In 1818, a man from Baden, Germany (Baron Karl von Drais) patented an invention he called a two-wheeled “running machine.” This machine consisted of two wheels, one in front and one at the back, with a seat and handlebars, and was propelled by the rider pushing their feet against the ground. This was the earliest form of the bicycle.
The image above shows a stunt rider cycling in a loop in 1905
Actually, Drais didn’t design this machine out of sheer hobby
Back in 1815, after the eruption of Mount Tambora, food became scarce during the winter and many horses died of starvation. As a result, Drais had to find an alternative to horses. Later, manufacturers in Britain and the United States were inspired and began creating their own versions of two-wheeled transport.
However, due to certain policies at the time, many cities had regulations banning the use of these two-wheeled vehicles. It wasn’t until the 1860s that people finally mustered the courage to start riding bikes.
So, what did early bicycles actually look like?
1881, Two-Wheeled Pedal Bicycle
It looked quite similar to a hamster exercise ball—definitely adorable...
Three-Wheeled Pedal Bicycle
An additional rear wheel was added for stability, and it could carry two passengers.
Later, this type of tricycle was upgraded with inflatable rubber tires~
From then on, bicycles basically entered the “hand-controlled era.”
Once most people overcame their fear of falling, they weren’t satisfied with just convenient transportation anymore—they wanted more speed. The easiest solution they could think of at the time was to increase the diameter of the front wheel to gain more speed, so a large number of “big front, small back” bikes appeared on the streets.
This type of bicycle also had a colloquial name: “penny-farthing”
Penny-Farthing—referring to the British penny and farthing (a quarter of a penny), because the two wheels resembled a penny leading a farthing. Moreover, many bikes at the time were called “bone-shakers” due to their poor shock absorption.
Because speed had been greatly increased, people began to hold various cycling races.
A bicycle race held in New York in 1890
In the same year, the first cycling championship was held in Berlin, Germany
Of course, if your biking skills are impressive, others will admire and respect you a lot.
Nowadays, many mountain bikers wouldn't dare to go down stairs like this
But because the early bikes—with a large front wheel and small back wheel—had seats that were too high, falling off could be quite dangerous. So, people pooled their ideas together and modified the design into a faster and safer bicycle, equipped with a chain drive and rubber pneumatic tires.
This was the first bicycle to use a chain to drive the rear wheel, with the front wheel controlling the direction
The tandem bicycle ridden by Rolls-Royce founder Charles Stewart Rolls and his classmate
A seven-person bicycle from 1895
In 1896, six people attempting to outrun a train
This improved version of the bicycle was widely accepted and loved by the public, and it laid the foundation for bicycle design over the next century. It is essentially the prototype of the bicycles we see today.
One of the earliest female daredevils (a playful term by the editor)
Finally, here's a photo of a master to top off the post.
Although these early bicycles weren't as high-end as the ones today, I actually think their designs are pretty cute, don't you~