Anyone who has ridden the bicycle knows how hard it is to learn to do so. I learned to ride in the time-honored way, with my father holding the seat to keep it from falling to the side and running behind me as I pedaled, and then after some time slowly letting go without my knowledge, while still running behind to catch me if I fell. After a few such attempts, I was able to ride alone. The feeling of exhilaration at not toppling over is something I still remember. I used the same method to teach my younger daughter but my older daughter learned to ride on her own, pedaling a bit and putting her foot down when in danger of falling over, until the pedaling parts got longer and longer and suddenly she was off.
I think everyone has a sense of surprise at how stable the bicycle feels. Once you get moving, there is little danger of toppling to the side even though the width of the base is so narrow that the center of mass is rarely directly above the base. Understanding the stability of the bicycle turns out to be not simple and about six years ago, I posted about the various theories have been put forward to explain it and I am not sure if there is any definitive scientific consensus as yet or whether rival theories still exist.
What is clear is that the bicycle came into being by trial and error during the 19th century. This French documentary video from 1915 describes the history of the early attempts before the modern bicycle emerged.
The titles are in Dutch but the translations are given below.
- The draisine was invented only a century ago, in 1818 by Baron Drais de Sauerbrun.
- The vehicle that lies between the draisine and the 1850 bicycle has an improved steering wheel and a fitted brake.
- In 1863, Pierre Lallement invented pedals that worked on the front wheel.
- Around 1868, a third wheel was added. Although these tricycles were heavier than the two-wheelers, they were safer.
- Between 1867 and 1870, various improvements were made, including the increased use of rubber tyres.
- In 1875, following an invention by the engineer Trieffault, the frame was made of hollow pipes.
- Following the fashion of the day, the front wheel was made as large as possible.
- In 1878, Renard created a bicycle with a wheel circumference of more than 7 feet. Just sitting down on one of these was an athletic feat!
- At the beginning of 1879, Rousseau replaced the large front wheel with a smaller one, and the chain was introduced on the front wheel for driving power.
- The bicycle of today.
What impresses me is how someone got the original idea that such an unlikely contraption could actually be made to work and was willing to try it out.