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History of Bicyle

The bicycle's origins trace back to the 15th century with early designs by Giovanni Fontana and Leonardo da Vinci, though the first true bicycle, the velocipede, was invented by Baron von Drais in 1817. This wooden device allowed users to push off the ground for movement and lacked pedals until 1839. Subsequent innovations, including pedals and pneumatic tires, led to the development of the 'Boneshaker' bicycle in 1864, which featured mass-produced front wheels and a fixed-gear system.

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9 views1 page

History of Bicyle

The bicycle's origins trace back to the 15th century with early designs by Giovanni Fontana and Leonardo da Vinci, though the first true bicycle, the velocipede, was invented by Baron von Drais in 1817. This wooden device allowed users to push off the ground for movement and lacked pedals until 1839. Subsequent innovations, including pedals and pneumatic tires, led to the development of the 'Boneshaker' bicycle in 1864, which featured mass-produced front wheels and a fixed-gear system.

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trongnhan3419
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Trương Trọng Nhân

23DH712863

The Origins of the Bicycle


A Brief History of the Bicycle

Geared Vehicles are Born


The first version of the two-wheeled vehicle that would eventually become
known as the bicycle date from the 15th century. 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. 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 First Bicycle
The first bicycle did not appear until nearly 400 years later, when a two-
wheeled device known as the velocipede first appeared in Europe. 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. This contraption was
constructed entirely from wood and lacked pedals, instead requiring users to push off
the ground with their feet to move forward.
Progress towards a modern bicycle proceeded piecemeal over the following
decades. 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. Pneumatic tires were added to the wheels in 1845 in England, although
inflated tires took another several decades to become mainstream.
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. 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.

“The History of Bicycles.” (2019, July 1).


History
Cooperative.

"The History of Bicycles." History Cooperative, Guest Contribution,


1 July 2019, https://historycooperative.org/the-history-of-bicycles/.

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