In 1818, a man from Baden, Germany (Baron Karl von Drais) patented a two-wheeled "running machine" he had invented. This machine consisted of two wheels, one at the front and one at the back, with a seat and handlebars, and was propelled by the rider’s feet pushing against the ground. This was the earliest form of the bicycle.
The image above shows a stunt rider on a loop track in 1905
Actually, Drais didn’t invent this machine out of sheer passion
Because after the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, food became scarce in winter and many horses died of starvation, so Drais had to find a substitute for horses. Later, manufacturers in Britain and the United States were also inspired and began creating their own two-wheeled transport devices.
But due to certain policies at the time, many cities prohibited the use of these two-wheeled vehicles. It wasn’t until the 1860s that people finally mustered the courage to start riding bicycles.
So, what did early bicycles actually look like?
1881, two-wheeled pedal bike
It looked a lot like a hamster exercise ball — seriously adorable...
Tricycle
An additional rear wheel was added for stability, and it could carry two passengers.
Later, this tricycle with inflatable rubber tires was developed~
From then on, bicycles basically entered the "hand-controlled era."
Once most people got over their fear of falling, they weren’t satisfied with just convenient transport 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 go faster, so a wave of bikes with “big front, small back” wheels hit the streets.
This type of bicycle also had a colloquial name: “penny-farthing”
Penny-Farthing — named after the British coins penny and farthing (a quarter of a penny), because the two wheels looked like a penny leading a farthing. And many of these bikes, due to poor shock absorption, were also called “bone-shakers.”
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 German Bicycle Championship was held in Berlin
Of course, if your biking skills are impressive, you’ll earn admiration and respect from others.
Nowadays, many mountain bikers wouldn’t dare descend stairs like this
But because this early model—with a large front wheel and small rear wheel—had a seat that was too high, falling off could be quite dangerous. So people pooled their ideas and innovated a faster, 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 and a front wheel for steering
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, laying the foundation for over a century of bicycle design to come. It’s essentially the prototype of the bicycles we see today.
One of the earliest female daredevils (our editor’s playful term)
Finally, here's a photo of a master to top it off.
Although these early bicycles weren't as high-end as the ones today, I actually think their designs are pretty cute, don't you~