Bicycle

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Bicycle

The word bicycle comes to us from the French. They are also the first culture to actually make bicycles. Oh Da Vinci had sketches that showed what looks to be a bike, just like he had ideas for submarines and helicopters. The Chinese had bike-like toys that children played with. But it was the French who first put it all together into a bicycle an adult could use.

The Germans almost beat the French to the bicycle. They had a two wheeled device that was to be used for self propulsion before the French did. However two French inventors added the cranks that we know today as pedals to the design and really landed what we know today as the bike. I know, I know, it should be more publicized that the French beat the Germans at something, but sadly it’s an obscure fact of history.

\Though the French invented the pedal propulsion that made the bicycle a feasible means of transportation; the British were responsible for much of its development from that point. The first bicycles actually had the pedals attached to the front wheel directly, rather than centered under the rider and connected to the rear via a chain.

The British took this design to its logical conclusion by creating the high wheel bicycle. It featured a front wheel that was as large as a rider’s legs allowed and a much smaller rear wheel. This led to serious injuries via falling, and generally the two wheeled bicycle was considered a vehicle for daredevils. Ladies and more stable gentlemen preferred the safer tricycle.

Some of the injuries were caused by the long fall to the ground from the cyclist’s seat. Others were caused because a rider’s legs would become caught in the handlebars, which prevented a falling rider from clearing the vehicle. This led to the term taking a crown, for bashing one’s head. There were even deaths from head trauma due to those bikes.

This led to the biggest change in the direction of the bicycle since pedals: the safety bicycle. The safety bicycle closely resembled the modern bicycle. It featured two evenly sized tires, and a pedal that was connected to the rear wheel via a chain. It did not yet utilize derailers or multiple gears, but it looked much like a bike today would.

The safety bicycle actually became a major player in the women’s liberation movement, as a woman could not use it in the cumbersome dresses that were in style at the time. This led to the advent of “sensible” women’s clothing and got the women’s rights movement started. The safety bicycle also made the bike into a method of transportation for the average person, rather than the daredevil. This led to rapid popularization in both Europe and Asia. The biking culture in Asia remains strong to this day, with more bikes being used in the average Chinese city than automobiles.

In America however, the bicycle was seen as more of a toy. In the early to mid 20th century bike sales in the US were limited primarily to children’s bikes, and a child’s bike is still a big part of growing up today. However, in the late 1970’s and early 80’s a new form of biking was popularized in America: mountain biking. This “new” sport has grown tremendously since its humble roots and today it’s a multimillion dollar industry.

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The word bicycle comes to us from the French. They are also the first culture to actually make bicycles. Oh Da Vinci had sketches that showed what looks to be a bike, just like he had ideas for submarines and helicopters. The Chinese had bike-like toys that children played with. But it was the French who first put it all together into a bicycle an adult could use.

The Germans almost beat the French to the bicycle. They had a two wheeled device that was to be used for self propulsion before the French did. However two French inventors added the cranks that we know today as pedals to the design and really landed what we know today as the bike. I know, I know, it should be more publicized that the French beat the Germans at something, but sadly it’s an obscure fact of history.

\Though the French invented the pedal propulsion that made the bicycle a feasible means of transportation; the British were responsible for much of its development from that point. The first bicycles actually had the pedals attached to the front wheel directly, rather than centered under the rider and connected to the rear via a chain.

The British took this design to its logical conclusion by creating the high wheel bicycle. It featured a front wheel that was as large as a rider’s legs allowed and a much smaller rear wheel. This led to serious injuries via falling, and generally the two wheeled bicycle was considered a vehicle for daredevils. Ladies and more stable gentlemen preferred the safer tricycle.

Some of the injuries were caused by the long fall to the ground from the cyclist’s seat. Others were caused because a rider’s legs would become caught in the handlebars, which prevented a falling rider from clearing the vehicle. This led to the term taking a crown, for bashing one’s head. There were even deaths from head trauma due to those bikes.

This led to the biggest change in the direction of the bicycle since pedals: the safety bicycle. The safety bicycle closely resembled the modern bicycle. It featured two evenly sized tires, and a pedal that was connected to the rear wheel via a chain. It did not yet utilize derailers or multiple gears, but it looked much like a bike today would.

The safety bicycle actually became a major player in the women’s liberation movement, as a woman could not use it in the cumbersome dresses that were in style at the time. This led to the advent of “sensible” women’s clothing and got the women’s rights movement started. The safety bicycle also made the bike into a method of transportation for the average person, rather than the daredevil. This led to rapid popularization in both Europe and Asia. The biking culture in Asia remains strong to this day, with more bikes being used in the average Chinese city than automobiles.

In America however, the bicycle was seen as more of a toy. In the early to mid 20th century bike sales in the US were limited primarily to children’s bikes, and a child’s bike is still a big part of growing up today. However, in the late 1970’s and early 80’s a new form of biking was popularized in America: mountain biking. This “new” sport has grown tremendously since its humble roots and today it’s a multimillion dollar industry.

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