The cycling boom was really a systematic process that came with money, leisure and wealth as much as from significant industrial innovations such as the pneumatic tire. The new race on "mechanical" horses with wheels was seen as an avenue to explore. It was fun, exciting and with the fervor of a few, it was preserved for later generations.
It makes me think about what the view of our current day sports will be in about 50 years. It's certainly a short time in the big picture but with all that's going on with equipment development and drug testing.. I'm sure it will be interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'm optimistic about drug testing. I think CSC and their medical program will be always talked about in the books. As far as materials and equipment, we're already in an age of nanomaterials and plastics that repair themselves. The future is very very open and going to be very interesting indeed and I would think these nanotubes might increasingly make up the material enhancement aspect (Young's modulus for multi walled carbon nanotubes is about 5 times the value of steel, and much much low in specific weight!)
ReplyDeleteWith oil production decline, I predict more people will have bicycles and a market boom for human powered vehicle industry.