Re: [CR]frame sizes in the 1920s

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In-Reply-To: <20321382.1066765138151.JavaMail.root@wamui01.slb.atl.earthlink.net>
References: <20321382.1066765138151.JavaMail.root@wamui01.slb.atl.earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 16:02:33 -0400
To: chasds@mindspring.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Sheldon Brown" <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]frame sizes in the 1920s


Quoth Charles Andrews:
>I have to differ with Mr. Coopland, at least based
>on my observation of pictures of the Tour de France
>from the 1920s. It appears that frame size was quite
>varied, but the general trend was taller frames with
>not-much seat-post showing.
>
>I've wondered if sizing and seat-to-pedal distances weren't
>considered somewhat differently then? Could it be that
>at times it was thought that less leg-extension was somehow
>a good thing? Thus, saddles were lower than they would be
>today?
>
>Numerous pictures I've seen of riders in the 20s suggest tall
>frames, short posts, and short stems were the rule... a Gloria
>catalog I have, from about 1940, shows this very clearly, too.

This was even more pronounced on 1890s and early 20th century safties.

My theory is that when the safety replaced the high-wheeler, it took men quite a while to get around to the idea of a bike that you could stand over--they were in the habit of mounting "cowboy style" on the fly, and didn't expect to be able to straddle the top tube.

Ladies, with their step-through frames _did_ have this option, but for the manly-man, a big tall frame with a nice long head tube "looked" better...

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