Why in the hell are early safety do damned tall?!

[ohdeebee]

Safety bikes that is. Just curious. That's all.

 

[bricycle]

They didn't want to look too short compared to the highwheelers! :eek:

 

[Iverider]

So we tall people have a genre to collect!!!

 

[fordsnake]

Safety bikes initially were expensive utilitarian vehicles for "adults only" hence the tall frames, and were not considered toys! It wasn't until bikes transitioned into motorcycles that the concept of children riding bikes emerged. Manufactures quickly saw opportunities to grow their business and strategically offered line extensions to the juvenile audience; via pseudo motorbikes (no engine). An ideal ride for the young boy who wished to emulate his big brother or father that owned a real motorcycle.

 

[jpromo]

Actually the frame heights of this era are probably much closer to optimum height versus a balloon bike or later. I run my seats all the way up on my bicycles to somewhere around 22-23" to the BB center.. sizing it like one would a road bike. They may not photograph as well but boy am I comfy riding them!

 

[walter branche]

early safetys

Early safetys are mounted , from the left step , like on ordinarys, once you have mounted the machine it is no different than any other bike , you , mount and dismount from the step, or pedal dismount if you are cool , or a fancy rider . All the bikes are different with seats and wheel sizes and tire selections , just like today ..., its a different style riding, and takes some agility and practice to get comfortable , walter branche

 

[sqrly]

I am wondering if there is a larger proportion of taller bikes still around because they were too tall for adolescent and teen kids to ride/wreck. The tall bikes stayed in the shed while medium and smaller bikes were ridden to death. I have the same feeling about tandems.

I do notice when looking at ads from pre TOC, the frames are taller than current, but not quite as tall as many surviving TOC bikes.

 

[Larmo63]

My Racycle build is a tall frame....Maybe even a racing frame set up....?

 

[fordsnake]

Again, early bikes were primarily made for adults and comfort...their costs were indeed expensive for their time; an ounce of gold in 1885 was $20.65...(today's price $1,474.03). A high grade bicycle in 1885 cost $100 and many bike stores and manufactures offered schools to learn how to ride safeties. I believe it was the Scorchers and the Cracker-Jacks that altered the trend for smaller frame sizes?

Check out the sizes offered in 1887...juvenile bikes were the 24 & 26 sizes.

 

[dougfisk]

Early safetys are mounted , from the left step , like on ordinarys, once you have mounted the machine it is no different than any other bike , you , mount and dismount from the step, or pedal dismount if you are cool , or a fancy rider .... walter branche

I think Walter is supporting what I believe to be the case... All previous bicycles were immensely high, the newfangled safety bikes were high because it was traditional.