Beaver Cleaver's Bikes

10-02-2004, 08:37 AM

"Leave It To Beaver" re-runs are being shown on cable, and I ran into two
episodes about bicycling while channel surfing.

In one episode, Beaver wins a new bike at a movie theatre when he's supposed
to be grounded at home for misbehaving. The bike is "a real English racing
bike" that he eventually donates to charity.

In the other episode, Beaver wants to ride his brand new bike to school with
a couple of friends. His parents think it's too dangerous. His father tries
to dissuade him by pointing out that taking the school bus would be faster
and much more comfortable. They finally give in and let him ride to school.
On the first day, he lets another kid try out his bike which has "hand
brakes, a gear lever to make climbing hills easy, and real racing tires."
The kid takes the bike for a ride "around the block" and never comes back.

What's amusing to me is what was considered a "racing bike" in that era
(circa 1960). Both of the bikes had upright bars, wide saddle, etc.

Art Harris

10-02-2004, 09:58 AM

"Arthur Harris" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:3PA7d.25190$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].hcvlny.cv. net...
> "Leave It To Beaver" re-runs are being shown on cable, and I ran into two
> episodes about bicycling while channel surfing.
>
> In one episode, Beaver wins a new bike at a movie theatre when he's
supposed
> to be grounded at home for misbehaving. The bike is "a real English racing
> bike" that he eventually donates to charity.
>
> In the other episode, Beaver wants to ride his brand new bike to school
with
> a couple of friends. His parents think it's too dangerous. His father
tries
> to dissuade him by pointing out that taking the school bus would be faster
> and much more comfortable. They finally give in and let him ride to
school.
> On the first day, he lets another kid try out his bike which has "hand
> brakes, a gear lever to make climbing hills easy, and real racing tires."
> The kid takes the bike for a ride "around the block" and never comes back.
>
> What's amusing to me is what was considered a "racing bike" in that era
> (circa 1960). Both of the bikes had upright bars, wide saddle, etc.
>
Yes, it is odd that these bikes got this name in the U.S.
Sheldon Brown notes:

"English Racer
This is a term used by ignorant people in some parts of the U.S. to refer to
a 3-speed "sports" type bike. This is a very foolish designation, because
the bikes involved, while usually English, have absolutely no connection
with racing."
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

That's a bit harsh, but accurate.

So, why did this name get currency? Well, a couple of kids in the
neighborhood had these, and they were a lot faster than the rest of us, who
had various forms of single speed bikes.

We'd never seen "10 speed" bikes in our neighbhorhood in the early 1960's,
and had no conception of racing beyond who could get to the corner faster.
The English 3-speeds would definitely do that.

10-02-2004, 09:58 AM

"Arthur Harris" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:3PA7d.25190$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].hcvlny.cv. net...
> "Leave It To Beaver" re-runs are being shown on cable, and I ran into two
> episodes about bicycling while channel surfing.
>
> In one episode, Beaver wins a new bike at a movie theatre when he's
supposed
> to be grounded at home for misbehaving. The bike is "a real English racing
> bike" that he eventually donates to charity.
>
> In the other episode, Beaver wants to ride his brand new bike to school
with
> a couple of friends. His parents think it's too dangerous. His father
tries
> to dissuade him by pointing out that taking the school bus would be faster
> and much more comfortable. They finally give in and let him ride to
school.
> On the first day, he lets another kid try out his bike which has "hand
> brakes, a gear lever to make climbing hills easy, and real racing tires."
> The kid takes the bike for a ride "around the block" and never comes back.
>
> What's amusing to me is what was considered a "racing bike" in that era
> (circa 1960). Both of the bikes had upright bars, wide saddle, etc.
>
Yes, it is odd that these bikes got this name in the U.S.
Sheldon Brown notes:

"English Racer
This is a term used by ignorant people in some parts of the U.S. to refer to
a 3-speed "sports" type bike. This is a very foolish designation, because
the bikes involved, while usually English, have absolutely no connection
with racing."
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

That's a bit harsh, but accurate.

So, why did this name get currency? Well, a couple of kids in the
neighborhood had these, and they were a lot faster than the rest of us, who
had various forms of single speed bikes.

We'd never seen "10 speed" bikes in our neighbhorhood in the early 1960's,
and had no conception of racing beyond who could get to the corner faster.
The English 3-speeds would definitely do that.

10-02-2004, 09:58 AM

"Arthur Harris" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:3PA7d.25190$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].hcvlny.cv. net...
> "Leave It To Beaver" re-runs are being shown on cable, and I ran into two
> episodes about bicycling while channel surfing.
>
> In one episode, Beaver wins a new bike at a movie theatre when he's
supposed
> to be grounded at home for misbehaving. The bike is "a real English racing
> bike" that he eventually donates to charity.
>
> In the other episode, Beaver wants to ride his brand new bike to school
with
> a couple of friends. His parents think it's too dangerous. His father
tries
> to dissuade him by pointing out that taking the school bus would be faster
> and much more comfortable. They finally give in and let him ride to
school.
> On the first day, he lets another kid try out his bike which has "hand
> brakes, a gear lever to make climbing hills easy, and real racing tires."
> The kid takes the bike for a ride "around the block" and never comes back.
>
> What's amusing to me is what was considered a "racing bike" in that era
> (circa 1960). Both of the bikes had upright bars, wide saddle, etc.
>
Yes, it is odd that these bikes got this name in the U.S.
Sheldon Brown notes:

"English Racer
This is a term used by ignorant people in some parts of the U.S. to refer to
a 3-speed "sports" type bike. This is a very foolish designation, because
the bikes involved, while usually English, have absolutely no connection
with racing."
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

That's a bit harsh, but accurate.

So, why did this name get currency? Well, a couple of kids in the
neighborhood had these, and they were a lot faster than the rest of us, who
had various forms of single speed bikes.

We'd never seen "10 speed" bikes in our neighbhorhood in the early 1960's,
and had no conception of racing beyond who could get to the corner faster.
The English 3-speeds would definitely do that.

10-02-2004, 09:58 AM

"Arthur Harris" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:3PA7d.25190$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].hcvlny.cv. net...
> "Leave It To Beaver" re-runs are being shown on cable, and I ran into two
> episodes about bicycling while channel surfing.
>
> In one episode, Beaver wins a new bike at a movie theatre when he's
supposed
> to be grounded at home for misbehaving. The bike is "a real English racing
> bike" that he eventually donates to charity.
>
> In the other episode, Beaver wants to ride his brand new bike to school
with
> a couple of friends. His parents think it's too dangerous. His father
tries
> to dissuade him by pointing out that taking the school bus would be faster
> and much more comfortable. They finally give in and let him ride to
school.
> On the first day, he lets another kid try out his bike which has "hand
> brakes, a gear lever to make climbing hills easy, and real racing tires."
> The kid takes the bike for a ride "around the block" and never comes back.
>
> What's amusing to me is what was considered a "racing bike" in that era
> (circa 1960). Both of the bikes had upright bars, wide saddle, etc.
>
Yes, it is odd that these bikes got this name in the U.S.
Sheldon Brown notes:

"English Racer
This is a term used by ignorant people in some parts of the U.S. to refer to
a 3-speed "sports" type bike. This is a very foolish designation, because
the bikes involved, while usually English, have absolutely no connection
with racing."
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

That's a bit harsh, but accurate.

So, why did this name get currency? Well, a couple of kids in the
neighborhood had these, and they were a lot faster than the rest of us, who
had various forms of single speed bikes.

We'd never seen "10 speed" bikes in our neighbhorhood in the early 1960's,
and had no conception of racing beyond who could get to the corner faster.
The English 3-speeds would definitely do that.

10-02-2004, 10:35 AM

Sat, 2 Oct 2004 12:58:29 -0500,
<1096740141.LDXZ/wwW80hLl6AmcgGcHg@teranews>, "Mike Kruger"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>So, why did this name get currency? Well, a couple of kids in the
>neighborhood had these, and they were a lot faster than the rest of us, who
>had various forms of single speed bikes.
>
>We'd never seen "10 speed" bikes in our neighbhorhood in the early 1960's,
>and had no conception of racing beyond who could get to the corner faster.
>The English 3-speeds would definitely do that.

John Stoffel had the first one in my gang and I'll never forget the
look on his face when I beat him with my gas pipe J.C. Higgins on 24"
balloon tires. The course was two miles to Wolf Road and back.
I was highly motivated because I believed that if I beat him my
grandfather would buy me an "English racer" too. As it turned out, I
had to save for and buy my own though he did help me pay for it - a
metallic red Robin Hood. From then on it was simply a matter of my red
bike being faster than John's black one.
--
zk

10-02-2004, 10:35 AM

Sat, 2 Oct 2004 12:58:29 -0500,
<1096740141.LDXZ/wwW80hLl6AmcgGcHg@teranews>, "Mike Kruger"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>So, why did this name get currency? Well, a couple of kids in the
>neighborhood had these, and they were a lot faster than the rest of us, who
>had various forms of single speed bikes.
>
>We'd never seen "10 speed" bikes in our neighbhorhood in the early 1960's,
>and had no conception of racing beyond who could get to the corner faster.
>The English 3-speeds would definitely do that.

John Stoffel had the first one in my gang and I'll never forget the
look on his face when I beat him with my gas pipe J.C. Higgins on 24"
balloon tires. The course was two miles to Wolf Road and back.
I was highly motivated because I believed that if I beat him my
grandfather would buy me an "English racer" too. As it turned out, I
had to save for and buy my own though he did help me pay for it - a
metallic red Robin Hood. From then on it was simply a matter of my red
bike being faster than John's black one.
--
zk

10-02-2004, 10:35 AM

Sat, 2 Oct 2004 12:58:29 -0500,
<1096740141.LDXZ/wwW80hLl6AmcgGcHg@teranews>, "Mike Kruger"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>So, why did this name get currency? Well, a couple of kids in the
>neighborhood had these, and they were a lot faster than the rest of us, who
>had various forms of single speed bikes.
>
>We'd never seen "10 speed" bikes in our neighbhorhood in the early 1960's,
>and had no conception of racing beyond who could get to the corner faster.
>The English 3-speeds would definitely do that.

John Stoffel had the first one in my gang and I'll never forget the
look on his face when I beat him with my gas pipe J.C. Higgins on 24"
balloon tires. The course was two miles to Wolf Road and back.
I was highly motivated because I believed that if I beat him my
grandfather would buy me an "English racer" too. As it turned out, I
had to save for and buy my own though he did help me pay for it - a
metallic red Robin Hood. From then on it was simply a matter of my red
bike being faster than John's black one.
--
zk

10-02-2004, 10:35 AM

Sat, 2 Oct 2004 12:58:29 -0500,
<1096740141.LDXZ/wwW80hLl6AmcgGcHg@teranews>, "Mike Kruger"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>So, why did this name get currency? Well, a couple of kids in the
>neighborhood had these, and they were a lot faster than the rest of us, who
>had various forms of single speed bikes.
>
>We'd never seen "10 speed" bikes in our neighbhorhood in the early 1960's,
>and had no conception of racing beyond who could get to the corner faster.
>The English 3-speeds would definitely do that.

John Stoffel had the first one in my gang and I'll never forget the
look on his face when I beat him with my gas pipe J.C. Higgins on 24"
balloon tires. The course was two miles to Wolf Road and back.
I was highly motivated because I believed that if I beat him my
grandfather would buy me an "English racer" too. As it turned out, I
had to save for and buy my own though he did help me pay for it - a
metallic red Robin Hood. From then on it was simply a matter of my red
bike being faster than John's black one.
--
zk

10-02-2004, 12:09 PM

"Zoot Katz" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> From then on it was simply a matter of my red
> bike being faster than John's black one.

Well, duh, we all know red bikes are faster.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
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