The History of Bikes

The “Horseless Carriage”

In 1817, Karl von Drais invented a horseless carriage that would help him get around faster. The two-wheeled device without pedals was moved by pushing your feet against the ground, The machine was called the “draisine,” and it led to the creation of the modern-day bicycle.

The Word “Bicycle”The word “bicycle” was not used until the 1860s, when the people in France used it to describe a new kind of two-wheeler with a mechanical drive.

The Penny-Farthing Bicycle

Bike rides were really rough because the tires were made of iron. People thought that having a bigger front wheel on a bicycle would make it go faster and they thought that the big wheel would make the ride more comfortable. They started making bikes with giant front wheels and called them penny-farthing bicycles because the wheels were different in size like the two coins.

An Amazing Bike Trip

Fred A. Birchmore went all the way around the world by bicycle in 1935 when he was 25 years old. The entire trip, through Europe, Asia, and the United States, covered forty thousand miles. He pedaled about 25,000 miles. The rest was traveled by boat. He wore out seven sets of tires.

Fred A. Birchmore and his friend Bucephalus

Tour de FranceThe Tour de France is one of the most famous bicycle races in the world. It was started in 1903, and is thought to be the biggest test of endurance out of all sports. Lance Armstrong, an American cyclist, is the only rider to have won seven times (1999–2005) after surviving cancer.

BMX Bike RacesBicycle Moto Cross (BMX), an extreme style of bicycle track racing, became a sport in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

NowAbout 100 million bicycles are manufactured worldwide each year. That’s 100,000,000!

NowBikes are still used for transportation and for some jobs (like delivery services and paper routes).

Bikes are also used for stunts, racing, and recreation.