AshiaPigg21
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The Vintage Bicycle
Do you remember that first bike. I surely do, I had wheels, I had been mobile, I could go anywhere and did. Transportation was cool. I am certain a lot of you've fond memories of the first bicycle. The very first ride was an adventure and great fun.
On this page I want to provide you with just a little history of the vintage bicycle. The bicycle originates along way from the few boards with wheels connected to the mechanical marvel nowadays.
The first bicycle had two wheels with no pedals.
Known as the Draisienne or Hobbyhorse this machine was presented to the general public in Paris France in 1819. Designed by Baron von Drais, this bicycle was just a wooden frame with two wheels which the rider sat on and pushed along with his feet while steering the front wheel having a handle bar. The hobbyhorse was duplicated by builders in many countries around the world. The best were manufactured in England by Denis Johnson and were knows as the velocipede. When compared with early models they were better built and far lighter. Because of poor roads and difficult wheels these bicycles were a punishing ride and also the hobbyhorse lost favor using the public during the 1820's
Finally a better way to make it go.
1860- A better way to make it go. Before 1860 lots of people thought a rider could not keep their balance very far not having their feet on the ground. This idea was proven wrong by many people new builders of bicycles. Adding pedals to supply forward motion was the answer to make it go also it was discovered that the rider could balance and steer the machines quite well.
These changes towards the velocipede brought new interest to cycling world wide, nevertheless the interest didn't last as these bicycles were much to heavy, hard to steer and slow. The pedals only allowed one revolution from the drive wheel.This design did however give a base for rise in in the future
Lighter and Faster
In Britain, as popularity of the velocipede fell off, the search went on for any lighter and faster bicycle. The search was led by the cycling sportsmen, cycling clubs and the growing bicycle manufacturing industry.
British bicycle builders, by 1870, had built a new kind of velocipede having a large front wheel made possible by a new method to construct the wheels. The brand new wheels, referred to as suspension wheels, used wire spokes, and rubber mounted on the edges to make for a significantly lighter and smoother riding wheel. The rear wheel is made smaller to save weight. Also around this time period the tubular frame started to be used of all models.
The riders of these cycles sat within the front wheel so that you can get to the pedals, which looks a bit scary to me, however the new faster, lighter cycle was created
Now a safer method to cycle
During the later part of the 1870's the high wheel bike was instrumental in creating a new cycling craze. The drawback to this was lots of people couldn't ride these tall and difficult to ride machines.
Manufacturers looked to a safer design, and the tricycle was the solution. James Starley was among the first tricycle designers with his lever operated trike of 1876 and the following year saw his design of the continuous chain around the Coventry Rotary.
Over 350 models of they were available to the British public having a large variety of steering and brake systems as well as other special features for example an improved transmission system.
Many of these improvements put into the popularity of cycling generally making the machines much safer for that public to make use of
High wheel design modified for safety.
While making tricycles, bicycle builders were also working with the two wheel design to enhance safety. Decreasing the center of gravity was one way used to reach their goal. By moving the rider behind the front wheel and adding pedals with levers, the rider was closer to the floor while still being able to get to the pedals of the still large front wheel.
This design combined with the tricycles served the marketplace well until the mid 1880's. Again a new design arrives with many improvements. In the British this time around a design which moved the rider farther back minimizing to the ground. This was done by reducing the size the front wheel. They used a gear and chain system which turned the wheel faster than the pedals to pay for that reduced size of the driven wheel. The bicycle known as the Kangaroo by Hillman, Herbert and Cooper led many builders to consider their very own version of this design
The current Bicycle Arrives
Builders continued bettering the types of the 1850's to bring a safer much more comfortable bicycle to market. These improvements became known as the safety bicycle, having a lower and longer profile having a chain-drive towards the rear wheel. This design with both wheels exactly the same size set the rider between them and also the pedals underneath the rider. Setting the leading forks in an angle enabled the rider to simply get to the handlebars to steer the bike.
As with any new designs they were not perfect, however many new things were in order to enhance the convenience of the bicycle. The largest single improvement was the pneumatic tire. The bicycle was now a secure and reliable mode of transport.
