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How did World War II help create an adult bicycle market in the United States?

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An African American family of four, all wearing helmets, rides bicycles together on a tree-lined country trail, with two children in front and two adults following behind. — bicycle Family bicycling on a country road.

Prior to the 1920s, the American bicycle market had shifted toward heavy, motorcycle-styled machines marketed primarily to children, as automobiles became the preferred mode of transport for adults.1

During World War II, this trend began to change when American soldiers serving in Europe encountered lightweight, geared bicycles. Their exposure to these more efficient machines helped spark interest in the United States, leading to the development of a small but significant adult bicycle market during the 1950s and 1960s.1