The bicycle revolution: from wooden bike to modern mobility!

The bicycle revolution: from wooden bike to modern mobility!

Mannheim, Deutschland - The bike, today a popular and climate -neutral means of transportation, was invented over 200 years ago. Karl Freiherr von Drais, born in Karlsruhe, presented the first idea for a bicycle in 1817, which became known as a "draisine". This first form of the bike was a wooden impeller with two wheels and a frame that had no pedals. The drivers moved their feet ahead to get ahead.

The trolley quickly received attention, although it only experienced a short popularity phase between 1818 and 1820 before it was pushed into the background by other means of transportation. In England, the Draisine was also known as "Hobby Horse" or "Dandy Horse". Further developments followed in the following decades, with Pierre Michaux developed the impeller in the 1860s by introducing pedals and turning turmoil. However, these bicycles were difficult, weighed up to 50 kg and had a large front wheel.

The technical progress of the bicycle recorded in the 1870s. James Starley developed the high wheel, known as "Penny Farthing", with a large front wheel and a small rear wheel. This model was not only quick, but also risky. At the end of the 1870s, Henry Lawson presented the safety ripple, which comes closest to the modern bike and was equipped with the same-sized bikes. bicycle.de confirms that the safety bike fundamentally changed the bicycle design.

Important milestones in bicycle development included the chain drive of the rear wheel, which was presented in 1869, and the air tires, which was invented by John Boyd Dunlop in 1888. The mass production of bicycles began at the beginning of the 20th century. The 1920s brought the bicycle dynamo, and in the 1890s the first bicycles with gear shift were introduced.

The development of racing

The first bicycle races took place with troubles, with the first race with pedal bikes took place in Paris in 1869. In this competition from Paris to Rouen, only 34 of the 120 participants achieved the goal. James Moore won in this first bike race in the world and received prize money of 1,000 gold francs. From 1890 to 1950, however, bicycle culture lost in importance in favor of the automotive; In China, the bicycle was also promoted as a main means of transport.

The popularity of the bike has increased again in recent decades. The "bicycle boom" in the USA between 1960 and 1990 led to trekking and mountain bikes popular, while modern developments such as e-bikes and bike sharing programs continue to make cycling easier.

Overall, the long history of the bicycle, from the draisine to today's e-mountain bikes, the continuous development and adaptation to the needs of users and the environment.