Cycling was becoming quite common in the UK and it was actively suppressed by urban planning because the stance was that "it was for the poors" and car travel (a newer mode of transport) was much preferred because it was luxurious.
People can't help but make this whole thread about cars vs bikes. It's a shame because there's a way more interesting story here about the humans instinct to blame "insert current thing" for everything.
I do not see how it can be anything other than cars vs bikes, or really, personal cars vs
walking/bicycling/public transit.
The space and design parameters optimizing for personal cars, especially at US vehicle sizes, is contradictory to design parameters for other modes of transport.
Nowadays you can buy a great bike for $1000 and be totally satisfied with it, ride it for years, or you can shell out $15000 for the top of the line model. And I'm talking about regular bikes, not e-bikes.
I paid 400€ for mine and it was the most expensive bike I've ever bought. And I honestly still consider that too much.
There's people who cycle as method of transportation, and those who cycle as a sport. It's only the ones cycling as sport who need this expensive stuff.
You don't get much bike for 400€ nowadays, maybe an entry level Decathlon model. I think I built my last classic road bike for a bit more than that amount out of a mix of second hand parts and a new cockpit, tires, chain and brake pads.
The city I grew up in and used this kind of bike just fine in has ~70m height difference between the hilly parts and the flat parts.
Sure, you won't be able to cycle up to the Zugspitze with it, but for cycling in a regular hilly town it's enough, 7 gears are fine and the brakes are good enough as well.
Cycling was becoming quite common in the UK and it was actively suppressed by urban planning because the stance was that "it was for the poors" and car travel (a newer mode of transport) was much preferred because it was luxurious.
Jay Foreman has a good video on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gohSeOYheXg