Comments on: The Metropolitan Machinists’ Co, 1905 https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/03/10/the-metropolitan-machinists-co-1905/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Tue, 10 Mar 2015 16:26:45 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Gary Gillman https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/03/10/the-metropolitan-machinists-co-1905/#comment-878604 Tue, 10 Mar 2015 16:26:45 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=131469#comment-878604 Very good. What strikes me is how little the bicycle has changed, not just in its essentials but the basic design and features of the two-wheeler. These, and the accouterments, seem to have sprouted almost fully-formed in the late Victorian era and remained in toto ever since.

There aren’t too many products like this. Keith Richards made a similar observation about the Les Paul guitar, which I will second. Cadbury chocolate, maybe. Indian tea (i.e., the type still most popular in Britain). Crown-cap closures for glass bottles.

Imperial stout.

Gary Gillman, Toronto.

]]> By: Pauline Taylor https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/03/10/the-metropolitan-machinists-co-1905/#comment-878306 Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:54:52 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=131469#comment-878306 Wonderful! In the illustrations for the ladies jacket and cape you can see the guards that used to fit over the back wheel to prevent long skirts from becoming entangled in the spokes. Some bicycles still had these when I was learning to ride but, if you didn’t have one, you had to be very cautious not to let your skirt blow about when it was windy, the skirts that we wore in the 1950s were quite dangerous in this respect! Happy days though when we went everywhere on a bicycle.

Pauline.

]]> By: Neville Turner https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/03/10/the-metropolitan-machinists-co-1905/#comment-878280 Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:30:05 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=131469#comment-878280 Expanding saddle where can you purchase one today?

]]> By: Valerie-Jael https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/03/10/the-metropolitan-machinists-co-1905/#comment-878149 Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:39:31 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=131469#comment-878149 I would love one of those anatomical saddles! Valerie

]]> By: Achim https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/03/10/the-metropolitan-machinists-co-1905/#comment-878064 Tue, 10 Mar 2015 08:52:01 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=131469#comment-878064 Fantastic, the same range of accessories you have nowadays for cars …!

Love & Peace
ACHIM

]]> By: Caroline Bottomley https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/03/10/the-metropolitan-machinists-co-1905/#comment-877844 Tue, 10 Mar 2015 06:28:01 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=131469#comment-877844 I thought the preponderance of bicycle gadgetry was a new phenomenon, how wrong I was.

Skirt holders! How fussy and annoying to have to wear long skirts when you’re cycling. And dangerous!

Very glad to know of the ischial tuberosities.

]]> By: Janet M https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/03/10/the-metropolitan-machinists-co-1905/#comment-877588 Tue, 10 Mar 2015 03:43:09 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=131469#comment-877588 I’ll be thinking of these wonderful products when I’m cycling tomorrow. Again, I love the language”prevents it from perishing” and “a long felt want supplied”.

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