Bicycle History

The running machine was a forerunner of the modern day bicycle. It was developed in 1817 by a German inventor named Karl Drais. He also invented other useful things like an early stenograph machine and a meat grinder, but the running machine was his most influential achievement.

The running machine had two wheels of equal or near equal size like a bicycle. The running machine, however, had no pedals. Instead, the rider simply pushed his feet along the ground to make the running machine go. It also had little steering capability. Instead of movable handlebars, the rider rested his forearms and hands on a balancing board and leaned his body back and forth to cause the running machine to turn.

Because the wheels were metal hoops instead of the inflated tires used today, and because there was no suspension system in the design, the running machine was a pretty rough ride. It was widely regarded as an amusement, but was not thought of as a serious form of transportation.

In 1818, a London inventor named Denis Johnson invented a new type of running machine which became known as a hobby horse in England, and as a velocipede in the United States.

The hobby horse differed from the running machine in a few ways. First, because the frame dipped down in the middle, it was able to have large wheels. The larger wheels helped to make the ride smoother. They also made the hobby horse easier to steer, although it, like the running machine, still relied on the rider's lean to cause it to turn.

The hobby horse could have narrow wheels for indoor use in special indoor cycling rinks. It had wider wheels for outdoor riding. Because riders favored the smoother sidewalks over the rougher streets, there were many accidents involving pedestrians. As a result, outdoor use of hobby horses was banned in many cities, and public interest in them waned.



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Pierre Lallement, a baby carriage maker from France, is generally considered to be the inventor of the modern bicycle. One day in 1862, Lallement saw a person riding by on a hobby horse, and he decided to make one himself.

Lallement added pedals to the front wheel hub rather than pushing it along with his feet. He also added a springy piece of iron at the top of the frame, to which he attached the seat. This gave the bicycle a slightly more comfortable ride. Nevertheless, it was nicknamed the boneshaker for good reason.



Out of this design came another bicycle design called the high bicycle or penny farthing. As you might imagine, the high bicycle was very tall. Once pedals were added to the bicycle design, there was no need for the rider's feet to reach the ground. The new designs employed an extremely tall front wheel, and an extremely short rear wheel.

The tall front wheel made the high bicycle very fast. But along with the increased speed came the problem of instability. Because the rider was seated almost directly above the front wheel, stopping could easily send the rider tumbling over the front. Additionally, high bicycles were hard to get on, and equally hard to get off. Soon, the design of bicycles returned to a safer, less extreme design similar to the bicycle of today. The new design was called the safety bicycle.

Improvements in bicycle design continue to this day. Manufacturers are constantly experimenting with new designs and materials. Many bicycles are designed for a specific type of use, such as track cycling or road racing. Visit a bicycle shop to see what different kinds they carry.

What made the high bicycle so fast? Let's take a look.

The high bicycle had pedals attached right to the hub of the front wheel. That is the same configuration as a modern day child's tricycle.

When you pedal a tricycle, the wheel goes around once for every time the pedal goes around once. This is called a 1:1 gear ratio.

Suppose you want to know how far a 20 inch wheel will travel in one complete resolution. In order to find that out, you would take the diameter [the distance across the tire from one side to the other] of the tire and multiply it by pi, which is 3.14. [Yes, yes, pi is 3.14159265... but here we rounded it to 3.14.] So a 20 tire would travel 20 x 3.14 = 62.8 inches.

Now, suppose you had a high bike with a tire that was 50 inches in diameter. You would travel 50 x 3.14 = 157 inches traveled in one revolution. That's more than twice as far with the same amount of pedal movement. That's why a high bike could travel so fast.

As time went on, people made more improvements in bicycle design. Bicycles became safer to ride, and mass production led to cheaper models. Soon, working class people could own a bicycle.

Because of the improvements in bicycle safety, more and more women began to ride them. Women had never before had such freedom of mobility. Bicycles were the perfect alternative to horses and carriages. Bicycles did not have to be fed or stabled, they produced no manure, and did not require any grooming. The bicycle soon became a symbol of freedom for feminists and suffragists of the late nineteenth century.

Along with this newfound freedom of movement came new innovations in women's fashions. Bloomers became another symbol of women's freedom, this time from the confines of fashion. Named for Amelia Bloomer, a 19th century women's rights advocate, bloomers were based on Turkish pants with very full legs coming to a tight cuff at the ankle. Bloomer wearing made bicycling even easier.

Bicycles also provided a measure of freedom for working class people. No longer tied to being at a walking distance from work, people could move out from the cities a bit, improving life for them and their families.

Recumbent bicycles are bicycles that allow the rider to sit leaning back, with feet up to pedal.

There are a wide variety of recumbent bike styles. Since they are usually manufactured in small quantity, they tend to have very unique characteristics.

Recumbent bikes can have over seat or under seat steering. In over seat steering, the rider uses a regular handlebar arrangement. In under seat steering, the steering is accomplished using a handlebar arrangement that protrudes from either side of the seat, allowing the arms to be down by the rider's side when steering.

Recumbent bikes can also have two or three wheels. The two wheel variety are harder to control at slow speeds, as the low center of gravity makes it harder to maintain balance. Three wheelers have greater stability, and are easier to get started and stopped. When stopped, the rider does not have to remove his feet from the pedals on a three wheeler.

Three wheel recumbent bikes come in two different types. The delta variety has two rear wheels and a single front wheel. The tadpole variety is just the opposite, with two front wheels and a single rear wheel behind the rider's seat.

Recumbent bicycles are generally much safer than upright bicycles. Because they are close to the ground, the fall from a recumbent bike is from a shorter distance, and less likely to be a head first fall.

It is also more comfortable to ride a recumbent bicycle. The body is in a seated position in something more like a chair, not straddling a seat as with a bicycle. There is no weight on the arms, hands, or shoulders as one would have in a upright bicycle.

With the leaned back position, the rider is free to enjoy the scenery around him without straining his neck. Recumbent bicycles are a good choice for those who suffer from chronic neck and back pain.

Recumbent bikes are not always easy to find in some parts of the country, and they are fairly expensive to purchase. If you are unable to locate a bike to try, you may find a stationery one at a local YMCA.

Triton Pro- Three Wheel Cruiser Recumbent Bike -Red 20" *Fun Fitness Machine*

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