Bike Design Lineage - A Discussion

[SuperDirtMan]

Hey,

Don't know if there's been a comprehensive breakdown of something like this, but I kept thinking about it today, and wanted to put it down.
Since the inception of the safety/upright bike, what would the 'nearest common ancestor' for modern bike design styles? I tried giving it a shot (no dates, I just wanted to go off specific designs), as I didn't know if there was some kind of comprehensive family tree that already existed.
Mostly, I was interested in the idea that cruisers and roadsters evolved kind of separately, seemingly driven by that devious maiden, the Atlantic.

Curious is anyone has any other thoughts on this.

PS Does anyone actually know what a gravel bike is? I still haven't been able to find out...

 

[Miq]

We touched on some of this stuff in a discussion we have been having on bike geometry here: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/bike-geometry-and-ride.221994/ but this chart has a lot more types of bikes developing over time.

I like that you are noting some of the basic design elements that define a style of bike. Things like Cruisers having wide high handlebars and road bikes having drop bars are essential to understanding what makes certain bikes ride certain ways.

I like what you are up to here. People will want to argue about what feeds what, where to divide Mountain bike features from Clunkers, and if some of the stuff at the bottom really counts, like gravel and adventure bikes, but this is a cool idea.

 

[SirMike1983]

I think the most important common ancestor of the group is the diamond safety bike of the 1880s-90s. The diamond safety, in turn gave rise to rod brake type roadsters and diamond frame sporting models for road and track use. One more generation along, what we think of today as the "light roadster" (the Raleigh Sports is a leading example, but there are many others) combined elements of the roadster and the sporting bike.

The rod brake roadster is a very close descendant of the diamond frame safety bike. What we think of as the common "rod brake roadster" dates back to the start of the 20th century. It is a very old design, the basics of which are still being used and produced in several countries 120+ years later. It is arguable that some bikes linked the safety family and the roadster family, such as the Lovell Diamond of the 1890s. Then you have to think about oddballs like the X-frame roadsters as appeared in Britain for many years. They're rod brake roadsters generally, but not diamond frames.

The sporting road and track type bike also came out of the diamond safety. The sporting "road" type bike developed in parallel to the roadster, with the roadster being the heavier and more durable bike for utility purposes, and the lighter road and track bikes for sporting purposes. I would recommend having the "road" or "sporting" bike as a parallel development rather than a much later one. People tend to think of 10-speed bikes "road" bikes, but really the sporting date back quite a bit farther.

An early "racer" road machine from 1907:

A sporty road machine from 1911:

It starts to get more confusing when the term "light roadster" is added. Lightened versions of the rod brake roadster appeared early on as well, again going back to the 1900s (for example the Elswick Popular Light Roadster). But what people tend to think of as the "light roadster" today (e.g., Raleigh Sports type bikes, Schwinn New World, etc.) are, as you indicate, a somewhat later design that came to maturity in the 1920s-30s. They are descended in part from the roadster, and in part from the old style sporting bikes. They often have the tighter geometry of the sporting bike, the lower bottom bracket and brazed seat stay of the sporty bike, but the utilitarian intent, extra equipment, and more upright ride of the roadster. The American light roadster of the 1930s-40s (Westfield Sports Tourist/Roadster; Schwinn New World tourist; various other makers' utility bikes; etc.) is an offshoot of the somewhat earlier British designs of the 1920s-30s, but having some unique elements of their own.

Arguably another descendant of the rod brake roadster is the roadster-carrier type bike, such as the old "butcher's bikes" or "tradesman's bikes". These often begin with the basic ideas of the rod brake roadster, and modify the design to accommodate a large basket or carrier in the front.

Colin Kirsch's website is worth a look:

TOUR THE MUSEUM – The Online Bicycle Museum

TOUR THE MUSEUM

onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk

 

[SuperDirtMan]

The path racer!! Thank you for bringing that up, that is absolutely the main ancestor for road biking. Also, thanks for bringing up that point about light roadsters. I'd initially formatted it kind of grouping the full and light roadsters together, and titling the later roadsters 'light.' Thinking on it now, that definitely isn't the case, although I would say that the full roadster, conceptually, came first, then spurring on the development of the light roadster. I think my picture choice may have been misleading.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

what a gravel bike is?

Yes I too would like an explanation.

 

[cyclingday]

The “ Gravel Bike” was born out of the Gran Fondo.
That is primarily an amateur road racing event that requires a certain amount of un paved surface to be covered during the competition.
Kind of a nod to the old days of road racing when many of the road courses weren’t paved.
My guess is, that over in Europe, a dirt road is called a gravel road.
Hence the name, “Gravel Bike.”

 

[cyclingday]

So, for the most part, a “Gravel Bike” is a cross between a traditional “Road Bike” and a “Mountain Bike.”
I always thought of this type of bike, as a “Cyclocross Bike” but as is typical with a new fad, a new name has been given, to generate new market enthusiasm.

 

[dasberger]

I agree with @cyclingday but there are some differences between gravel and CX bikes. Both Cyclocross and Gravel bikes are beefier and heavier than a road bike and lighter than a mountain but of the two the Cyclocross is still built as a racing bike with a tighter geometry as well as greater BB clearance due to the nature of obstacles in CX racing.

A gravel specific bike is going to be closer to a touring bike with a more upright geometry made for long days "grinding" forest service roads etc. Neither would ever hang with a real road bike in a race but both can do double duty for the hobby rider (road and path) which is why they have become such a popular choice.

Here's what I would consider my "Gravel Bike". Originally sold as Cycle Cross bike and built up by me as an urban assault ride capable of taking a thrashing from a fairly big human.... Not much original. Custom aero wheels with dt swiss spokes and White Industry hubs, Conti gator skin rear, 4000 GP front, Thompson carbon cross bars, Thompson X4 stem and Seatpost, BB infinite bottom bracket, Praxis works 50/36 rings, Selle San Marco Carbon Aspide FX Saddle. Egg peater pedals. Kept the Ultegra shift/brake set up and SLK cranks

So to answer your question a pretty solid Gravel bike by any measure and CX race ready at just 19 LBS.

 

[SuperDirtMan]

Updated version, applied some feedback; still haven't incorporated cycletr

ucks, though...

 

[J-wagon]

Not sure if lineage but gravel klunker.
1940 Snyder singlebar frame, European touring wheels, toe straps, semi drop bars, single speed, 35ish lbs.