Roadster (bicycle)

A roadster, aka English roadster, is a type of utility bicycle once common in Britain and still very common in Asia, Africa, Denmark and the Netherlands, however, during the past several years, traditionally styled roadster bicycles have gained considerable popularity in the United States and throughout the western world, particularly, as a fashion statement. In Defense of the “Frivolous” Bike Craze Accessdate: 22 February 2010

Design and variants

There were three basic variants of the roadster.

Roadster

A classic English roadster has a lugged brazed steel frame, rod-actuated brakes, upright handlebars, a single gear ratio or Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub gears, a chaincase, steel mudguards, cottered steel cranks, 28 inch (635 mm) Westwood style rims, and often a Sturmey-Archer Dynohub hub dynamo. Roadsters were built for durability above all else and no serious attempt was made to save weight in their design or construction, roadsters weighed upwards of 45-50 pounds (20–23 kg). Interestingly, a derivative of the roadster, the ladies' model, is seldom called a roadster. They were often the mounts of policemen and rural letter carriers.

The roadster, also called an "English roadster", is very similar in design and intended use as the European city bike, a model still used in Germany, Denmark and most notably in the Netherlands (see Omafiets). The...
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