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High-quality (higher carbon) steel required for frame, chain and gears was not abundant enough and cheap enough until late XIX century.
by d_silin 2mo ago
High-quality (higher carbon) steel required for frame, chain and gears was not abundant enough and cheap enough until late XIX century.
- taneq 2mo agoAgreed, and also chain and fasteners specifically require the ability to mass produce very small, very strong, very consistent parts. This necessarily needs production lines with consistent tooling and quality assurance.
- bjackman 2mo agoYou know if you tap on the text at the top, it takes you to an article that expands upon the question. In this case you'll find that article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the materials bottleneck!
- fulafel 2mo agoThere's a lot of wooden bike frame designs that apparently work fine, the frame is one of the easier places to replace steel in.