How to... market a bike

Once upon a time, the marketing department of a bike maker was only very slightly more obliging than the sort of 1950’s bike-shop owner who sat grumpily behind the counter refusing to sell people bikes he thought were “too good” for them.

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A typical advert was a drawing of the bike, the assurance that you would “Enjoy your best season ever on a Rudge!” and offered no additional information, other than perhaps an address that you could write to for a brochure that, when you received it, would say exactly as little as the ad, but might feature a second picture of the bike, this time with a pretty lady.