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J U LY / A U G 2 0 1 4
The More Things
Change...
“Bone-shaker.” The latter name
says it all. The1870s brought
about the penny-farthing, which
is what most people envision
when they think of old bikes. This
is the one with the huge front
wheel and smaller rear wheel. The
ratio of front to back could be
compared to a penny (larger) and
a farthing (smaller), hence the
name. The front wheels were developed to increase the bicycle’s
speed, which made the contraption ideal for law enforcement.
These bikes became immensely
popular in England as well as
America, despite the obvious
dangers. There are many stories
of people going head first over
the front wheel or falling over
sideways and breaking bones.
Today penny-farthings would
probably be outlawed for safety
violations.
The Safety Bicycle was developed from a desire for fewer
injuries. Up to this time, the
bike’s foot pedals came off the
main wheel and they just moved
that wheel. This was part of the
danger of balancing as well as
The Bicycle
Popular alternative mode of
transportation has come a long way
by Charles Sebastian, Staff Writer
The bicycle is perhaps one of
the most amazing inventions of
the past 200 years. It has served
as a means of transportation for
millions of people. The idea of
balancing on two wheels has
been taken to the level of longdistance biking (the Tour de
France), mountain bike racing,
bicycle acrobatics and more.
While the variations on the bike
all have good stories, the origin
of the bicycle is of even greater
interest.
Our two-wheeled friend was
dubbed “bicycle” in France in
the 1860s. There are many early
bike models still to be seen in
museums and collections. The
Draisienne, the ancestor of the
modern bike, was first developed in Germany around 1817.
A wooden slat placed atop two
bulky wheels pretty much sums
it up. Though there are claims to
bicycle-like inventions prior to
the Draisienne, none are verifiable. One claim suggests one of
Leonardo da Vinci’s students,
Gian Giacomo Caprotti, came up
with the idea.
After the mid-1800s, the Michaux bike was popular in Europe,
as was the “velocipede,” aka
stopping. When a drive chain going from the pedals between the
two wheels and back to the rear
wheel was introduced, a great
moment in bicycle history was
born. Indeed, this same design is
what bikes use today.
Since this addition, bikes have
become more efficient, utilizing
more elaborate gear systems and
developing hand brakes, backward pedal brakes and sturdier,
lighter frames.
Bikes continue to be a good
means of getting around, and
more and more cities are becoming cognizant of including bike
lanes on roads and bike paths
for ardent cyclists. Bicycling
gives you a great workout. If you
don’t feel comfortable riding a
bike around town for health, try
stationary cycling. The bicycle
continues to evolve from its
humble beginnings, offering us
options for our travel, health and
adventure.
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