Bicycle development history

Bicycles are a means of transportation with a long history of development and in the face of escalating fuel costs, people come back to bicycles as a solution to save, minimize environmental pollution and also is a method of exercise.

To become a complete vehicle like today, bicycles have experienced a history of development with a series of innovations by many inventors. Invite you to review the important historical milestones in the process of formation and development of bicycles.

1817: Drais walking machine - bicycle was born

The first concept of bicycles appeared in the early 19th century. German baron - Baron von Drais had the idea of ​​inventing a human powered vehicle and could help him move quickly around the completed garden. In 1817, he unveiled a "walking" vehicle called Laufmaschine (in German which means "foot-running machine" ). During his first use on June 12, 1817, he managed to travel 13km of the road, which took about an hour.

The Draisine bicycle model is stored at the 2-wheeler museum in Germany

Laufmaschine is also known as Draisine (English) or draisienne (French) or Hobby Horse (wood horse) because it is made almost entirely of wood. The 22kg car with a structure consists of two iron-coated wooden wheels of equal size and mounted in a straight frame. The front wheel can be driven and the rear wheel is equipped with a brake. The car is operated by the way the driver pushes his foot to the ground and it will move forward.

He was granted a commercial patent for this invention in 1818. Thousands of units were produced mainly in Western Europe and North America but there is still a shortcoming that is difficult to balance when control. Drais's invention was quickly rejected by users because of the growing number of accidents that made certain municipalities banned to use this type of vehicle.

The 1860s: The pedal appeared and the Boneshaker or Velocipede car

Boneshaker bicycles in Europe in the 1868s

The next development of the bike is the car similar to the Drais's Laufmaschine but is equipped with additional crankshaft and pedals mounted directly on the front wheel shaft. This model was introduced in 1865 by Pierre Michaux, a French inventor with the name Fast-Foot and caused a fashion fever when people raced. At that time, people also gave it another name as a bone-shaking car (Boneshaker) . The funny name Boneshaker comes from the wheel made of wood while the wheel rim is made of metal. This combination makes driving on rough roads extremely uncomfortable, just like walking and "shaking bones" . It was for this reason that Boneshaker was not widely disseminated during this period.

1870: High Wheel Bicycle (The High Wheel Bicycle)

The development of the metallurgical level at that time allowed the creation of small, thin metal parts that were strong enough to withstand human body weight. In 1870, the first fully constructed metal bike was invented by two bicycle makers, James Starley and William Hillman. This car is named "Ariel" with large front wheels and small rear wheels.

Ariel bicycle in 1870 with big front wheels and small rear wheels.

With a lightweight chassis, Ariel can travel at 24km / h, a record speed of bicycles at the time. Similar to Boneshaker, the pedals are still directly attached to the front wheel axle and there is no loader. The tires are made of hard rubber and solid gut plus long, slender spokes that allow the car to move much smoother than previous models.

Starting from the need for a bike design for women, James Starley in 1876 continued to develop a three-wheeled bicycle called Salvo . This is the first bike to be equipped with a pair of double gear wheels on the wheel together, this design allows the wheel to rotate for 2 rounds when the operator is riding one lap. Both wheels are equipped with metal spokes. Later, this model became very popular because it was cheap, easy to control and operate safely.

James Starley (3rd person from right) and model Salvo bike in the picture taken in 1877. He was the inventor of the chain structure connecting 2 gears mounted on bicycles together.He was dubbed the father of the bicycle manufacturing industry.

In 1878, two bicycle manufacturers from England, Otto and Wallace, invented a two-wheeled bicycle called Kangaroo. This is the first widely popular bike equipped with the most complete slug-disc system. Kangaroo has a bigger front wheel than the rear wheel allows it to move faster. Producers find that if the wheels get bigger, a driver's bike will take the car for longer distances. It is for this reason that manufacturers race to make cars with front wheels getting bigger. Buyers will have to choose a car with the size of the front wheel to match their foot length to ensure they can be used. This is also the first time people use the word Bicyle (bicycle) to refer to the means of moving 2 wheels, using the power of "pedaling and running" .

Kangaroo bicycle by Otto and Wallace in 1878

The biggest drawback of bicycle models during this period was that the driver's seat was too high, so the focus on the car was not evenly distributed. If the front wheel tripped over a rock or was moving down a slope, the entire vehicle would dive forward while the driver's leg was stuck to the pedal plus the control position was rather high. Dangerous injuries are likely to occur, especially head injuries.

In 1879, Bayliss Thomas invented the "The Bayliss Thomas" bike with a chassis made of hollow steel tubes and equipped with a front fork. At the same time, British inventor Harry John Lawson built the first bicycle model that used slugs. The slug is connected between the disc on the rear wheel with the operator's pedal. This model is called a safe bike. This is the precursor to today's bike.

Safety bike image was built in 1879 by Lawson.Safe bicycles use slings to connect the discs on the rear wheel to the operator's pedals.This is the first complete disk-slug system on bicycles.

In 1874, in 1878, the first bicycles were manufactured in large quantities in the United States by the Pope company owned by Albert Augustus Pope.

The years 1880 - 1899: golden period

In 1880, the British inventor ECF Otto built a "dicycle" model with two equally sized wheels parallel to each other. The driver sits in the middle of two wheels and operates the car with the pedal on either side. When you want to control the vehicle to turn left or right, the operator stops pedaling on the side corresponding to the direction you want to turn. This model is not mass-produced because the control is complicated and difficult.

Bicycle model of ECF Otto in 1880

In 1885, John Kemp Starley, the grandson of inventor James Starley, created a safe bike with two equally sized wheels mounted on an empty metal frame. The car is fully equipped with parts such as brakes, slings - discs. This is the prototype of a modern bicycle. About 2 to 3 years later, this model was put into mass production and widely available.

The bike named Rover was invented in 1885 by John Kemp Starley (James Starley's grandson).

In 1888, the Scottish inventor, John Dunlop invented a pneumatic tire for bicycles. This tire allows bicycles to operate smoothly and gently on rough roads, overcoming the disadvantages of solid tires. Later, it was also found that the chassis design model called "diamond" with better bearing capacity. The design of pneumatic tires and simple " diamond " chassis makes light weight bicycles help to operate more smoothly and efficiently. At the same time, the above improvements also facilitate maintenance and repair.

John Dunlop (1840-1921) who invented pneumatic tires.He is the founder of the famous Dunlop company specialized in manufacturing tires and sports equipment.

With important aspects that are easy to control, safe, comfortable and move quickly, bicycles become a popular means of transportation for middle and upper classes in Europe and North America in the second half of the in 1890. The bicycle model with rubber tires, the same size of 2 wheels mounted on the frame with "diamond design" was the first bicycle model that both men and women could use smoothly. This period is the golden age of bicycle development history with a series of improvements that contribute to perfecting the modern bicycle model today.

From the 20th century until now .

Bicycles have become an important means of transportation in Europe in the first half of the 20th century, but the demand for bicycles has decreased significantly in the United States from 1900 to 1910 due to the advent of cars. . By the 1920s, bicycles gradually turned into a children's toy and in 1940, most bicycles in the US were made for children. However, in Europe, bicycles are still used extensively.

During the first half of the 20th century, bicycles have always been developed to suit the diverse needs of consumers. The system of multi-disc wagons can be switched back and forth while running, developed in France from 1900 to 1910 and gradually improved over time. In 1930, the European Bicycle Racing Association allowed riders to use this system. Before that, if you want to change the disc in the race, the driver must stop, remove the wheel to change the desired plate and re-install it. This is extremely time consuming. This system helps riders save a lot of time when they want to change the speed of the car.

Multi-disc system can be rotated while the vehicle is running

Around the middle of the 20th century, many other bicycle equipment continued to be built and perfected such as hand brake systems, lighter pedal systems, wheel lights with dinamo mounted on wheels, tires were also designed. A narrower design helps reduce friction allowing the bike to move more smoothly and smoothly. These bicycles became very popular in Europe especially in the UK in the 1950s and have always been improved during the rest of the 20th century. Bicycles gradually became a popular hobby. of many people.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, bicycles have begun to improve drastically with the development of technology. In design, the chassis is made of different materials to reduce weight but still ensures their durability and aerodynamic requirements. The balance of bicycles is calculated and simulated by computer software that makes it easier to build safe bicycles with operators. New technologies, such as making carbon fiber components or electronic self-propelled transducers, make the bike more modern. Until now, bicycles have always been improved in parallel with the advancement of science and technology to meet the ever-stricter requirements of users.

BMW sports bike model launched in 2012

The process of "evolution" over 300 years of bicycles