Complex Numbers

Pedalers

Of course the bicycle moved us forward. I've never seen one with a reverse gear.

    10 Ways the Bicycle Moved Us Forward  

The article, from Mental Floss, is from 2016, but I doubt there have been massive changes in our knowledge of transportation history since then.

I'm entirely too lazy to retype section headers. They're in ALL CAPS.

1. IT REVOLUTIONIZED HOW PEOPLE HOOK UP, A CENTURY BEFORE TINDER.

I've been on the internet long enough to remember when it was all, "Don't hook up with anyone from the internet." Now it's "Only hook up with someone from the internet."

The effect on romance was profound: Long-distance courtships were possible.

This section has a distinctly British slant, so remember: In England, 100 miles is a long way; in the US, 100 years is a long time.

2. IT SHOWED THE WORLD THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS BELONGED.

And this section is slanted American, like people of African ancestry didn't live anywhere else that there were bicycles.

3. IT GAVE US THE NATION'S FIRST PAVED HIGHWAYS.

Having studied transportation engineering, I knew this. It's ironic now, as automobile drivers tend to think the road belongs to them and them alone, and many of them treat cyclists as annoying obstacles.

4. IT DEMONSTRATED THAT SPACE IS SAFE FOR ASTRONAUTS.

In 1973, the Skylab space station crew became the first people to pedal in space (on stationary bikes).

That's a stretch.

5. IT EMANCIPATED WOMEN FROM THE HOME (AND THEIR WARDROBE).

Not only did women love the freedom, they loved the dress, ditching heavy skirts for bloomers to work the pedals.

I've made jokes before about how if life made sense, it'd be men's bikes that didn't have the ball-racking upper tie bar. But the historical reason for the design of chick bikes has nothing to do with genitalia, but with fashion.

6. IT HELPED HUNDREDS OF JEWS ESCAPE THE HOLOCAUST.

Bartali helped Jews escape the country, carrying counterfeit identity papers in the frame and handlebars of his bicycle on “training rides.” If stopped by police for search, he’d ask them not to touch his “specially calibrated” bicycle.

These days, that would result in the cops disassembling the bike into its component parts, bending every single resulting piece, beating the rider for resisting arrest, and then charging the dude for their time. At least, that's how it would work here in the US.

7. IT BROUGHT LIFE-SAVING CINEMA TO PEOPLE IN REMOTE PLACES.

In 2013, a charity wanted to screen educational films in Malawi to spread info on HIV prevention, modern farming, and other issues. But most villages lacked electricity or gas for a generator. Enter Colin Tonks of Electric Pedals, who built a pedal-driven cinema that fits in two backpacks and weighs less than 40 pounds—perfect for toting to remote spots.

Seems to me there might be easier ways to get the information there, but what do I know?

8. IT CREATED THE PERFECT URBAN AMBULANCE.

In 1993, London ambulance driver Tom Lynch was stuck in traffic on his way to a call when he started thinking about how much faster he could get there on a bike.

More importantly, bikes make great urban pizza delivery vehicles.

9. IT PROVIDES CHEAP, CLEAN POWER FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES.

"Cheap" only if labor is "cheap."

10. IT HELPS ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE.

In 2003, biomedical engineer Jay Alberts was on a high-effort weeklong tandem ride with a friend who has Parkinson’s when the friend’s symptoms nearly disappeared. Alberts then studied a group of Parkinson’s patients who rode at an intense 80-90 rpm clip on a tandem bike, and had a 35 percent improvement in symptoms.

What a dilemma: do hard work, or continue to experience symptoms. I'm honestly not sure which would be worse.