CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Cycling History Edinburgh

(10 posts)

  1. Rosie
    Member

    The Museum of Edinburgh is putting on an exhibition of cycling and cycling activism and I am producing a panel on the history of cycling in Edinburgh. I've got most of it covered but I am struggling to find anything from the 1950's and 1960's.

    My assumption is that in the 1950's cycling was an ordinary way of going to work and school until displaced by mass car ownership - but I have no idea how/where to find this out. Searches for cycling find time trials and sports, not everyday cycling. Has anyone any ideas/pointers?

    Posted 3 months ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    Depends exactly what you want.

    Search variations on Edinburgh + 1950s and you’ll find street scenes.

    A few have bicycles

    http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_street_p/0_street_views_-_princes_street_moffat_photographer_lamp_post_062853_1024.htm

    https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/20969954501753358/

    More cars than you might expect

    And continuous trams on Princes St!

    Posted 3 months ago #

  3. Arellcat
    Moderator

    The only good one I found was Historic Environment Scotland's article based on images held in the Scran database, but the only ostensibly non-racing photo is the 'touring' one – and even that caption mentions a timekeeper.

    https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2023/06/wheelin-in-the-years-a-history-of-scottish-cycling-in-pictures/

    Britain was once described as "a nation of time trialists"; I can't find the source for it but I think it predates WWII. I did find some references to the National Cyclists Union banning mass start races in the early 1950s. And given that cars, and even posh bikes, were still something of a luxury in those times, if you had a bike you were a transport cyclist, and if you were an avid cyclist who wanted to ride competitively you used the same bike and probably just took off the mudguards and put your race wheels on.

    The 'modern' transport cyclist in Britain probably came about when Alex Moulton invented his bike, and The Avengers popularised it.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  4. cb
    Member

    Also on edinphoto:

    http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_edin/1_edinburgh_history_-_recollections_cycling.htm

    Much of that concerns racing but there are some other snippets, e.g. the final recollection regarding the perils of tram tracks.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  5. SRD
    Moderator

    I've seen family pictures. these would be 'touring' but it was very much a social thing. I'll ask if there's any they'd be willing to share.

    update: Rosie have put you in touch via FB messenger.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  6. alanp
    Member

    My copy of the Penguin Book of Bicycle (1978) tells me there were 1.3m cars in the UK in 1934 and 7.3m in 1963.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  7. acsimpson
    Member

    It's not really about cycling for transport but there's a comment on this page about cyclist travelling to speedway with their bikes on trams:

    https://www.cyclespeedwayhistory.org.uk/1661.shtml

    At least one of the riders on that page still rides for Edinburgh Falcons and indeed competed in the world championships at the age of 80.

    My Dad grew up in 1950/60s Edinburgh so I could ask him if he's willing for me to pass on his email address if you like.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  8. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Maybe if Rosie could provide half a dozen questions, we could all interview our elders! My late uncle was a touring cyclist of some calibre. He did a five-hour century when he had to catch the ferry back from France.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  9. Rosie
    Member

    Thanks everybody. I should have said that I will only have about 3 sentences on the 50's and 60's as the word limit for one panel ie the whole of the history of cycling in Edinburgh is 250 words! And 2 images! So it has to be concise. Also the deadline is 29 January.

    Reminiscences about cycling in Edinburgh would be a good project to do at some time. An old Edinburgher told me that breaking your arm on the tram tracks in the 50's was something that you didn't make a fuss about.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    @rosie, indeed. Brevity is not our watchword. In The very early 1950s Edinburgh cyclists would tour down to the Tweed near Talla and stay at the memorial hut they built for Albert Watson who died in Canada training to be an RAF pilot. He was a racing tri cyclist.

    @chdot used to go as a lad apparently? (Joking)

    Posted 3 months ago #

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