9 3 0 s ▁cum bers ome , ▁fat - ty red ▁' bal lo on ▁bom bers ', ▁bul b ously ▁stream lined ▁in ▁im itation ▁of ▁motor cy cles ▁or ▁aer op lan es , ▁appe aled ▁to ▁American ▁children : ▁the ▁only ▁mass ▁market ▁still ▁open ▁to ▁cycle ▁manufact ur ers . ▁ ▁W art ime ▁a uster ity ▁gave ▁cy cling ▁a ▁short ▁repr ieve ▁in ▁the ▁industrial ▁world . ▁The ▁post - war ▁peace ▁was ▁to ▁lay ▁the ▁b icy cle ▁low . ▁ ▁However , ▁between ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁the ▁USA ▁experienced ▁a ▁bi ke ▁bo om . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁b ic ent enn ial ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Greg ▁Si ple , ▁his ▁wife , ▁June , ▁and ▁Dan ▁L ys ▁Bur den ▁organized ▁a ▁mass ▁bi ke ▁ride , ▁Bi ke cent enn ial , ▁from ▁the ▁Pacific ▁to ▁the ▁Atlantic . ▁Si ple ▁said : ▁My ▁original ▁thought ▁was ▁to ▁send ▁out ▁ad s ▁and ▁fly ers ▁saying , ▁' Show ▁up ▁at ▁Golden ▁Gate ▁Park ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁at ▁ 9 ▁o ' clock ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 ▁with ▁your ▁b icy cle .' ▁And ▁then ▁we ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁b icy cle ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁I ▁p ict ured ▁thousands ▁of ▁people , ▁a ▁sea ▁of ▁people ▁with ▁their ▁b ikes ▁and ▁pack s ▁all ▁ready ▁to ▁go ,