The bicycle would have an uncomplicated past, you might think. This popular invention has a history of controversy and misinformation. The very first bicycles were not like the ones you see cruising down the street today.
The first known iteration of a wheeled, human-powered vehicle was created long before the bicycle became a practical form of transportation. Giovanni Fontana, an Italian engineer, created a human-powered device consisting of four wheels and a loop of rope in 1418.
After Fontana built his wheeled contraption, a German inventor named Karl von Drais began work on his own version of a four-wheeled, human-powered vehicle. Drais introduced a two-wheeled vehicle, known as Draisienne, in 1817, and it's been used by many names throughout Europe.
Drais built a machine to address the problem of a lack of real horses. The eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia lowered global temperatures. Many animals, including horses, died of starvation because of the failed crops.
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The hobby horses of Drais were not as fast as the bikes of today. The bicycle had two wooden wheels attached to a wooden frame. The riders sat on a leather saddle and steered the vehicle with wooden handlebars. There was no pedals or gears as riders pushed the device forward with their feet.
The invention was popular in England and France. Denis Johnson, a British coach maker, marketed his own version ofpedestrian curricles to London's pleasure-seeking aristocracy. Horses were banned from sidewalks as a danger to pedestrians after several years of success. According to the National Museum of American History, the vehicles were rarely seen by the early 19th century.
The wooden bicycle with two steel wheels, pedals and a fixed gear system was introduced in the early 1860s. The brave users of this early contraption were in for a bumpy ride.
The question of who invented the velocipede, with its revolutionary pedals and gear system, is murky. Karl Kech claimed that he was the first to attach pedals to a horse. Pierre Lallement, a French carriage-maker, obtained a U.S. patent for a two-wheeled vehicle with crank pedals.
Lallement showed his invention to the public before securing his patent, which may explain how Aime and Rene, two sons of a wealthy Parisian industrialist, learned of his invention and decided to create a velocipede. Pierre Michaux, a blacksmith and carriage maker, was enlisted by the young men to create the parts they needed for their invention.
The velocipede was a hit when it was first marketed in 1867. The company founded by Michaux and the Oliviers eventually dissolved because of disagreements over design and finances.
Cyclists were fed up with the lumbering bone-shaker design popularized by Michaux and manufacturers responded with new designs. By 1870, metal could be made into bicycle frames, which were stronger and lighter than wood.
The penny farthing, also known as the high wheeler, is a popular design because of its large wheels. A farthing was a British coin that was worth less than a penny. The penny farthing had a smooth rise due to its solid rubber tires and long spokes. The larger the wheel, the farther one could travel with one rotation of the pedals. A riding enthusiast could get a large wheel.
The large front-wheel design championed by thrill-seeking young men who took to racing these contraptions at newly founded bicycle clubs across Europe was not practical for most riders. If the rider needed to stop suddenly, the entire contraption was carried over the front wheel and landed on his head. This is where the term "taking a header" came into being. John Kemp Starley, an English inventor, came up with a winning idea for a safety bicycle in the 1870s.
Starley began marketing his bicycles in 1871, when he introduced the Ariel bicycle in Britain, kicking off that nation's role as the leader in bicycle innovation for many decades to come.
Starley is best known for his invention of the wheel. The front wheel was a huge improvement over the wheels found on earlier bicycles and helped make bike riding a pleasant experience for the first time in history. Starley's wheels made for a lighter bike, another improvement over previous versions.
In 1885, Starley introduced the Rover, a car with nearly equal-sized wheels, differential gears and a center pivot steering.
The number of bikes in use increased from an estimated 200,000 in 1889 to 1 million in 1899.
Mass production made the bicycle a practical investment for the working man, who could then ride to his job and back home. Thousands of people were introduced to individual and independent transportation thanks to the bicycle. Dramatic changes were needed in ladies fashion as women started riding in large numbers. bloomers gave a woman more mobility while allowing her to keep her legs covered with long skirts, so they were in.
Bicycles were a factor in the improvement of road conditions. Cyclists organized to demand better roads as more Americans began to ride bikes. The railroad companies wanted to improve the connections between farmers and businesses at the rail station.
The introduction of the automobile was influenced by the bicycle. Ball bearings, differential units, steel tubing and pneumatic tires were incorporated into automobile parts.
Alexander Winton and Albert A. Pope were the first bicycle manufacturers. The Wright brothers were bicycle makers before they focused on aerodynamics. GlennCurtiss started out as a bicycle manufacturer.
Interest in bicycles waned as automobiles rose in popularity. The side paths that used to be used for bicycle use were taken over by electric railways. The bicycle was only used by children for more than 50 years because of the decreasing number of manufacturers.
During the late 1960s, many people began to see cycling as a non-polluting, non-congesting means of transportation. In 1970, over 5 million bicycles were manufactured in the United States, and an estimated 75 million riders shared 50 million bicycles, making cycling the nation's leading outdoor recreation.
According to the website Bicycle History, an estimated 1 billion bicycles are currently being used around the world.
A person walking into a bicycle store has a wide range of options. Different materials are used to make the frames for the bicycle. They may be made from steel, aluminum, titanium, or carbon fiber, or even bamboo, according to Bike Bamboo. There are a variety of sizes and thicknesses of wheels for rolling over different surfaces. Riders can choose between different types of brakes, gear numbers, seat shapes, handlebar positions and bends, and whether or not to have suspension.
There are anywhere from one to 33 gears on a bicycle. There are short and narrow seats for racing and wide and cushion seats for comfortable rides. It is possible to add suspension to give a smooth ride.
Some modern bicycle designs are so different from their predecessors that they are likely to be different to early inventors. Bicycles can be folded up to make traveling easier. Some bikes have no seats and look like elliptical machines, others have attached strollers for cycling with young children, and some come with electric motors.
There is a slideshow on the website of the Bicycle Museum of America. Learn more from Reliance Foundry about how bike infrastructure can reduce the risk of serious injuries and fatalities to cyclists, and discover the pros and cons of bike-riding in an international study of more than 1,000 cyclists in 20 countries.
Rachel Ross is a contributor to Live Science. Live Science senior writer Mindy Weisberger updated the article.
The Bicycle History Timeline is at http://www.ibike.org/library/history-timeline.htm.
"Blast from the Past" was published in the July 2002 edition of the magazine.
The National Museum of American History has a story about America on the Move.
The story of two-wheelers for transportation and the evolution of cycling are included in Bicycle History.
The Bicycle Museum of America can be found at http://www.bicycle museum.com.
The essential guide to bike infrastructure was published by Reliance Foundry Co.
"Healthy but Risky: A Descriptive Study on Cyclists" was written by Useche.
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