Bicycle History

Bicycle History

The Encyclopedia Britannica defines a bicycle as:
BICYCLE, also called BIKE, lightweight, two-wheeled, steerable machine that is propelled by its rider. On a standard bicycle, the wheels are mounted in a line in a metal frame, and the front wheel is held in rotatable forks. The rider, sitting on a saddle and steering by handlebars attached to the forks, turns a driving sprocket attached to two cranks on which are pedals for his feet. Power is transmitted from this sprocket to a second sprocket on the rear wheel by means of an endless chain running over both sprockets.¹²

This was the first type of bicycle, invented by Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun and exhibited in Paris on April 6, 1818. It was made of wood but was propelled by the rider's feet (like the Flintstone's car). It was not until 1839 that the first self-propelled bicycle was invented by Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a blacksmith of Dumfriesshire, Scotland.¹²

Bicycles developed into the style that we see here, a bike from the 1930's. This bike looks very similar to ones that we are familiar with today. In fact, only materials and accessories have changed much in seventy years. Bikes today are a lot lighter, a lot faster, have much stronger tires, and the brakes and derailors have an improved technology over the bike seen here. ^{1, 12}

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	This was the first type of bicycle, invented by Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun and exhibited in Paris on April 6, 1818. It was made of wood but was propelled by the rider's feet (like the Flintstone's car). It was not until 1839 that the first self-propelled bicycle was invented by Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a blacksmith of Dumfriesshire, Scotland.¹²
	Bicycles developed into the style that we see here, a bike from the 1930's. This bike looks very similar to ones that we are familiar with today. In fact, only materials and accessories have changed much in seventy years. Bikes today are a lot lighter, a lot faster, have much stronger tires, and the brakes and derailors have an improved technology over the bike seen here. ^{1, 12}