bicycle
The History of Bicycle
"The bicycle has got to be one of the most clever and cunning devices that we humans have ever invented. The wheel would be a close second, but we didn't so much invent the wheel as just find it, and besides, the wheel never really amounted to anything until people started putting it on bicycles" (MEC, 2001). Through the years the bicycle has improved significantly from it's earliest design and remains a healthy and environmentally sound means of transportation.
Through time there have been literally myriads of bicycle like contraptions. Recognition for the first invention of a bicycle is credited to Comte de Sivrac, who in the late 1790's constructed a crude form of bicycle consisting of a carved wooden bar and two wheels. It was lacking a front fork and could therefore not be steered. The next appearance of a two wheeled riding machine came in 1816. Baron von Drais, constructed a similar machine, only his with a fork for the front wheel which allowed the rider to steer. Pedals where finally introduced in the 1860's on a form of cycle called the velocipede or more popularly known as the boneshaker (Baranet, 1973). The next major improvement came with the bicycle known as the "safety". The safety's pedals where attached to a chain linked to the rear wheel. In addition the safety was equipped with a braking system that made cycling safer for everyone. The eventual addition of different gear ratios and the use of more sophisticated materials bring us to the bicycle of present. With the progression of the first walking machine to the highly technical bicycle of present times, the bicycle has not only remained a practical means of transportation, but also for some become a way of achieving and maintaining physical fitness.
It is a well-known fact that maintaining physical fitness through regular exercise greatly improves one's quality of life. Cycling is a good form of exercise that can provide both physical and
"The bicycle has got to be one of the most clever and cunning devices that we humans have ever invented. The wheel would be a close second, but we didn't so much invent the wheel as just find it, and besides, the wheel never really amounted to anything until people started putting it on bicycles" (MEC, 2001). Through the years the bicycle has improved significantly from it's earliest design and remains a healthy and environmentally sound means of transportation.
Through time there have been literally myriads of bicycle like contraptions. Recognition for the first invention of a bicycle is credited to Comte de Sivrac, who in the late 1790's constructed a crude form of bicycle consisting of a carved wooden bar and two wheels. It was lacking a front fork and could therefore not be steered. The next appearance of a two wheeled riding machine came in 1816. Baron von Drais, constructed a similar machine, only his with a fork for the front wheel which allowed the rider to steer. Pedals where finally introduced in the 1860's on a form of cycle called the velocipede or more popularly known as the boneshaker (Baranet, 1973). The next major improvement came with the bicycle known as the "safety". The safety's pedals where attached to a chain linked to the rear wheel. In addition the safety was equipped with a braking system that made cycling safer for everyone. The eventual addition of different gear ratios and the use of more sophisticated materials bring us to the bicycle of present. With the progression of the first walking machine to the highly technical bicycle of present times, the bicycle has not only remained a practical means of transportation, but also for some become a way of achieving and maintaining physical fitness.
It is a well-known fact that maintaining physical fitness through regular exercise greatly improves one's quality of life. Cycling is a good form of exercise that can provide both physical and