Why do people in early 20th C films put 1 foot on a pushbike..

[YokohamaSapphire]

..Instead of tilting the bike at 45°, mounting it then heading off? Also, they always seem to be wearing big overcoats

I once tried to do this as I always thought it looked cool on TV/in movies. Ended up falling over sideways straight away and one of the gears scraped 3 deep gouges right up my shin. 🙈

Because it was the law.

…or maybe it is easier to push off with one foot on the and then swing your leg over the saddle, and, fashion?

I generally see older guys doing this, coasting along perched on one pedal, both to mount and dismount the bike. It came about because geared bikes were rare back in the day, and it was easier to push-off like this to get up to speed before mounting and starting to pedal.

As for wearing big coats, it's def a dumb thing to wear when cycling, but by far the worst (imo) is flip-flops.

I do this, I didn’t realise it was as odd though. Have been doing it since I was a teen and also rode horses back then, so maybe a modified mount from that!

I used to set off like this when I was a kid in the late 1960s but definitely by the '80s I'd stopped doing it. It felt old fashioned. Seems even bike-mounting can be subject to the whims of fashion!

That's how to do it.

DH gets on his bike like this. He’s very casual about it whereas I’d be sprawled in the middle of the road if I tried it (I have tried it. It wasn’t pretty).

My dad, born 1930, always did this. He biked regularly until he was about 86.

It wasn't cool to mount your bike like a six year old, you had to act like a guy in a cowboy movie and leap into the saddle dramatically defying serious injury. We were just more robust in them there olden times.

As a child, I thought getting on a bike like this was unbelievably cool - even cooler if the person was wearing bicycle clips. It’s just so nonchalant.

I think bikes were heavier then so it was easier to get the initial acceleration by pushing with one foot on the floor, than by pedalling from stationary.

I get on my bike like that.

It's quicker and easier. The saddle should be high enough so that your leg is straight when the pedal is at the lowest, so if your bike is set up that way then it's far easier to do the 1 foot mount/dismount.

Are you me?

My dad mounted his bike like that.

As for coats... bikes were transport not leisure. People wore everyday clothes. Women cycled in skirts and dresses.

I always thought it looked cool so taught myself to do it and it's much easier to get going. I don't wear a big coat when cycling so can't comment on that.

I’ve spent the last few minutes trying to google this mysterious mounting of a bicycle at 45 degrees you speak of and can’t find anything. What are you talking about? How else do you start a bicycle except to put one leg over while standing, start the pedal with a foot, bring up the other foot to join in and then sit down?

I usually have a child on the back of my bike, so even if I was coordinated enough to do this I'd likely still round house kick her in the face.

No you put one foot on the pedal nearest then swing the other leg over as it’s moving off

My Gran used to do this, till well into her 80s! Tried to teach me, unsuccessfully…think it was just how it was done.

Coats are because there was no central heating and long distances.

DM used to collect me from school on her bike, with shopping hung on the handlebars, and then ride it like a scooter - standing right foot on left pedal, pushing with left foot - while I walked beside.

It looked so cool, I tried so many times to do it, but just fell over like David Jason leaning on the bar.

I do this…
Quicker than walking if you only have to go a short distance.

When I was a kid the window cleaner did his rounds on his bike, I think it had a special rack on the side to hang his wooden ladder on. He wore an old suit and bicycle clips on his trousers. Yes I am ancient!

Exactly this, and because most bikes only had one gear, so you had to push off to get started.

Ahh thanks for the proper explanation

I couldn’t quite figure out what OP meant

I’ve never tried it that way but like PP would probably fall flat on my face or arse or a weird combination of the two