The first bike did not have pedals, but was equipped with a handlebar and seat. After the invention, such a vehicle began to develop rapidly, supplemented by pedals and a freewheel mechanism.
A bicycle is not only a universal means of transportation for adults, but also great fun for children. It seems that the two-wheeled iron friend, propelled by muscle power, is eternal, but its progenitor appeared only 196 years ago, which is not so long for history.
Bicycle ancestor
The forefather of the modern bicycle should be considered the so-called "walking machine", which was revealed to the world in 1817. It was invented by the German Baron K. Drais, who equipped his structure with a steering wheel and a saddle. 1818 was the time when a patent was issued for a novelty for movement.
The first official bicycle between 1839 and 1840. was improved, which undertook a Scottish blacksmith named K. Macmillan. The master supplemented the vehicle with pedals, which brought the invention closer to the kind that a modern bicycle has.
The Macmillan rear wheel was attached to the pedals with steel rods, in turn, the pedals pushed the wheel. After some time, the English engineer Thompson patented air tires, but this idea was not developed, since the tires were technically imperfect. The mass production of bicycles, which were equipped with pedals, began in 1867. But P. Michaud gave the vehicle its modern name - "bicycle".
Bicycle evolution
During the 1870s. Penny-farthing bicycles were extremely popular, which had wheels of different sizes. The front wheel hub was equipped with pedals, and the saddle was located on top of them.
The next step in the evolution of the bicycle was a metal wheel equipped with spokes. Such a solution was introduced by Cowper in 1867, and after a couple of years the two-wheeled transport acquired a frame. The end of the 70s was the time of the invention of the chain drive by the Englishman Lawson.
The Rover was the first bicycle to resemble a modern bicycle in design. It was made by the inventor John Kemp Starley from England in 1884. A year later, mass production of such bicycles started. The invention came to be characterized by safety and ease of use.
In 1888, rubber tires appeared, which were shown to the world by B. Dunlop, this innovation gained its popularity. Up to this point, the bicycle had a second name - "bone shaker", this nickname was firmly entrenched for two-wheeled vehicles. A year later, the bicycle acquired pedal brakes, and a little later - a hand brake.
