:Roadster (bicycle)

There were three basic variants of the roadster.

File:Batavus 6.jpg

The classic gents' roadster, also known as the English roadster, has a lugged brazed steel diamond frame, rod-actuated brakes and of late, cable operated drum brake systems have been widely produced for the European market, upright North Road handlebars, a single gear ratio or three- or five-speed hub gears, a chaincase, steel mudguards, steel cranks, {{cvt|28|x|1+1/2|in|mm|order=flip}} (ISO 635) wheels, Westwood rims, and often a Sturmey-Archer hub dynamo. Roadsters are built for durability above all else and no serious attempt is made to save weight in their design or construction, roadsters weigh upwards of {{convert|18-20|kg|lb|round=5}}. They were often the mounts of policemen and rural letter carriers.{{cite web|title=Servicing English Three Speeds|url=http://sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html|work=Sheldon Brown sheldonbrown.com|access-date=30 March 2013}} A derivative of the roadster, the ladies' model, is seldom called a roadster.

The roadster is very similar in design and intended use as the European city bike, a model still used in Germany, Denmark and, most notably, the Netherlands (see below). The primary differences are that the continental bicycles tend to have a higher handlebar position for a more upright riding posture, and are more likely to have rod-actuated drum brakes.

File:Opoefiets lara.jpg

The ladies' version of the roadster's design was very much in place by the 1890s. It had a step-through frame rather than the diamond frame of the gentlemen's model so that ladies, with their dresses and skirts, could easily mount and ride their bicycles, and commonly came with a skirt guard to prevent skirts and dresses becoming entangled in the rear wheel and spokes. As with the gents' roadster, the frame was of steel construction and the positioning of the frame and handlebars gave the rider a very upright riding position. Though they originally came with front spoon-brakes, technological advancements meant that later models were equipped with the much-improved coaster brakes or rod-actuated rim or drum-brakes.

Though the ladies' version of the roadster largely fell out of fashion in England and many other Western nations as the 20th century progressed, it continuously remained popular in the Netherlands right to the present day. In the Dutch language the name of these bicycles is {{lang|nl|omafiets}} ('grandma bike'), a term which has been in use since the 1970s.{{cite web |title=Damesframes |url=http://www.rijwiel.net/damesn.htm |website=rijwiel.net |access-date=14 February 2018| language=nl}}{{efn|In Frisia they are often called {{lang|fy|widdofyts}} (West Frisian for 'widow's bike').}} The {{lang|nl|omafiets}} is a national icon, and is even used by men in the Netherlands;[https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/de-stang-van-de-herenfiets-blijkt-een-gevoelige-kwestie~b97c11ed/ De stang van de herenfiets blijkt een gevoelige kwestie] this is why some people refer to bicycles of this design as Dutch bikes. The classic {{lang|nl|omafiets}} is still in production in the Netherlands and has changed little since 1911:{{cite web |title=The Dutch bike isn't Dutch it's English (and proudly not updated since 1911) |url=http://www.roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/dutchbike/ |work=Roads Were Not Built For Cars |access-date=2 May 2014 |first=Carlton |last=Reid |date=19 August 2013}} it comes with a single-speed gear, {{cvt|28|x|1+1/2|in|mm|order=flip}} (ISO 635) wheels, black painted frame and mudguards (with white-blazoning at the back of the rear one), and a rear skirt guard. Modern variants, be they painted in other colours, with aluminium frames, drum-brakes or multiple gear ratios in a hub gearing system, will all conform to the same basic look and dimensions as the classic {{lang|nl|omafiets}}. The Dutch gentlemen's equivalent is called the {{lang|nl|opafiets}} ('grandpa bike') or {{lang|nl|stadsfiets}} ('city bike') and generally has the same characteristics but with a "diamond" or "gents'" frame, thereby much the same as the gentleman's roadster in England and elsewhere.

File:1971 Raleigh Superbe.jpg Superbe sports roadster with 26-inch tires and Dynohub]]

A variation on this type of bicycle is the sports roadster (also known as the "light roadster"), which typically has a lighter frame, and a slightly steeper seat-tube and head-tube angle of about 70°–72°, fitted with cable brakes, comfortable "flat" North Road handlebars, mudguards and, as often as not, three, four or five-speed internal hub gears. Sports or light roadsters were fitted with Bicycle wheel#Other sizes 26" traditional English size wheels with Endrick rims, hence a lower bottom bracket and correspondingly lower stand-over height and weighing around {{convert|16-18|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{cite book|title=A Woman's Guide to Cycling|year=1998|publisher=Ten Speed Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=0-89815-982-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/womansguidetocyc00weav/page/58 58]|author=Susan Weaver|edition=rev.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/womansguidetocyc00weav/page/58}} It was these bikes that were dubbed "English racers" in the United States.{{cite book|title=The Book of the Bicycle|year=2009|publisher=Triune Books|location=London|isbn=978-0-85674-016-9|pages=16–19|author=Roger St. Pierre}}

Club sports, or semi-racer, bicycles were the high-performance machines of their time and place, named so as they were the style of bicycle popular with members of the many active cycling clubs. A club bicycle would typically have Reynolds 531 frame tubing, a narrow, unsprung leather saddle, inverted North Road handlebars (or drop bars), steel "rat trap" pedals with toe clips, 5-15 speed derailleur gearing, alloy rims and light high-pressure {{cvt|26|x|1+1/4|in|mm|order=flip}} (ISO 597) or {{cvt|27|x|1+1/4|in|mm|order=flip}} (ISO 630) tires. Some club bicycles would be likely to have a more exotic Sturmey-Archer hub, perhaps, a medium- or close-ratio model, 3 or 4 speed, with a very few even being equipped with the rare ASC three-speed fixed-gear hub. Many club bicycles were single-speed machines, usually with a reversible hub: single-speed freewheel on one side, fixed-gear on the other. Derailers began to be used on this type of bicycle starting in the early 1940s. Although primarily intended for fast group rides, club bicycles were also commonly used for touring as well as for time-trialing.

From the early 20th century until after World War II, the roadster constituted most adult bicycles sold in the United Kingdom and in many parts of the British Empire. For many years after the advent of the motorcycle and automobile, they remained a primary means of adult transport. Major manufacturers in England were Raleigh and BSA, though Carlton, Phillips, Triumph, Rudge-Whitworth, Hercules, and Elswick Hopper also made them.

In the United States, the sports roadster was imported after World War II, and was known as the "English racer". It quickly became popular with adult cyclists seeking an alternative to the traditional youth-oriented cruiser bicycle.{{cite book|title=The 21st Century Bicycle Book|year=2000|publisher=Overlook Press|location=New York|page=22|author=Richard Ballantine|author-link=Richard Ballantine}} While the English racer was no racing bike, it was faster and better for climbing hills than the cruiser, thanks to its lighter weight, tall wheels, narrow tires, and internally geared rear hubs. In the late 1950s, U.S. manufacturers such as Schwinn began producing their own "lightweight" version of the English racer.

In Britain, the utility roadster declined noticeably in popularity during the early 1970s, as a boom in recreational cycling caused manufacturers to concentrate on lightweight ({{convert|23|-|30|lb|kg|abbr=on|order=flip|disp=or}}), affordable derailleur sport bikes, actually slightly modified versions of the racing bicycle of the era.{{cite book|title=The 21st Century Bicycle Book|year=2000|publisher=Overlook Press|location=New York|page=23|author=Richard Ballantine|author-link=Richard Ballantine|quote=Sales of sport and road racing bikes constituted the major part of new bike sales from 1972, when annual U.K. sales went from just 700,000 per year to 1.6 million per year in 1980.}}

In the 1980s, U.K. cyclists began to shift from road-only bicycles to all-terrain models such as the mountain bike. The mountain bike's sturdy frame and load-carrying ability gave it additional versatility as a utility bike, usurping the role previously filled by the roadster. By 1990, the roadster was almost dead; while annual U.K. bicycle sales reached an all-time record of 2.8 million, almost all of them were mountain and road/sport models.

A different situation, however, occurred and still occurs in most Asian countries as of 2014. Roadsters are still widely made and used in countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam and others. Some of the most significant roadster manufacturers are: Flying Pigeon, Hero Cycles and Sohrab Cycles.

During Vietnam's long war for independence, structurally reinforced roadsters were often used to haul munitions and supplies across the countryside. Generally, the bicycles were so heavily loaded that they could no longer be conventionally ridden, and were pushed instead.{{Cite web|url=https://www.historynet.com/pedal-power-bicycles-in-wartime-vietnam.htm|title = Pedal Power - Bicycles in Wartime Vietnam|date = 6 July 2012}}

File:Bicycle-taxi.jpg as Black Mambas, and are often used as cycle taxis or boda-bodas.{{cite book |last1=Hamilton |first1=Ray |title=The joy of cycling : for those who love to ride |date=2013 |publisher=Summersdale Publishers Ltd |location=Chichester, UK |isbn=978-0-8576-5992-7 |chapter=Town and Country}}]]

In much of the world, the roadster is still the standard bicycle used for daily transportation. Mass-produced in Asia, they are exported in huge numbers (mainly from India, China, and Taiwan) to developing nations as far afield as Africa and Latin America. India's Hero Cycles and Eastman Industries are still two of the world's leading roadster manufacturers, while China's Flying Pigeon was the single most popular vehicle in worldwide use.{{cite web|title=Flight of the Pigeon|url=http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-3-12-15416-1,00.html|work=Bicycling.com|publisher=Bicycling|access-date=30 March 2013|author=Dan Koeppel}} Due to their relative affordability, the strength and durability of steel frames and forks and their ability to be repaired by welding, and the ability of these bicycles to carry heavy payloads, the roadster is generally by far the most common bicycle in use in developing nations, with a particular importance for those in rural areas. In parts of East Africa, the roadster is called the Black Mamba, where it is used as a taxi by enterprising cyclist/drivers, called a boda-boda. Black Mambas are often repaired, customized, and manufactured locally for low costs. To further reduce costs of the Black Mamba, engineers have begun to test 3D printed bike parts that meet CEN standards.{{Cite journal|last1=Tanikella|first1=Nagendra G.|last2=Savonen|first2=Benjamin|last3=Gershenson|first3=John|last4=Pearce|first4=Joshua M.|date=2017-05-30|title=Viability of Distributed Manufacturing of Bicycle Components with 3-D Printing: CEN Standardized Polylactic Acid Pedal Testing|url=https://www.ewb.org.au/jhe/index.php/jhe/article/view/60|journal=Journal of Humanitarian Engineering|language=en|volume=5|issue=1|doi=10.36479/jhe.v5i1.60|s2cid=114490570 |issn=2200-4904|doi-access=free}}

Traditional roadster models became largely obsolete in the English-speaking world and other parts of the Western world after the 1950s with the noticeable exceptions of the Netherlands and to a much lesser extent Belgium along with other parts of north-western Europe. However, they are now becoming popular once more in many of those countries that they had largely disappeared from, due to the resurgence in the bicycle as local city transport where the roadster is ideally suited due to its upright riding position, ability to carry shopping loads, simplicity and low maintenance.

In the United Kingdom, there are a number of bicycle manufacturers (such as Pashley Cycles) which make updated versions of the classic roadster and many more are imported from the continent, such as those from Dutch manufacturers such as Royal Dutch Gazelle. They are popular as student transport at universities, especially at Cambridge and Oxford, and are increasingly seen in other British cities, including London. In Australia, there has also been an increase in roadster use, particularly in Melbourne, alongside the growth of local bicycle companies such as Papillionaire{{cite web|title=Vintage Dutch Style City Bikes - Custom Bicycles|url=http://www.papillionaire.com/|publisher=Papillionaire Bikes|access-date=30 March 2013}} or Lekker, and many second-hand ones from the 1950s and 60s are being discovered and restored.{{cite web|title=Towards Sustainable Transport: Bicycle Policy|url=http://www.stcwa.org.au/papers/Bicycle_Discussion.doc|work=STCWA website|publisher=Sustainable Transport Coalition of Western Australia|access-date=30 March 2013|format=MS-Word|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411042202/http://www.stcwa.org.au/papers/Bicycle_Discussion.doc|archive-date=11 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}

File:Ellimans-Universal-Embrocation-Slough-1897-Ad.png|A British ad from 1897 showing a ladies' bicycle/roadster

File:Man on bicycle.jpg|Gentleman on a 1920s roadster, Germany

File:Farmer on bicycle in Indonesia.jpg|Farmer on roadster bicycle used for freight in Indonesia

File:Gazelle Gents.jpg|An {{lang|nl|opafiets}} or {{lang|nl|stadsfiets}} is a traditional Dutch gent's roadster

File:Sohrab bicycle.jpg|A 2012 Sohrab roadster manufactured in Pakistan

{{Commons category|Roadster (bicycle)}}

• Outline of cycling
• Path Racer
• Road bicycle

{{clear}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wiktionary|roadster}}

• {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Bicycle |last1= Sharp |first1= Archibald |last2= |first2= |volume= 03 |pages= 913-917}}

{{Human-powered vehicles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roadster (Bicycle)}}

Category:Cycle types