The Bicycle - History & Facts

A PICTORAL HISTORY OF THE
EVOLUTION OF THE BICYCLE
  - The wonder years -

17th & 18th Centuries - human powered vehicles or 'carriages' were invented, some were rowed, or moved by flapping 'wings'..!

Draisienne / Hobby Horse / Dandy Charger

1817 - Baron Karl von Drais – Lauf-maschine (running machine) / Draisienne / Mechanical Horse, the first human powered land vehicle to mount a serious bid for public acceptance. Satirically named the Dandy Charger.

1818 - Dennis Johnson, coachmaker, of London – an improved model called the Pedestrian Curricle / Hobby Horse / Velocipede / Dandy Horse / Accelerator / Swift Walker – both were wooden, with two wheels that were pushed along with the feet. A ladies model was also available.

The first possible appearance of the ‘tri bar’ fitted on this model.

 1840’s – William Sawyer, of Dover – invented a 4 wheeled velocipede using foot treadles.

Velocipede

1839/1840 – Kirkpatrick Macmillan, blacksmith, of Dumfriesshire – claimed a rear wheel drive machine - the Velocipede, suitable chain was not available, so the bike was propelled by a foot treadle – long pushrods/swinglevers connected to crank pins on the rear axle, to get your feet off the ground. He claimed no patents..

1845/1846 – Gavin Dalzell, a cooper, Lanarkshire - also claimed a rear wheel drive, (possibly) copied and improved on Macmillan’s. A model survives, and is the oldest pedal driven bicycle known.

1860’s - The Boneshaker Era

Two wheeler, propelled by pedals and cranks attached directly to the front hub.

1862 – Pierre Lallament, a French mechanic - Velocipede, he attached a transmission to the front wheel hub. The transmission being made up of a rotary crank device and pedals, though this never took off. He took out the patents and sold them to Michaux.

1861 – The Michaux family (Pierre Michaux – a French Blacksmith) - Velocipede or Boneshaker, as heavy as a fridge, attaching pedals (they invented) to a cranked arm, which would then propel the front wheel.

They all claim to have first devised the two-wheeler with mechanical drive.

1868 James Starley, Coventry (the father of the British Cycle Industry) – develops his own boneshakers – introducing various improvements including raked forks and backstep.

1868 – Other improvements arrived – solid rubber strips were cemented to wheels, and the saddle moved forward in an effort to get the rider's weight above the pedals. Handlebars became wider and higher. In 1869 a ladies side-saddle velocipede became available.

1868 – The first cycle race was held in Paris – won by an Englishman, James Moore, who proved almost unbeatable for the next few years.

1869 – The Monocycle was invented, with a seat each side of a single large wheel, each rider with handlebars and pedals – mounting and dismounting would probably have posed a problem..!

1869 – The first documented producer of rod-driven 2-wheelers (treadle), was Thomas McCall of Kilmarnock, inspired by Michaux/Lallement designs.

1869 – Reynolds and Mays – Phantom – hinged in the middle of the frame, with a link system which resulted in the steering being shared between both wheels. Also used wire instead of wood for the spokes.

By the year 1869, the term ‘bicycle’ was being used.

Mid 1870's - The 'High Wheel' Era

1869 – Frenchman, Eugene Meyer, regarded as the father of the High Bicycle – he invented the wire-spoke tension wheel.

The Ordinary (Penny Farthing) - the front wheel size is larger, increasing the machine's top speed. Pedals are still fixed to the front wheel. Wheel size was made as large as possible (each one made to measure) – a large front wheel minimised road shocks considerably – though difficult to mount, and hazardous to ride..

That’s got to hurt…

 1874 – James Starley – produced the ladies ordinary, to be ridden side saddle.. and yes, it was as perilous as it sounds!

Late 1860’s / early 1870’s – Some inventors worked on safer alternatives to the ordinary. Designs by Thomas Wiseman and Frederick Shearing published in the ‘English Mechanic’ in 1869, are generally accepted as the first Safety Bicycles.

Soon, other models were introduced, such as tricycles – including a ladies model, with offset wheels and ridden sidesaddle, was devised.

 1876 – H. J. Lawson’s Safety Bicycle – Lever driven, this bicycle closely resembles a MacMillan type.

1876-8 – Shergold Safety – believed to be the earliest surviving bicycle with a chain drive to the rear wheel.

1877 – Ballbearings introduced.

1878 – The Facile ‘Special’ Dwarf Safety – treadle driven.

1879 – Singer’s Xtra-Ordinary – treadle driven (UK)

These two small ordinaries employed pivoted rocking pedals linked to cranks on the axel, making the gearing higher with a smaller wheel.

1879 – Henry J. Lawson – Bicyclette – anticipating the revolutionary Rover by some years – the first efficient chain driven safety bicycle.

 1884 – Hillman, Herbert & Cooper - Kangaroo – a British design threatened to overtake the Ordinary, they added a gear and chain drive mechanism. It gained the one hundred mile record in 1884.

1884 – McCammon Bicycle – single tube drop frame – one of the first to have direct rather than coupled steering.

1885 – The American ‘Star’ Safety (US) – In an attempt to make a safer bicycle, the small wheel was placed in front, handling the steering, and the rider sat above the rear drive wheel.

Early urban downhilling..

The Tricycle Era

By the mid 1880’s, a vast variety of cycles began to flood the market. Various designs of quadracycles and tricycles were popular at this time.

1878-1880 – Rudge Rotary Tricycles.

1878 - Tandem Quadracycle

 Mid 1880’s – The Safety Era

Using a chain and sprocket to drive the rear wheel; low-mounted; pneumatic tyres.

The Marvel; The Pioneer Safety; The Antelope; The BSA; The Humber - All of these with a small front wheel, long sloping fork – none caught on…

1884 – The Humber Safety – Thought to be the first to abandon the single backbone tube design, and adopt the more compact and stiffer diamond frame form that we recognise today.

1884 – The BSA Safety

1885 – Linley & Biggs, London - The Whippet - a variety of springs to help absorb the increased road shock resulting from the use of smaller wheels. The pneumatic tyre arrived shortly after, so such elaborate anti-vibration frames were largely done away with. (experiments in ‘full suspension’ ceased until the late 1950’s!)

1885 – The Rover Safety was launched - the first model to adopt what we think of as the standard bicycle design, with a low seat and chain driven back wheel. Safe, practical, fast... at last. By 1887 the pneumatic tyre was developed for them.

1888 - First ladies drop frame seen on the market.

1893 - a neet self-contained front hub gear of sun and planet design – ‘epicyclic’ - was a superb feat of engineering, the forerunner to the modern 3 speed, was marketed by the Crypto Cycle Co. The last descendent of the ordinary – The Crypto Bantam was simple and popular for short journeys, but it was the safety bicycle that was here to stay.

Within 20 years, almost every working man in Britain owned a bicycle. The emergence of the ‘safety bicycle’ was a social revolution. Ordinary folk could travel further, explore, meet new people, encounter new ideas, expand their pool of potential spouses.. For women it was a major boost for the suffragette movement. And it was the women who caused the biggest stir. The tight corsets and unwieldy skirts were cast aside in favour of bloomers and short skirts.

... hopefully it’s after 9pm… extracts from an 1896 newspaper

Women cyclists caused public scandel as they dumped skirts for TROUSERS..! It reported that "...these loose women are pedalling along the path of destruction". And "...Doctors warned that the unusual physical exertion, combined with the perilous lack of corsetry, would damage the feminine organs of matrimonial necessity and shake them loose..." (…the rest of the report is unfit for printing I'm afraid...!).

….and a few more unusual machines…

1886 Crossframe

1898 Later Crypto geared Alpha Bantam

1886 – Mikael Pedersen, Danish – The Dursley Pedersen – Produced in Dursley, England, featuring the distinctive hammock style seat, and unusual frame. Never really caught on, however, they are still being produced today, with v-brakes OR disc brakes no less..!

And here’s one for the Chrismas ‘do’..

1898 – Giant 8 man tricycle, used in a ‘Vim’ tyre promotion!