The birth of the bicycle
As easy as propelling a velocipede.
Alex Q. Arbuckle
c. 1850-1920
An ever saddled horse which eats nothing. - Columbia Bicycle Advertisement
In 1818, Baron Karl von Drais of Baden, Germany patented the design for a two-wheeled Laufmaschine, or “running machine.” It consisted of two in-line wheels beneath a seat and handlebars, and was propelled by the rider pushing off the ground with his feet.Also called the “Draisine,” the device was created not out of fancy but necessity — Drais was looking for a substitute for the horses that had starved to death in the recent volcanic winter, caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815.His invention inspired other manufacturers in England and France, who created their own two-wheeled conveyances, calling them velocipedes or “dandy horses.” The contraptions were a hit, but their wide adoption was curtailed by regulations against them in many cities. Because of the rough streets of the time, riders often took to the sidewalk, where they plowed into startled pedestrians.Over the next few decades, numerous three- and four-wheeled machines were invented, propelled by cranks and pedals. It was not until the 1860s that people worked up the courage to take their feet off the ground and balance on two wheels.
It is uncertain who first added cranks and pedals to the front wheel of a velocipede, but it was a major innovation. It also proved that a two-wheeled vehicle could be pedaled and balanced simultaneously without falling over.Once that fear was conquered, riders wanted to go faster. The simplest way to do that was to increase the diameter of the front wheel, which was enabled by the replacement of wooden wheels with tensile wire-spoked wheels. The size of the front wheel was only limited by the length of the rider’s legs.These new bicycles, with massive front wheels and diminutive rear wheels, were popularly called “penny-farthings,” after the coin and its smaller cousin. Many bicycles of this time were also called “bone-shakers” — the iron-banded wheels and lack of suspension did not provide the most comfortable ride.
Penny-farthings were raced competitively by daredevils, but the height of the rider’s seat led to nasty falls. There was high demand for a bicycle that could reach high speeds and still be ridden safely. Enabled by the 1880 invention of the bush-roller chain, in 1885 John Kemp Starley introduced the Rover Safety bicycle, the first widely popular bicycle with a chain drive connecting the pedals to the rear wheel, direct steering of the front wheel, and wheels of similar size.By the early 1890s, bicycle manufacturers were adding pneumatic rubber tires to their gear-and-chain driven bicycles, cementing the basic form of the bicycle for the next century and beyond.
