There is no such thing as the optimum design for a bicycle (or other product)

There are different designs for various times and places, each of which has strengths and weaknesses. As shown above, the first popular design was the ‘penny farthing‘ or ‘ordinary’ – which had a large front wheel driven directly by the pedals.

Next came the diamond-framed ‘safety’ bicycle with a drive chain from the pedals to the rear wheel, as shown above via an 1896 model. Later versions added geared hubs or derailleurs and center-pull or side-pull hand brakes on both wheels. Lots of us think that this still-current frame design must be optimal because it is what racers use.

But back in the 1930’s there also was an early recumbent bicycle, the Velo Velocar designed by Charles Mochet, as shown above. Recumbent seating gave it lower drag. After it broke a world speed record, the UCI solemnly redefined it as not being a bicycle.    

In 1967, when I was a junior in high school, my parents bought me a Moulton, which had been imported by Huffy and sold in the Sears catalog. As shown above in a brief Pathé newsreel, it has 16” wheels and a suspension. An ad for it in the October 28, 1966 issue of LIFE magazine crowed:   

“The new bike for adults is the Huffy Moulton, created by English engineer Alex Moulton, and the first basic advance in bicycle design in 70 years. The first thing you notice about the Huffy-Moulton is its nimbleness. You’re up, off and around the corner in a flash. The small wheels give instant acceleration because there is less inertia. It is simply easier to spin a light small wheel than it is a big one. (Spin a roller skate wheel and you’ll get the idea.) The gearing is designed for the wheel size. In ‘high’ one revolution of the pedals carries you forward more than six feet, farther than many regular bicycles. In ‘low’ gear you have the power to take most hills sitting down. Steering is lively. It’s agile when dodging a rut or scampering around a corner. Cycling, a British magazine, says, ‘It manouevres like a dream, and permits a ‘U’ turn in half the usual radius.’ The Moulton actually has shock absorbers. The front wheel has rubber and steel shocks in the head tube. The rear wheel has a cushion between the pivoting rear fork and the frame. The bike has the same seat and handle bar positions as a regular bicycle, with a full-length wheel base. One model fits adults of both sexes and all sizes. The comfortable spring seat adjusts up and down in a jiffy without tools.” 

I rode my Moulton a couple miles each way when I commuted to Carnegie-Mellon University. It worked well on those brief trips. A couple bungee cords secured my briefcase to the large rear luggage carrier. The Moulton had chrome-plated steel rims carrying 1-3/8 inch wide tires, inflated to 60 psi. After two or three weeks rolling resistance increased significantly. Tire pressure had dropped to about 50 psi, and a few minutes of pumping back to 60 psi was required. But side pull brakes did not work well in wet weather. The Sturmey Archer 4-speed rear hub had a long shift cable path, and the cable tended to stretch until only three speeds were obtained reliably.

During the 1970s mountain bikes were developed in California. I remember seeing ads for mountain bikes with a combination of wide tires and derailleurs on the back pages in Sunset magazine, long before they went national. Eventually, as shown above, mountain bikes were produced with suspensions. Later on ‘fat tire bikes’ with even wider tires (~5 inches) appeared. They could handle snow in winter, or sand dunes in summer.  

This post was inspired by an August 2019 One Hand Speaks podcast (episode #121) from Alejandro Anastasio about his 1968 Schwinn Mini Twinn tandem bike.