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The Vintage Bicycle

Do you remember that first bike. I surely do, I'd wheels, I was mobile, I could go anywhere and did. Transportation was cool. I am certain a lot of you have fond memories of the first bicycle. The first ride was an adventure and great fun.

In this article I wish to bring you a little good reputation for the vintage bicycle. The bicycle originates along way from the few boards with wheels connected to the mechanical marvel nowadays.

The very first bicycle had two wheels and no pedals.

Referred to as Draisienne or Hobbyhorse this machine was given to the general public in Paris France in 1819. Designed by Baron von Drais, this bicycle was just a wooden frame with two wheels which the rider sat on and pushed along with his feet while steering the front wheel having a handle bar. The hobbyhorse was duplicated by builders in many countries around the world. The best were produced in England by Denis Johnson and were knows because the velocipede. When compared with early models they were better built and far lighter. Because of poor roads and difficult wheels these bicycles were a punishing ride and also the hobbyhorse lost favor with the public throughout the 1820's

Finally an easy method to really make it go.

1860- An easy method to make it go. Before 1860 many people thought a rider could not keep their balance very far not having their feet on the floor. This concept was proven wrong by many people new builders of bicycles. Adding pedals to supply forward motion was the answer to make it go also it was discovered that the rider could balance and steer the machines very well.

These changes to the velocipede brought new interest to cycling world wide, nevertheless the interest did not last because these bicycles were much to heavy, tough to steer and slow. The pedals only allowed one revolution of the drive wheel.This design did however give a base for rise in the coming years

Lighter and Faster

In Britain, as interest in the velocipede fell off, the search continued for a lighter and faster bicycle. The search was led through the cycling sportsmen, cycling clubs and also the growing bicycle manufacturing industry.

British bicycle builders, by 1870, had built a new kind of velocipede with a large front wheel permitted with a new way to construct the wheels. The brand new wheels, referred to as suspension wheels, used wire spokes, and rubber installed on the rims to make for a much lighter and smoother riding wheel. The trunk wheel is made smaller to save weight. Also during this time period period the tubular frame started to be used on most models.

The riders of these cycles sat over the front wheel to be able to get to the pedals, which looks a little scary in my experience, however the new faster, lighter cycle was born

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Now a safer method to cycle

During the later area of the 1870's our prime wheel bike was instrumental in creating a new cycling craze. The downside of it was many people could not ride these tall and hard to ride machines.

Manufacturers looked to a safer design, and the tricycle was the solution. James Starley was among the first tricycle designers together with his lever operated trike of 1876 and also the following year saw his design of the continuous chain around the Coventry Rotary.

Over 350 models of they were open to the British public with a large number of steering and brake systems along with other special features for example a better transmission system.

Many of these improvements added to the recognition of cycling generally and made the machines much safer for that public to make use of

High wheel design modified for safety.

While making tricycles, bicycle builders were also dealing with the 2 wheel design to enhance safety. Lowering the center of gravity was one way used to reach their goal. By moving the rider behind the leading wheel and adding pedals with levers, the rider was nearer to the ground yet still be able to reach the pedals from the still large front wheel.

This design along with the tricycles served the marketplace well until the mid 1880's. Again a brand new design arrives with lots of improvements. In the British this time a design which moved the rider even farther back and lower down. This was made by reducing the size the front wheel. They used a gear and chain system which turned the wheel faster than the pedals to compensate for that reduced size the driven wheel. The bicycle known as the Kangaroo by Hillman, Herbert and Cooper led many builders to consider their own version of the design

The current Bicycle Arrives

Builders continued improving on the types of the 1850's to bring a safer more comfortable bicycle to promote. These improvements became referred to as safety bicycle, featuring a lower and longer profile having a chain-drive to the rear wheel. This design with both wheels exactly the same size set the rider between them and also the pedals below the rider. Setting the front forks at an angle enabled the rider to easily reach the handle bars to steer the bike.

As with any new designs they weren't perfect, however many something totally new were on the way to enhance the convenience of the bicycle. The largest single improvement was the pneumatic tire. The bicycle was now a secure and reliable mode of transport.