![]() ![]() In the 1890s, bicycles even began to play a role in social norms as women increasingly switched from tricycles to bicycles – and from corsets to more comfortable and flexible bloomers. This was an important shift that ultimately paved the way for the domination of the car, but at the same time led to further adoption of the bicycle, as it could increasingly be used on roads all over Europe. At the same time, societies of bicyclists and tricyclists began to lobby governments to install smooth, paved roads as opposed to the standard dirt roads that crossed the continent for centuries. Adult tricycles became widespread as a more comfortable and rideable alternative to the Penny Farthing. With all of these mechanical advances, bicycles became easier to ride and control – and thus increasingly popular both in England and across continental Europe. The first folding bicycle – a foldable Penny Farthing – was even mass-marketed in England during this period. All of these components relied on the ability of steel mills to produce increasingly complex designs for a mass market. Adopting some of the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution, radial spokes were added to wheels in 1870, ball-bearings were introduced in 1872, caliper brakes made a first appearance in 1876, and designs for differential gearing mechanisms and shifters were patented in 1877. It was after the introduction of the Penny Farthing that many modern bike features first appeared. In addition, although the Penny Farthing was the first machine to be called a “bicycle,” it was far from the ubiquitous ride we know today – purchasing one cost six months’ salary for the average worker. The Penny Farthing drastically improved on the vibrations that characterized the Boneshaker bicycle, but it required a feat of acrobatics to climb onto and balance on while riding. The famous Penny Farthing, with its five-foot diameter front wheel and minuscule rear wheel, appeared in England in 1870. Thanks to increasing social mobility and wealth from its global empire, Britain took the lead of bicycle development in the late 19 th century. This French bicycle resembled the frame of the velocipede but added the first mass-produced front wheels and pedals in a fixed-gear, one-speed configuration – similar to today’s fixies. These incremental advances culminated in 1864 in the “Boneshaker” bicycle – so named for the horrendous vibrations that riding the stiff frame on the bumpy roads of the time produced. Pneumatic tires were added to the wheels in 1845 in England, although inflated tires took another several decades to become mainstream. The first pedals appeared on a velocipede in 1839 in Scotland, although the pedals were connected directly to the rear wheel rather than to a chain-driven drivetrain. Progress towards a modern bicycle proceeded piecemeal over the following decades. This contraption was constructed entirely from wood and lacked pedals, instead requiring users to push off the ground with their feet to move forward. The velocipede was invented by the German Baron von Drais in 1817 to enable people to replace draft horses for plowing fields – a necessary invention after a crop failure the previous year had led to the widespread slaughter of horses. The first bicycle did not appear until nearly 400 years later, when a two-wheeled device known as the velocipede first appeared in Europe. Leonardo da Vinci, too, is credited with some drawings of a two-wheel vehicle that closely resembles modern bicycles around the same period, although the authenticity of these drawings remains in question. The most similar was a four-wheeled human-powered vehicle with a rope to connect gears to the wheels that was developed by Italy’s Giovanni Fontana. The first version of the two-wheeled vehicle that would eventually become known as the bicycle date from the 15 th century. Because of this, the history of the bicycle is rich and is quite significant to the rest of human history. But this two-wheeled vehicle has only been around a short time, yet during its brief history, people have come up with many different designs and uses for the bicycle. However, for as quickly as the bicycle has been replaced by faster, fuel-powered vehicles, it’s easy to think it’s an ancient invention that has finally been phased out. In the modern world, with so many motorized options for getting around, it’s easy to take the human-powered bicycle for granted. ![]()
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