History of the Bicycle
Before the creation of today's modern bicycle, there have been several samples of simpler bicycle transport devices. It all started in the 16th century with the invention of 1493 Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches, including simple designs for b icycle riders. Some historians claim that either his student Gian Giacomo Caprotti made this drawing or that it's altogether fake. That style was never produced into a working model and in the following four hundred years horses remained only affordable means of transport on public roads.The German Baron Karl von Drais invented the precursor to the fashionable bicycle during the early 19th century.
This velocipede named “Laufmaschine'' consisted of two wheels that were held alongside one central bar. Driver of that vehicle had to steer and run to collect the n eeded speed then raise his legs and still cruise until his momentum faded. Design of Von Drais was improved in England with the commercially successful “Dandy Horse”. That design remained in use for nearly 40 years until two French carriage makers came to the concept that would revolutionize the bicycle world. Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallemen saw how “Dandy Horse” is employed and that
They decided to attach the pedals to the front wheel, and install the driving seat on the support beam. In 1864, they made their first model that proved to be very efficient and straightforward to supply . Four years later, they gathered the funds for production and begun improving their initial design in to what is going to become referred to as “Boneshaker”. Bicycle frames were made up of Iron rather than wood, and shortly they started including rubber tires and ball bearings. one of the foremost popular designs of that point was a bicycle model with a larger front wheel. Created in 1869 by the Frenchmen Eugene Meyer and mass-produced by Englishman James Starley, high-wheel bicycle improved several aspects of its use (more comfortable than “boneshaker”, higher speeds and lighter frame) but it added few disadvantages (difficult downhill and uphill riding). First high wheel models became available during the 1870s in England, where they were received in good light.
After those first few years of high wheel bicycle popularity, in 1885 Englishman John Kemp Starley invented his first “safety bicycle”. Today that invention is considered one among the foremost important moments in b icycle history. It featured a chain that connected pedals to the rear wheel and a steerable front wheel. This device (called Rover) ignited the age known today as “Golden Age of Bicycles''. Since that point , bicycle design and equipment became standardized across the planet and that they satisfied all four basic aspects – safety, speed, comfort and steering. all of them had the essential diamond shape made up of metal, pneumatic rubber tires, roller chain, one gear, coaster brakes and more. The Golden Age of Bicycles lasted from the 1900s to 1950s during which bicycles became one among the first means of public road transportation. Early bicycle clubs popularized recreational driving across America and Europe. During the years their manufacturing costs decreased significantly, which increased their use everywhere the planet . Modern age of bicycles started within the 1960s and 70s with the rise of North American consciousness of the advantages of exercise and energy efficient transport. In 1975, over 17 million bi riders started driving a replacement kind of much lighter and cheaper bikes. Since then racing bikes, mountain bikes and BMX became the quality for the bicycle drivers all round the world, with recent addition of hybrid commuter bikes (specialized for city use with a wide selection of kit taken from mountain and speed bicycles). Standard materials from which modern bicycle frames are made is aluminum and carbon fiber. In 2010, worldwide production of bicycles was within the range of 125 to 130 billion.
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