History of Bicycles: The Golden Age of Cycling (1900–1960)

🏆 The Golden Age of Cycling (1900–1960)

By the turn of the 20th century, the Safety Bicycle had already transformed society. But the six decades that followed cemented cycling's place as both a sport and a way of life. The Tour de France was born, cycling became an Olympic stalwart, industrial nations built bicycle industries that equipped armies and workers, and cycling clubs became cultural institutions. Even as the automobile rose to dominance, the bicycle remained essential for hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Tour de France 1932 — the race had already become the world's greatest cycling spectacle. (Wikimedia Commons)

🚴 The Tour de France: Born 1903

The Tour de France, the world's most famous cycling race, was founded in 1903 by Henri Desgrange and Geo Lefèvre of the sports newspaper L'Auto, primarily as a circulation-boosting publicity stunt. The inaugural race covered 2,428 km across France in six stages; sixty riders started and only 21 finished, with Maurice Garin winning. The Tour quickly became a national institution in France and an international sporting spectacle. By the 1920s and 1930s, champions like Octave Lapébie, Sylvère Maes, and later Fausto Coppi were household names across Europe. The yellow jersey (maillot jaune), awarded to the overall leader, was introduced in 1919.

🛡️ Bicycles at War: WWI and WWII

Both World Wars demonstrated the bicycle's military value. In World War I, all major European armies used bicycle regiments for scouting, message-carrying, and rapid troop movement. Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium all deployed bicycle infantry. The iconic British BSA folding bicycle served British troops. In World War II, bicycles were crucial for Japan's rapid conquest of Malaya (1941–1942): Japanese troops on bicycles moved faster through jungle tracks than any motorised unit, shocking the British defenders. In occupied Europe, bicycles became the primary civilian transport as fuel rationing made cars impractical. By the war's end, bicycle factories were producing hundreds of thousands of machines per year for military and civilian use.

🏭 The Great Bicycle Manufacturers Rise

The first half of the 20th century saw the rise of the great bicycle brands. In Britain: Raleigh (Nottingham, founded 1887) became the world's largest bicycle manufacturer; BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) produced millions of bikes. In Italy: Bianchi (founded 1885) and Colnago developed precision road bikes for racing. In France: Peugeot built its iconic touring bicycles. In the United States: Schwinn dominated the market with its sturdy, comfortable designs. By the 1930s–1950s, the bicycle was a working-class essential: factory workers, postal carriers, schoolchildren, and farmers all depended on them. In the Netherlands, Denmark, and China, cycling became deeply embedded in national culture in ways that persist today.

📌 Key Milestones

• 1903 — First Tour de France: Maurice Garin wins over 2,428 km
• 1913 — Derailleur gears begin to appear on road bicycles
• 1919 — Yellow jersey introduced at Tour de France
• 1939–1945 — WWII: bicycles critical for military and civilian transport in occupied Europe
• 1950s — Fausto Coppi dominates cycling; derailleur gearing becomes standard

🎥 Watch: The Golden Age of Cycling & Tour de France History

The Tour de France, military bicycles, and how the great manufacturers like Raleigh, Bianchi, and Schwinn shaped the world.