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Bike Boom
In the early-to-mid 1970's, bicycle sales boomed, after several decades when the bicycle was commonly regarded as a child's toy.
The Bike Boom was partly related to the Baby Boom, as Boomers were starting to enter adulthood in large numbers. Other factors were the popularization of 10-speed derailer-equipped bicycles, and increasing environmental awareness, with the hope that bicycling would substitute for much motoring. The bike boom is often attributed to the oil crisis of 1974, but in fact, it was already waning then -- see data in 1978 study republished by John Allen.
A similar bike boom had occurred in the mid-1890s when the safety bicycle with pneumatic tires replaced the high-wheeler.
It is important to distinguish bicycle sales from bicycle use. As bicycles are durable goods, a bike boom tends to saturate the market and then to be followed by a bust. The actual levels of bicycle use are more stable.*****
