by Raymond L. Marr

Created on: August 06, 2008

The bicycle and it's history, is very unique from it's early days until the current version seen most often today such as Mountain Bikes, or Road Bikes, BMX, are a far cry from the early years of what was considered a bicycle. The term bicycle and it's design really came about around the year 1870 according to pedalinghistory.com under the name of The High Wheel, which sported a large front wheel as a result of the realization that the larger the wheel, the more distance that could be covered in each rotation similar to the bikes of today without the free wheel or the gears. The pedals on this High Wheel Bicycle were affixed to the front wheel there was no chain system at that time. Looking at the bikes of today, you can truly realize how much different these early revisions must of been. During that time these were innovations, new modes of transportation by human power.

To truly go back to the history of bicycles one should really look back at the first variation, called the walking machine circa 1817, simply put a wooden frame and steel wheels that was propelled by foot and was the springboard to the later renovation. It is amazing how we as people can adapt throughout the history of bicycles the walking machine set the precedent for the bike frame it only lasted for a short bit as a fad or a fancy, the seed though was planted.

Next there is mention of another human powered vehicle, coined the velocipede or bone shaker, due to its wooden frame and steel wheels. The difference though it was the first to provide pedals on the front wheel thereby enabling a new level of motion. The walking machine provided the frame, later the velocipede set the seed germination in motion, by adding pedals. Also phasing out in becoming a fad, more accepted and in bigger cities provided for as a recreational ride in roller rinks and the such. The fact that this version of the bicycle was using metal wheels, and the roads of the time were not adapted to it resulted in naming it the bone shaker.

The next innovation that I had mentioned earlier, circa 1870 called the High Wheel improved further on the viability of the human powered vehicle. Learning from the stressed seat bones from those who decided to take the bone shaker for a spin. The High Wheel, established the first rubber wheel, as a result of improvement on the metallurgic arts, the frame was entirely made of metal. Still using the pedals affixed to the front wheel though making for a more comfortable ride, the high wheel

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