Bike boom

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The bike boom of the 1970s was a period in which bicycles and cycling became popular among adult Americans, after several decades in which bikes had been relegated to the status of toys.

Several factors seem to have contributed to the bike boom:

• The 1973 oil crisis greatly increased the cost of driving an automobile, making bicycle commuting a more attractive option
• Affordable 10-speed derailleur-geared bicycles became widely available^[1]
• Many post-World War II baby boomers were reaching adulthood in this time period^[1]

[edit] External links

• June 14, 1971 Time Magazine article on bicycles, on the eve of the bike boom

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary