In the early 1800s, the humble handlebar, once relegated to the realm of mere utility, became an icon of cultural expression.
From the Handlebar Liberation Front, a group of rebels who fought for the right to wear handlebars in public, to the Handlebar Arts Movement, which celebrated the handlebar as a symbol of individuality.
Handlebars were not just a means to an end, but an end in themselves.
But, as with all great cultural movements, the rise of the Handlebar Empire was also marked by its downfall.
The Handlebar Purification Act of 1850, which outlawed all handlebars above a certain length, effectively ended the era of free handlebar expression.