@gschenk Also there is some significant comedic value in "Old roads were built for carts. Two ruts for the wheels separated by a very nutrient rich trampled morass. That's where the ox goes."

That truly was excellently phrased

yep - its probably nicer for the animal's hooves too.

Amazing that Noone complained that the ruts were too narrow for their SUV cart

@Criggie Yep, I have seen. Nothing against the question per se, it's just that the OP seemed more interested in "building a case" for their proposition in the general WB question. And making the question more general/factual would have lead to show how a bicycle (even a modern one) would have no utility value compared to the many alternatives that existed then (including the handcart to take a simple two-wheeled object).

yep - it clearly shows the differences in culture between the two SE sites

The more important question is - can I travel to the middle ages with my bike by hitting 88mph?

@Erlkoenig You can ask it to the main site if you want :)

(but don't expect it will last long)

Use a MTB because where we're going, we won't need roads

you mean, the roads have all deteriorated to the quality of not-roads ?

Or is that just an american thing ?

Because in the future, vehicles can fly

The glasses are pretty spot-on too

heh good point

@Michael "high speed" coach road London to Brighton:

heritagecalling.com/2015/10/14/…

Pictures of paved Roman roads are often misleading. The paving stones tended to be covered by soft material. Draft animals cannot walk far on such hard surfaces.

yup - a modern MTB would eat it up. But not what they could have had.

@gschenk and it would be extremely bumpy without pneumatic tyres and any suspension

considering how uncomfortable even good cobblestones are in a modern vehicle

That's about the nicest they got, and it was in 19c where roads were made nice and fast coach travel increased. Especially to there coast. The admiralty drew a lot of letters and pax.

The type of way you posted in the thread is a typical anachronism trope in historic films. Wheel ruts became wide only because of rubber tyres. Cart wheels made much smaller and deeper ruts. The median would be more reason trampled and most of the grass eaten.

@gschenk They even had berms?! Can you shred that in a chariot?

They were probably going with a chaise and four on such routes. It must have been nerve wrecking.

Bring back the time when everyone rode gravel

🐴

(I missed the "nutrient rich" bit above. Extra joke removed.)

I ought have written nitrogen rich. There are specific plants, like stinging nettles, archaeologists look for when trying to find old ways.

Looks like I have an twin now as well.

@MaplePanda MapleUrsidæ would have been eligible for a cousin, I would have think. But imagine if the reality is MapleFrog?

@Rеnаud How 'bout MapleSalmon? That actually sounds quite tasty...

@DavidW Mmmmmm I like doing baked salmon with a maple glaze for dinner

I loathe salmon - it has the most awful texture.

MaplePancakes, ont he other hand....

@Erlkoenig Sure, but then I'd have to have friends who were willing to come over to my house and hang out. Hard pass :g: