The History of Bicycle

You may have been cycling for several years, or a few months or you just start riding your bicycle recently. So you are quite familiar with your bike, but do you know the history of the bicycle? The following passage aims to help you learn more about the bicycle.

1860-1899: Off and rolling
As to the origins of the bicycle, opinions vary from individual to individual. But the majority of the people agreed that the inventor
of the bicycle is Baron von Drais. He invented this thing aiming to help him move faster. It was called "The Walking Machine." Later, it was reformed. The frame of it was made of wood and the tires made of metal, which is called Boneshaker. The first all metal bicycle was invented in 1870 and called The High Wheel Bicycle. It is more comfortable than the
former. Then pneumatic rubber tires invented. Then it comes to the Safety Bike. From its name, we can see that it's safer than its predecessors. But it's also expensive.

1900-1929: Picking up speed
The first recumbent bikes appeared in 1901. As for a traditional bike, the rider sits upright or leans forward slightly. But a recumbent rider leans back which makes him more relaxed. Recumbent bikes have large space. You might think these bikes are impractical to move slowly. But you'd be wrong. In fact, these bikes are aerodynamic and move with great speeds. Besides, the recumbent bicycle holds the record of the world speed. Later, the users of bicycles reduced and the bicycle were considered primarily as children's toys.

1930-1939: A tool for the depression
In this period, the number of people who use bicycle decreased a lot. Most people didn't want to buy it and use it. One reason is that it seems like all the bicycles around are the same. Later, Schwinn created a new department aiming to make bicycles work better and look better. Then, Schwinn created a new model - the "Streamline
Aerocycle". This kind of bicycle saved the whole bicycle industry from depression. Again, more and more people would like to use a bicycle. It was regarded as the beginning of a new era.

1940-1949: The bicycle goes to war
During War World II, Germany occupied Denmark from 1940 to 1945. Owing to the lack of supply and fuel rationing, the bicycle became the main means of transport.

1950-1969: Little bikes and small wheels
In this time, a Moulton bike attracted many people. The bikes made by this company were famous for their special design and small wheels, which was considered as the leader at that time. Alex Moulton, the founder of the company, was dissatisfied with the current design and fashion of the bike. So he and his team created small wheels with high-pressure tires for better acceleration. Also, they created a new style of frame.The Moulton Bicycle is the original, high-performance bicycle, which was designed for speed, efficiency, durability and comfort. They become the symbol of the 1960s and many companies learned from this and produced many small wheels.

1970-1979: The bicycle goes high tech
Mountain biking came into being because cycling becomes more and more popular. In 1970, Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher thought of a new kind of bike built for the hard-core terrain. It had lots of function and it allowed cyclists to climb steep inclines, ride over logs, rocks, dirt roads and everything you would find on a mountain. At that time, mountain biking is a really popular sport. In 1974, cycling companies began to use titanium for their bikes because it possesses many favorable traits. For the people who just started cycling, titanium is a very good and resilient metal, able to withstand a lot of abrasions. However, titanium is also expensive and difficult to operate. This makes the cost of production high. As a result, titanium bikes are notoriously expensive.

1980-1989: An upgrade for Mountain biking
With the popularity of the cycling, it became obvious that more and more people were interested in trying it out. In this way, Specialized Bicycle Components held the Specialized Stumpjumper-the first mass-produced mountain bike. The 15-speed bike was popular and it sold out in a week. The International BMX Federation was set up in this same year by Gerrit Does. The first World Unicycling Convention and Championships (UNICON) started its debut in
1984, in Syracuse, New York. From then on, mountain bikes became the main style of cycling. Besides, in 1987, Paul Turner, founder of the now defunct cycling company RockShox, made a great improvement on the existing style with his full-suspension mountain bike. Though the industry took little notice of his work, the full-suspension bike quickly became famous for its capabilities.

1990-1999: The "Mig" dynasty
Disc brakes are primarily used in off-road bikes. However, they showed up in other models. A disc brake is a metal disc which is on the wheel. When cyclists trigger the brakes, the disc slows down,
and then the wheel goes down as well. Disc brakes are famous for owning a high resilience to the elements and conditions. Moreover,
they are quite fit for the both the front and the rear suspension system. That's why they are the first choice for mountain bikes.

The Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics were the first to host a mountain biking sport. Both the women's and the men's games were a huge success. In the women's, Italy's Paula Pezzo took the gold. In the men's, the Netherlands' Bart Brentjens won the gold. Later, mountain biking introduced as an Olympic sport.

2000-2015: Good times and Bike tech advancement carries
There is a cyclist's heaven of a city aiming to create a favorable atmosphere for a population of about 80000, called "The Great City." It is a car-free area.As we all know, car pollution is one of the biggest causes of air pollution in the whole world. So this movement wanted to reduce the air pollution of the city and protect the
environment. After all, China is troubled with the severe fog problem over the past years. Due to the forbidden of cars in the Great City, there will be space for bicycles. More and more people would like to ride a bike to school or work. As a result, the number of people who use a bike increased quickly.

There is no doubt that, with the advancement of the technology, bicycles have changed a lot. Its designs and materials all become more and more modern and technological. It provides convenience
for cyclists so it becomes popular all over the world. More and more people would like to join the group of cyclists. It is inevitable that bicycle is becoming a part of the world's culture.