The document traces the history of the bicycle from 1817 to present day. It shows the early prototypes like the Draisienne and Velocipede that led to the high wheel bicycle popular in the late 1800s. The safety bicycle design with equal sized wheels, chain drive, and pneumatic tires emerged in the 1880s making cycling more accessible. Bicycles grew rapidly in popularity in the late 1800s but declined with the rise of automobiles in the 1920s when they became seen as children's toys. Different styles of bicycles then emerged through the 1900s for various uses like racing, mountain biking, BMX, and cargo/utility bicycles. Hybrid and electric folding bikes gained popularity in recent decades.

1. arms or sewing machine industries, which had the
1820s­1850s necessary metalworking and engineering skills
The idea of a 2­wheel
design requiring the rider to 1895 Michelin's first
balance is dismissed. automobile tire
Three wheels (tricycles) or
four (quadracycles)
High Wheel Tricycle
Rack and pinion steering, Chain and sprocket,
differential, band brakes... hard rubber tires
1888 Dr. John B Dunlop
1884: high­wheelers and pnuematic tires
tricycles popular among (Robert Thomson 1845)
1865 Velocipede
upper­middle­class people
fashionable craze
in France, UK, USA
1868­70
Pneumatic tires enabled the
Cast iron frames
diamond frame for strength,
replaced early
efficiency and smooth­riding
wooden frame for
mass­production
1817 Draisienne
Baron Karl von Drais 1870s High Wheel 1900: starts the golden age or
Eugene Meyer "bicycle craze"
wire­spoke tension wheel
James Starley 1879 Henry Lawson
“Crocodile”
“Bone­shaker”
1493 Gian Giacomo Kirkpatrick MacMillan
Caprotti? (blacksmith) 1885 John Kemp Starley
Rear­wheel drive "safety bicycle"
(never patented)
1968 Michaux et Cie
British cartwrights First bicycle company “Ordinaries” dangerous; only for 1898: 10% of all advertising in
“dandyhorse” adventurous young men by bicycle makers

2. The “celerifere” early bike prototype Rover Safety Bicycle
Pennyfarthing trick­riding at BibliOdyssey

3. Chopper bike
1920 Automobiles became popular.
Bicycles considered children's toys. Portable bike
By 1940 most bicycles for children
Tour Easy by Easy Racers (USA)
1897 ad
1990s Hybrid bikes: city
bike, cross bike, or
1930s Recumbent bicycle commuter
1980s Mountain bike
1934 Cruiser bicycle
Freeride, Downhill,
CrossCountry,Trials, 4X
Concept bikes
1970s BMX
1894 Folding bike patent 518,330
Cargo bicycle
Susan B. Anthony:
"Bicycling has done more to
emancipate women than 2010 VW electric folding bike
anything else in the world”
1960s Racing bicycle
1896 Bike racing included in the first modern Olympic games in Greece
1903 Tour de France

4. Sources include:
http://nbhaa.com/
http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html
http://www.motoringpicturelibrary.com/preview_image.asp?fleID=5840
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle
http://renekmueller.com/Recumbents
http://www.jimlangley.net/ride/bicyclehistorywh.html
http://www.madsencycles.com
http://www.robertwechsler.com/thebest.html