Have you ever looked at such an ordinary object and thought about how much it could change people's lives? Whether it be a pen, a clock, a lighter, we sometimes fail to appreciate the glory and importance of an object and how it has helped mankind live a better life.
The bicycle is one example of man's revolutionary inventions that have shaped our world today. It has shortened distances with just the use of simple mechanical ingenuity. Let's take a look about the journey of this great invention throughout the years and discover how much it has changed the way we live.
The earliest form of the Bicycle was The Walking Machine invented by Comte Mede de Sivrac of France in 1790. It was known as Previous forms of wheeled contraptions existed before this, but this was the first to resemble a bicycle. This contraption was called a 'Celerifere'. The user had to use his legs to kick of the ground in order to move forward just like how one rides a scooter. This invention had no pedals or steering mechanisms and was made entirely out of wood. In 1816, German Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun invented a more advanced version of the Celerifere called the 'Draisienne' derived from his name. The Draisienne was more advanced because it now had a steering wheel attached to the front wheel. Although more advanced, the Draisienne was only used in straight flat pavements or for going through gardens so it was only used by the rich.
The second form of the Bicycle was called the Velocipede. This bicycle was invented in 1865 by father and son combo Pierre and Ernest Michaux. It had pedals attached to its front wheel and an iron frame body with still wooden wheels. This bicycle was also known as the 'Bone Shaker' since users experienced a really rough ride especially when used on the cobblestone pavements in Paris. Later versions were created wherein metal wheels were added.
The next form of Bicycle was very iconic, it was called the High-Wheel Bicycle but was commonly known as the 'Penny Farthing'. This Bike was manufactured in 1870 and was well known for it's huge front wheel and it's speed. Manufacturers of this bike discovered that the bigger the wheel, the faster the bike would travel. This was also the first bike to be made entirely out of metal since metal technology was more advanced compared to previous times. The wheels of the bike were made of solid rubber and the long spokes of the front wheel gave users a much smoother ride compared to previous inventions. Unfortunately, due to the height of this bicycle, many accidents occurred causing the bike to fall over. The breaking Mechanism was not effective in slowing down bikes and sudden stops would most likely cause the user to be thrown forward. Other modifications were made to this bicycle such as the high-wheel tricycle which was ideally used for women who had long skirts and the High-Wheel Safety Bicycle which had Huge back wheels instead of front wheels to solve the 'falling over' problem of the previous design.
The Hard-Tired Safety Bike was the next in line of bikes and was truly an important part of the bikes evolution. This bike was invented in 1885 by John Kemp. The bike followed the old bike designs having 2 equally sized wheels featuring a new element that is still present in bikes today, the chain and sprocket system. This system allowed the user to pedal the bike less times yet have the same amount of speed as the High wheel Bike. Although this bicycle was safer and just as fast as the previous design, it was more uncomfortable because of the absence of the long shock absorbing spokes present in the previous design.
The next set of bike inventions had some minor modifications but led to more high tec designs. The Pneumatic-Tired Safety bike invented in 1898 was much cheaper and more comfortable since manufacturing methods became more efficient. The Kid's Bike invented around after the First World War gave children a more Motor bike look and focused more Bike designs then innovation. Leaner, simpler, and more efficient versions of bicycles came about and gave biking more functions rather than just travelling to different places. Today Bikes have been divided into many categories whether they be used for leisure. mountain biking, racing. The use of Hydraulics and Gear Shifting have been great additions to the bicycle to provide more comfort and Safety and speed to Biking.
I hope that you have learned to have a deeper appreciation of the bike while going through this history. As a bonus, check out some of these awesome links and videos online to get a more in depth and creative view of the Evolution of the Bike.
Credits to Thallis Vestergaard for the video
References:
http://bicycling.about.com/od/thebikelife/ss/History.htm
http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html
http://popchartlab.com/products/the-evolution-of-bicycles (In depth view on Bike Branches)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uia8VyI_do4
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