Americans are slowly but surely catching on to the European idea that bicycles are not just exercise devices, but rather simple, elegant machines meant for
function,
fashion and even
competition. With the fixie trend having hit
the masses and, hence,
losing its cool cache, more recent bicycle trends have even the most dedicated cyclists slowly rolling around the city in retro style.
Penny-Farthings: Rarely seen since the late 19th century, the "
ordinary," as the penny-farthing bike is also called, offers a cool retro aesthetic, a compelling mythos, and a physical challenge that bike enthusiasts adore. With a front wheel that's more than 50 inches tall and a back wheel less than a quarter of that size, ordinaries are more dangerous than bikes of today, with weaker stability and balance, not to mention seats that rest high off the ground, requiring riders to maintain an upright posture that is none too comfortable. Though these bikes are still niche, some enthusiasts have been compelled to take the antiquated machines on long distance tours, such as this 25-year-old
Bygone Bicyclist who blogged and posted
video along his route. Also, antique parts are being sold in specialty shops across the country, including
Rideable Bicycle Replicas in the Bay Area and
Victory Bicycles in Orlando, FL. (Actually, while we may never mount a penny ourselves, we could envision those parts making pretty cool accessories for our homes.)
Tweed Rides: Who doesn't have the urge to class it up every once in a while? Tweed rides are just the occasion. These loosely organized group rides require only that participants dress in their most dashing traditional English tweed attire. A man's outfit might include a riding jacket, knickers and a bowtie, while women wear gowns, capes and spats. (Vintage English bicycles are encouraged, but not required.) The tweed ride concept seems to have
originated in London in January 2009, but the rides now serve as elegant gatherings for cycling communities worldwide. Stateside, San Francisco's
tweed community created the
Tweed Olympics; Washington, DC's
Dandies and Quaintrelles had 300 cyclists attend their recent
Seersucker Social ride; and not to be left out, New York City's first ever
Big Apple Tweed Ride was held this past May.
Cruisers: They've been around since the 1930s, but cruiser bikes continue to experience a persistent modern
renaissance. While a "cruiser" might make you think of a retro relic, la
Pee-wee Herman's
Schwinn, the new generation of cruisers is appealing to Gen Y by marrying uniquely modern style with the thick-tired durability that makes them ideal commuter bikes in pothole-laden cities. In fact, most big name bike manufacturers currently offer at least one cruiser in their stable. And, there remains a strong, influential cruiser bike community that draws design inspiration from vintage cars and custom motorcycles for "
lowriders" and "
choppers." However, enough variety exists among today's selection of contemporary cruisers that there's a bike to suit any rider's preference, whether it be preppy (this summer's
Van Dessel x Lilly Pulitzer collaboration), post-apocalyptic badass (Trek's recent
Broadsider concept bike), or even reminiscent of Danish furniture (handcrafted
Woody bicycles).
