists founded the RAC!

I believe it went....

CTC members wanted to bring in a section to cover the new fangled cars...

CTC said No...

Breakaway group formed Automobile Club (later Royal Automobile Club), based on the constitution of the CTC!

 

[Globalti]

In his intro he shouldn't omit a brief history of transport before railways, roads and canals as for many hundreds of years everything was done by packhorses, which bequeathed us a fantastic network of bridleways for riding on. Sadly, backsliding local governments in the 60s managed to get 90% of these downgraded to footpath status so as to avoid the cost of maintenance. In 1946 and 1947 100,000 packhorses were slaughtered in the UK as ex-WW11 military lorries took away all their business.

 

[andygates]

Don't forget to mention the huge impact that it had in liberating women from the kitchen sink.

 

[simon l& and a half]

I'd send a pm to mjones. He's an authority.