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The Crossroads of Technology and Tradition: Vernacular Bicycles in Rural Finland, 1880–1910

This article analyzes the phenomenon of vernacular bicycles in the Finnish countryside and argues for the importance of geography in studies of the social construction of technology. As a predominantly agrarian country, Finland of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries provides a viewpoint into bicycle history different from most existing historiography. By analyzing the geographical division of vernacular bicycles, comparing folklore sources, newspaper articles, museum bicycle collections, and scrutinizing two case histories, the article moves progressively closer to the actual constructors of vernacular bicycles. They prove to be innovative combinations of traditional and modern technological components that provided their producers rewards in the specific practices of their social and economic environment. The article calls for a better understanding of peripheral regions and marginal technologies, as these can deepen our understanding of the history of technology in general.