r/OldSchoolCool Oct 09 '25

1950s A ton-up girl fixing her Triumph, 1950s

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u/wemtastic Oct 09 '25

Ton-up” came from British slang for hitting the ton, 100 mph. In the 1950s most bikes barely managed 80, so anyone who cracked the ton, especially a woman, instantly earned respect at the Ace Cafe.

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u/SandboxSurvivalist Oct 09 '25

TIL the British didn't start adopting the metric system until 1965.

5

u/coldfarm Oct 09 '25

I lived there in the mid-70s and Imperial still held sway. For that matter, there were still pre-decimalisation coins in circulation.