Roadster (bicycle) - Roadsters in Contemporary Society

Roadsters in Contemporary Society

In much of the world, the roadster is still the standard bicycle used for daily transportation. Mass-produced in Asia they are exported in huge numbers (mainly from India, China, and Taiwan) to developing nations as far afield as Africa and Latin America. China's Flying Pigeon was the single most popular vehicle in worldwide use. Due to their relative affordability, the strength and durability of steel frames and forks and their ability to be repaired by welding, and the ability of these bicycles to carry heavy payloads, the roadster is generally by far the most common bicycle in use in developing nations, with a particular importance for those in rural areas. In parts of East Africa, the roadster is called the Black Mamba, where it is used as a taxi by enterprising cyclist/drivers, called boda-boda.

Traditional roadster models became largely obsolete in the Anglosphere and other parts of the Western world after the 1950s with the noticeable exceptions of the Netherlands and Belgium along with other parts of north-western Europe. However, they are now becoming popular once more in many of those countries that they had largely disappeared from, due to the resurgence in the bicycle as local city transport where the roadster is ideally suited due to its upright riding position, ability to carry shopping loads, simplicity and low maintenance.

In the United Kingdom, there are a number of bicycle manufacturers which make updated versions of the classic roadster such as Pashley Cycles and many more are imported from the continent, such as those from Dutch manufacturers such as Royal Dutch Gazelle. They are popular as student transport at universities, especially at Cambridge and Oxford, and are increasingly seen in other British cities, including London. In Australia, there has also been an increase in roadster use, particularly in Melbourne, alongside the growth of local bicycle companies such as Papillionaire and many second-hand ones from the 1950s and 60s are being discovered and restored.