單車之魂--過去與未來

When future mechanical evolutionists and historians examine the development of the bicycle ,two periods will stand out. The first period, rarely considered by today's devotees of rotating mass, happened a little more than a hundred years ago. The first bicycle boom, which culminated in the 1890s, occurred during a time of extraordinary innovation - creative guys such as Edison, Tesla, Eastman, Diesel, Burroughs and Marconi were all at the height of their genius. Yet it's still reported that one-third of all patents applied for in the U.S. Patent Office were bicycle related, like John Dunlop's invention of the pneumatic tire .... for his son's tricycle.

當未來的機械演進學家與歷史學家檢驗自行車的發展時,有兩個時期將顯得特別耀眼.第一個時期發生在一百多年前,但卻鮮為當今的單車熱愛者所提起.第一次的單車迅速發展期發生在非凡的發明潮時代,而在19 世紀90年代時達到巔峰狀態.當時那些富有原創能力的發明家, 諸如愛迪生,伊斯特曼,巴羅福,迪塞爾,馬可尼都是處於天才橫溢之高點.然而據報所述,在美國專利局裡所申請的專利案件中有三分之一是與單車有關....像 John Dunlop 所發明的充氣式輪胎是替它兒子的三輪車設計的.

Back then, the bicycle was an acceptable and honorable - even prestigious - means of transportation. Back then, you'd see respectable citizens riding bikes on the road - by choice - and dozens of innovators were building sweet suspension designs to enable bicycle riders to go over rough terrain faster and with more comfort. Sound familiar ?

讓我們回到那個時代吧,單車是一種可以接受,有體面,甚至可以說是有威望的交通工具.那個時代,在路上你可以看見很多市民選擇騎單車,而數以十計的發明者正在打造新奇的懸吊設計,好讓單車騎士能以更快更舒適的方式橫過崎嶇不平的路徑.--- 這...聽起來是不是有點熟悉呢!!

On the horizon, though, there loomed a cloud of belching auto smoke. Soon after Henry Ford quit his job as a bicycle mechanic, everything changed for everybody and the age of the automobile began. With that, the bicycle market quit growing. Bicycles started getting sold in non-specialty channels like department stores. Sound familiar ?

但是.. 好景不常.在地平線上隱約地出現一團烏煙穢氣.不久之後亨利.福特放棄了單車技工的工作,對任何人來說,一切都改變了!因為汽車時代已經來臨!因此, 單車市場停止成長,而其銷售管道開始轉移到一些非專業的場所,比如說百貨公司等. 這...聽起來是不是更熟悉了呢!!

The industry was soon in a shambles. The evolutionary process hibernated. The first 75 years of the 20th century were not the golden(or titanium or carbon) years of the bicycles. Fortunately for us, the next 25 were.

於是工業很快地陷入混亂不堪的狀態.單車的進化程序進入停頓時期.20世紀的前75年並不是單車的黃金時期(當然也不是鈦合金或者是碳纖時期).幸運的是,之後的25 年,它是!!

That's because someone (who shall remain nameless) decided about 25 years ago to invent the mountain bicycle. We can thank him or her (or them) for a lot of the glorious bicycle evolution of the last quarter century. Sure, there were mini-boom coupled with an energy crisis in '73, but by the end of the '70s we'd forgotten it was cool to ride a bike, and we went to the disco instead. With the mountain bike, bicycling became fun again. We inundated the Patent Office with new patent applications. Some of the inventions were actually good. Things got so good we even accepted our little brother the triathlete into our sphere of influence, and (mad props need to go to Greg LeMond for making all of us thinking cycling was cool again.) In the last quarter century, our family tree has sprouted new branches. Downhill and triathlon have made strong new limbs. The trials and cyclcross limbs look a little like mommy took some Thalidomide at the wrong time, but they are still alive, and we love them just the same.

因為在大約25 年前某人(沒有人知道他們的名字)決定發明能夠橫山越嶺的登山車!我們感謝他或她(或者他們)在最後四分之一的世紀裡,讓單有如此輝煌亮麗的演進!當然有一些小規模的發展期伴隨1973 年的能源危機快速興起,但是70年代末期,我們卻已經忘記騎上單車原本是一件多麼酷的事,反而喜歡去跳迪斯可!有了登山車,騎車又變成一件有趣的事了! 新的專利紛紛湧向專利局.其中的一些發明確實非常好.事情變得如此順利,就連小弟們的三項運動也被納入我們的流行領域裡.( )在最後的四分之一個世紀裡,我們的單車家族露出新的枝葉.下坡車和三項運動已經羽翼豐碩,技術單車與越野自由車的發展卻有點像不該吃卻吃了鎮定劑的媽咪一般,但它們都還活得好好的,而且我們一樣喜愛它們!

It's been a great ride, but there are a lot of parallels to the boom of a century ago. What we don't know is how our party's going to end.

我們已經歷了一段偉大的路程,但眼前存在著一些與百年前的快速發展期相類似之處.我們所不知道的是,經過25 年的演進之後, 將會以什麼樣的方式結束?

Maybe there will be another boom.

Maybe our industry will work together to bring new converts to our sport.

Maybe we Americans will remain irrational in our choice of automobiles and how we use them, and incredible gridlock will force us out of our cars and to a more-sane means of transportation.

Who knows, maybe the Center for Disease Control will attack obesity and we fat Americans will exercise once again, some of us on bikes.

也許會有另一次的黃金演進期吧!

也許我們的工業會共同努力,把新的創意注入運動領域內!

也許我們美國人仍然停留在對選擇汽車的荒謬思考,以及如何使用汽車等, 令人難以置信的交通阻塞將會迫使我們走出車外,選擇一種比較合理的交通工具!

誰知道呢! 也許疾病控制中心會開始解決肥胖問題,而我們肥胖的美國人們會開始再度運動,其中有一些人會選擇單車!

Will there be another Henry Ford to impede our progress? Or will some miracle happen that prolong the boom ? In the end, it's for us to decide.

還是會有另一個亨利.福特來阻礙我們的發展?或者,會發生許多奇蹟可以延長這一段黃金期? 最終,會由我們來決定!!

Enthusiasm is infectious, and it's easy to be enthusiastic about mountain biking. Spread the good word. Try to make someone understand why you ride, and make them believes too. Don't let history repeat itself.

"狂熱俱有傳染性.",對登山車活動狂熱,其實很簡單---說一些好話.試著讓別人了解你為什麼騎車,而且也讓他們相信你為什麼騎車!

別讓歷史重蹈覆轍!

--Mountain Bike January 2003 -- pp21

1. Eastman , George (1854-1932) U S inventor and philanthropist. He perfected the box camera (1888), the first camera designed specifically for roll film.

2. Tesla,Nikola (1856-1943) Croatian-born U.S electrical engineer. He is credited with many inventions, and was a pioneer of alternating-current systems. The derived unit of magnetic flux density in the SI system ,symbol T is named for him.

3. Diesel, Rudolf(1858-1913) , the German engineer who designed the engine.

4. Marconi, Guglielmo(1874-1937) Italian electrical engineer. He pioneered the practical development of radio signaling. In 1909 he shared the Nobel Prized in physics for his work in wireless telegraphy.

5. Greg LeMond In sport, there are those who make their mark and those who mark their time. Greg LeMond's career is one of the most incredible stories in cycling history, a saga of arguably the most talented rider of his generation. Very few athletes have transcended sports and Greg is one of the exceptional few. LeMond's legend is measured not only by his stunning cycling feats, but also by his historical and inspirational impact.

In 1986, Greg LeMond, despite being constantly threatened by his own teammate, Bernard Hinault, became the first American to win the largest single annual sporting event in the world, the Tour de France. Millions watched on CBS Television as Greg's historic victory catapulted him into the media spotlight.

In the midst of his run of success he was involved in an appalling accident which almost cost him his life and left him in serious danger of never being able to ride again, let alone compete and win at the top level of the sport. This tragedy struck on April 20, 1987, when his brother-in-law accidentally shot Greg while hunting in California. Over forty shotgun pellets ripped through Greg's body, lodging not only in his back and legs, but more critically in his small intestine, liver, diaphragm, and heart lining. While waiting for rescue, his right lung collapsed and he lost three quarters of his blood supply. A cell phone, a police helicopter and nearby hospital that specialized in gun shot wounds saved his life. Because of the dangerous locations, surgeons were forced to leave over thirty of the pellets imbedded in his body.

After the horrific shooting accident, LeMond put together a comeback, which went beyond the limits of the average man. Greg's long rehabilitation process was both painful and frustrating. He had lost over twenty pounds, most of it pure muscle, and his level of fitness had decreased dramatically. Ever determined, he set a goal for himself to win the Tour de France again! While many people admired his bravery, only Greg's supportive wife Kathy and a few close friends believed he could do it. In engineering this comeback, Greg overcame reduced physical capability by enhancing the innovations that helped him win the 1986 Tour. These cycling breakthroughs, all which have become commonplace today, include: wind tunnel testing, aeroframes, heart rate monitors, human power output measuring devices, protective eye wear and helmets that worked.

That LeMond did make it back to winning ways says volumes about his determination and skill, characteristics which had become evident when he won the 1986 Tour de France. Blending this cutting-edge innovation with unrivaled levels of courage and tenacity, Greg went for it all in the 1989 Tour de France. He fought to stay competitive through the grueling 21-days of racing, which ranged from 100-155 miles each. Right out of a Hollywood movie, Greg overcame a seemingly insurmountable lead by Frenchman Laurent Fignon to win by a mere 8 seconds, the narrowest margin of victory ever in the Tour de France's 87-year history! The incredible resurrection of LeMond's career was capped by victory a month later in the 1989 World Championships. Many awards followed, including being named the 1989 "Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year".

To prove his return to the top was no fluke, Greg won another historic Tour de France for the third time in 1990, before retiring from competitive cycling. Greg LeMond remains, as ever, friendly and accessible, charming and unpretentious; a true gentleman champion.

Greg's persistence and physical ability enabled him to not only win the most difficult and prestigious bicycle race in the world, the Tour de France three times, but also awarded him the title of World Bicycle Road Racing Champion three times. These victories, along with several others, brought him much deserved recognition: Sports Illustrated named him one of the 40 most influential people in sports over the past 40 years; he is a two-time ABC Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year; he received the prestigious Pernod Trophy awarded to the best cyclist in the World, and is a member of the Cycling Hall of Fame.

With his retirement from competition, he now stays fit by lifting weights, exercising on his RevMaster indoor spinning bike and, not surprisingly, riding outdoors on his new titanium bike. He also enjoys skiing, surfing, fly-fishing, golfing and small-game hunting.

Greg's business experience includes founding a successful bicycle company which is now part of Trek Bicycles, Americais largest bicycle manufacture. He also played an integral part in the success of Oakley sunglasses and Giro helmets, entering those companies in their start-up phase. In addition, Greg has had business relationships with NBC, DuPont, PepsiCo, Bell Sports, Ralston-Purina, United States Postal Service, IBM, and Cadillac. He is currently involved with Cox Enterprises, StairMaster, PTI Sports, Speedplay Pedals, PowerCranks and Exernet.



		單車之魂--過去與未來 /Justin 編譯 Ghosts of The Future by Scot Nicol Where we are now isn't that different than where we are 100 years ago. What happens next is up to you. 對我們來說,目前的處境與100 年前並無太大的差異.至於接著下來會發生什麼樣的事...可由你來決定!!! Photo: 振德 2002 Dec. When future mechanical evolutionists and historians examine the development of the bicycle ,two periods will stand out. The first period, rarely considered by today's devotees of rotating mass, happened a little more than a hundred years ago. The first bicycle boom, which culminated in the 1890s, occurred during a time of extraordinary innovation - creative guys such as Edison, Tesla, Eastman, Diesel, Burroughs and Marconi were all at the height of their genius. Yet it's still reported that one-third of all patents applied for in the U.S. Patent Office were bicycle related, like John Dunlop's invention of the pneumatic tire .... for his son's tricycle. 當未來的機械演進學家與歷史學家檢驗自行車的發展時,有兩個時期將顯得特別耀眼.第一個時期發生在一百多年前,但卻鮮為當今的單車熱愛者所提起.第一次的單車迅速發展期發生在非凡的發明潮時代,而在19 世紀90年代時達到巔峰狀態.當時那些富有原創能力的發明家, 諸如愛迪生,伊斯特曼,巴羅福,迪塞爾,馬可尼都是處於天才橫溢之高點.然而據報所述,在美國專利局裡所申請的專利案件中有三分之一是與單車有關....像 John Dunlop 所發明的充氣式輪胎是替它兒子的三輪車設計的. Back then, the bicycle was an acceptable and honorable - even prestigious - means of transportation. Back then, you'd see respectable citizens riding bikes on the road - by choice - and dozens of innovators were building sweet suspension designs to enable bicycle riders to go over rough terrain faster and with more comfort. Sound familiar ? 讓我們回到那個時代吧,單車是一種可以接受,有體面,甚至可以說是有威望的交通工具.那個時代,在路上你可以看見很多市民選擇騎單車,而數以十計的發明者正在打造新奇的懸吊設計,好讓單車騎士能以更快更舒適的方式橫過崎嶇不平的路徑.--- 這...聽起來是不是有點熟悉呢!! On the horizon, though, there loomed a cloud of belching auto smoke. Soon after Henry Ford quit his job as a bicycle mechanic, everything changed for everybody and the age of the automobile began. With that, the bicycle market quit growing. Bicycles started getting sold in non-specialty channels like department stores. Sound familiar ? 但是.. 好景不常.在地平線上隱約地出現一團烏煙穢氣.不久之後亨利.福特放棄了單車技工的工作,對任何人來說,一切都改變了!因為汽車時代已經來臨!因此, 單車市場停止成長,而其銷售管道開始轉移到一些非專業的場所,比如說百貨公司等. 這...聽起來是不是更熟悉了呢!! The industry was soon in a shambles. The evolutionary process hibernated. The first 75 years of the 20th century were not the golden(or titanium or carbon) years of the bicycles. Fortunately for us, the next 25 were. 於是工業很快地陷入混亂不堪的狀態.單車的進化程序進入停頓時期.20世紀的前75年並不是單車的黃金時期(當然也不是鈦合金或者是碳纖時期).幸運的是,之後的25 年,它是!! That's because someone (who shall remain nameless) decided about 25 years ago to invent the mountain bicycle. We can thank him or her (or them) for a lot of the glorious bicycle evolution of the last quarter century. Sure, there were mini-boom coupled with an energy crisis in '73, but by the end of the '70s we'd forgotten it was cool to ride a bike, and we went to the disco instead. With the mountain bike, bicycling became fun again. We inundated the Patent Office with new patent applications. Some of the inventions were actually good. Things got so good we even accepted our little brother the triathlete into our sphere of influence, and (mad props need to go to Greg LeMond for making all of us thinking cycling was cool again.) In the last quarter century, our family tree has sprouted new branches. Downhill and triathlon have made strong new limbs. The trials and cyclcross limbs look a little like mommy took some Thalidomide at the wrong time, but they are still alive, and we love them just the same. 因為在大約25 年前某人(沒有人知道他們的名字)決定發明能夠橫山越嶺的登山車!我們感謝他或她(或者他們)在最後四分之一的世紀裡,讓單有如此輝煌亮麗的演進!當然有一些小規模的發展期伴隨1973 年的能源危機快速興起,但是70年代末期,我們卻已經忘記騎上單車原本是一件多麼酷的事,反而喜歡去跳迪斯可!有了登山車,騎車又變成一件有趣的事了! 新的專利紛紛湧向專利局.其中的一些發明確實非常好.事情變得如此順利,就連小弟們的三項運動也被納入我們的流行領域裡.( )在最後的四分之一個世紀裡,我們的單車家族露出新的枝葉.下坡車和三項運動已經羽翼豐碩,技術單車與越野自由車的發展卻有點像不該吃卻吃了鎮定劑的媽咪一般,但它們都還活得好好的,而且我們一樣喜愛它們! It's been a great ride, but there are a lot of parallels to the boom of a century ago. What we don't know is how our party's going to end. 我們已經歷了一段偉大的路程,但眼前存在著一些與百年前的快速發展期相類似之處.我們所不知道的是,經過25 年的演進之後, 將會以什麼樣的方式結束? Maybe there will be another boom. Maybe our industry will work together to bring new converts to our sport. Maybe we Americans will remain irrational in our choice of automobiles and how we use them, and incredible gridlock will force us out of our cars and to a more-sane means of transportation. Who knows, maybe the Center for Disease Control will attack obesity and we fat Americans will exercise once again, some of us on bikes. 也許會有另一次的黃金演進期吧! 也許我們的工業會共同努力,把新的創意注入運動領域內! 也許我們美國人仍然停留在對選擇汽車的荒謬思考,以及如何使用汽車等, 令人難以置信的交通阻塞將會迫使我們走出車外,選擇一種比較合理的交通工具! 誰知道呢! 也許疾病控制中心會開始解決肥胖問題,而我們肥胖的美國人們會開始再度運動,其中有一些人會選擇單車! Will there be another Henry Ford to impede our progress? Or will some miracle happen that prolong the boom ? In the end, it's for us to decide. 還是會有另一個亨利.福特來阻礙我們的發展?或者,會發生許多奇蹟可以延長這一段黃金期? 最終,會由我們來決定!! Enthusiasm is infectious, and it's easy to be enthusiastic about mountain biking. Spread the good word. Try to make someone understand why you ride, and make them believes too. Don't let history repeat itself. "狂熱俱有傳染性.",對登山車活動狂熱,其實很簡單---說一些好話.試著讓別人了解你為什麼騎車,而且也讓他們相信你為什麼騎車! 別讓歷史重蹈覆轍! --Mountain Bike January 2003 -- pp21 ** 1. Eastman , George (1854-1932) U S inventor and philanthropist. He perfected the box camera (1888), the first camera designed specifically for roll film. 2. Tesla,Nikola (1856-1943) Croatian-born U.S electrical engineer. He is credited with many inventions, and was a pioneer of alternating-current systems. The derived unit of magnetic flux density in the SI system ,symbol T is named for him. 3. Diesel, Rudolf(1858-1913) , the German engineer who designed the engine. 4. Marconi, Guglielmo(1874-1937) Italian electrical engineer. He pioneered the practical development of radio signaling. In 1909 he shared the Nobel Prized in physics for his work in wireless telegraphy. 5. Greg LeMond In sport, there are those who make their mark and those who mark their time. Greg LeMond's career is one of the most incredible stories in cycling history, a saga of arguably the most talented rider of his generation. Very few athletes have transcended sports and Greg is one of the exceptional few. LeMond's legend is measured not only by his stunning cycling feats, but also by his historical and inspirational impact. In 1986, Greg LeMond, despite being constantly threatened by his own teammate, Bernard Hinault, became the first American to win the largest single annual sporting event in the world, the Tour de France. Millions watched on CBS Television as Greg's historic victory catapulted him into the media spotlight. In the midst of his run of success he was involved in an appalling accident which almost cost him his life and left him in serious danger of never being able to ride again, let alone compete and win at the top level of the sport. This tragedy struck on April 20, 1987, when his brother-in-law accidentally shot Greg while hunting in California. Over forty shotgun pellets ripped through Greg's body, lodging not only in his back and legs, but more critically in his small intestine, liver, diaphragm, and heart lining. While waiting for rescue, his right lung collapsed and he lost three quarters of his blood supply. A cell phone, a police helicopter and nearby hospital that specialized in gun shot wounds saved his life. Because of the dangerous locations, surgeons were forced to leave over thirty of the pellets imbedded in his body. After the horrific shooting accident, LeMond put together a comeback, which went beyond the limits of the average man. Greg's long rehabilitation process was both painful and frustrating. He had lost over twenty pounds, most of it pure muscle, and his level of fitness had decreased dramatically. Ever determined, he set a goal for himself to win the Tour de France again! While many people admired his bravery, only Greg's supportive wife Kathy and a few close friends believed he could do it. In engineering this comeback, Greg overcame reduced physical capability by enhancing the innovations that helped him win the 1986 Tour. These cycling breakthroughs, all which have become commonplace today, include: wind tunnel testing, aeroframes, heart rate monitors, human power output measuring devices, protective eye wear and helmets that worked. That LeMond did make it back to winning ways says volumes about his determination and skill, characteristics which had become evident when he won the 1986 Tour de France. Blending this cutting-edge innovation with unrivaled levels of courage and tenacity, Greg went for it all in the 1989 Tour de France. He fought to stay competitive through the grueling 21-days of racing, which ranged from 100-155 miles each. Right out of a Hollywood movie, Greg overcame a seemingly insurmountable lead by Frenchman Laurent Fignon to win by a mere 8 seconds, the narrowest margin of victory ever in the Tour de France's 87-year history! The incredible resurrection of LeMond's career was capped by victory a month later in the 1989 World Championships. Many awards followed, including being named the 1989 "Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year". To prove his return to the top was no fluke, Greg won another historic Tour de France for the third time in 1990, before retiring from competitive cycling. Greg LeMond remains, as ever, friendly and accessible, charming and unpretentious; a true gentleman champion. Greg's persistence and physical ability enabled him to not only win the most difficult and prestigious bicycle race in the world, the Tour de France three times, but also awarded him the title of World Bicycle Road Racing Champion three times. These victories, along with several others, brought him much deserved recognition: Sports Illustrated named him one of the 40 most influential people in sports over the past 40 years; he is a two-time ABC Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year; he received the prestigious Pernod Trophy awarded to the best cyclist in the World, and is a member of the Cycling Hall of Fame. With his retirement from competition, he now stays fit by lifting weights, exercising on his RevMaster indoor spinning bike and, not surprisingly, riding outdoors on his new titanium bike. He also enjoys skiing, surfing, fly-fishing, golfing and small-game hunting. Greg's business experience includes founding a successful bicycle company which is now part of Trek Bicycles, Americais largest bicycle manufacture. He also played an integral part in the success of Oakley sunglasses and Giro helmets, entering those companies in their start-up phase. In addition, Greg has had business relationships with NBC, DuPont, PepsiCo, Bell Sports, Ralston-Purina, United States Postal Service, IBM, and Cadillac. He is currently involved with Cox Enterprises, StairMaster, PTI Sports, Speedplay Pedals, PowerCranks and Exernet.
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