1. By: Assunta De Pau and Matt Owens
T-202
7th period

2. What is a bicycle?
A bicycle is a two wheeled vehicle that is
moved with pedals, which are attached to the
wheels with a gear and chain. You steer
the bike with handlebars.

3. Timeline of the Bicycle
o 1790-Comte Mede de Sivrac
(France)
• First contraption to resemble a bike
• No pedals or steering
• Called a Celerifere, it was a wooden
scooter-like vehicle
o 1816-Baron Karl von Drais de
Sauerbrun (Germany)
• Steering mechanism was added to the
celerifere
• This new vehicle is called a
Draisienne
http://bicycling.about.com/od/thebikelife/ss/History.htm
http://daddytypes.com/archive/draisien.gif

4. Timeline (Continued)
o 1839-Kirkpatrick Macmillan (Scotland)
• The bike is now propelled by pedals and rods that
alternate moving to propel the bike(almost like a train)
• This bicycle weighed 57 pounds!!
• The frame was wooden and the wood wheels had iron
rims
http://bicycling.about.com/od/thebikelif
e/ss/History_2.htm

5. Timeline (Continued)
o 1858-1863- Pierre and Ernest Michaux
(France)
• New bicycle was called a Velocipede or “Bone Shaker”
• Had a larger front wheel because people believed a larger
wheel would allow you to move faster
• This velocipede had cranks and pedals that propelled it
like a tricycle
o 1868-Pierre Lallement (France)
• Took Pierre and Ernest’s idea to the United States
• Received a patent for this new bicycle
• The bike had a stiff iron frame and wooden wheels with an
iron rim

6. http://www.rcommunitybikes.net/rcbimages/cyc_boneshaker.jpg
http://bicycling.about.com/od/thebikelife/ss/History_3.htm
Velocipede

7. Timeline (Continued)
o 1869-Eugene Meyer
(France)
• Wire wheels with spokes
o 1870-1876
• Bikes made entirely out of
metal
• Now using solid rubber
tires and long spokes for
the front wheel
• The “High Wheeler” is a
new bike in the US and
Europe
http://bicycling.about.com/od/thebikelife/ss/History_4.htm
http://www.pedalinghistory.com/P
Hhistory.html

8. Timeline (Continued)
o 1885-John Kemp Starley (England)
• He creates a basic design for a bicycle
• The design includes…
○ 2 wheels of the same size
○ Sprocket and chain system
○ Inflated rubber tires
http://bicycling.about.com/od/thebikelife/ss/History_5.htm

9. Timeline (Continued)
o 1889
• Pneumatic rubber tire is created
o 1890
• Mass production of the “Safety Bicycle”
o 1894
• Bamboo bicycles are manufactured
o 1895-Ignatz Schwinn and Adolph Arnold
• They formed the “Arnold, Schwinn & Company”
• Started producing bicycles http://www.ibike.org/library/history-timeline.htm
http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html

10. Timeline (Continued)
o 1920
• Kids bikes are created after WWI
o 1950-1970
• English 3-speed bicycle
o 1970
• 10-speed derailleur bikes
o 1977-Joe Breeze, Otis Guy, Gary
Fisher, and Craig Mitchell
(California)
• Mountain bike prototype is created
http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html
http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/kits/images/Motorcycle/
mpc-schwinn.JPG

11. Timeline (Continued)
o 20??(future)
• New bicycle may come out
• Features include:
○ Battery assisted motor
○ Run by solar panels
○ Plays music
○ Puncture proof self inflating tires
○ Mini-computer to show calories
burned, etc.
• Cost:
○ If sold right now it would cost
around $771,350
○ If sold after being mass produced
cost would be around $3,085
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/
6010317/Intelligent-bicycle-of-the-future-
unveiled.html

12. How was the bike made?
 The original bicycle was made by hand,
using wooden parts
 As time passed improvements were made
because society was evolving and
becoming more technologically advanced
 New methods and materials were used
because it made the bike cheaper and
easier to manufacture

13. Major Improvements
 1816- Steering
 1863- Pedals added
 1870- The first all metal bike is
manufactured
 1879- Chain-driven bike is patented
 1890- Gears added to bicycles
 1894- Bikes made lighter by using
bamboo
 1984- More complex gears allow bikes to
have up to 24 speeds
 2002- 30 speed gears

14. Who uses the bike?
 1817- Everyday people begin to use bikes
 1863- Bikes become popular once more, mostly in
cities
 1870- The high wheeler become popular with wealthier
people because of its expensive metal frame
 1890- The cheaper safety bike allows common people
to take up biking
 1894- The first bike messengers are employed due to a
railway strike which stopped mail delivery
 1920- The kids bike is introduced, greatly expanding
the biking community
 1958-1978- Bicycle boom

15. Bicycle Boom
 1958- Women first race in the World
Championships
 1962- People begin using bikes for
recreation and fitness
 1970- Bicycles become popular modes
of transportation due to awareness of
pollution, especially around college
campuses
 1973-1978- Rising gas prices cause
people to use bikes as transportation

16. Effects on Society
 Walking and horses were replaced by the
use of the bicycle as personal transportation
 The bicycle created a faster paced society
 Bikes helped enforce the concept of gender
equality because bike manufacturers began
marketing to women
 Women’s clothing styles continued to evolve
to accommodate lifestyle changes due to the
growing popularity of bicycles among women
 Due to their maneuverability the military
incorporated the bicycle into their operations

17. Effects on Environment
 When bicycles were first invented there
was not much impact on the
environment because bicycles do not
give off pollution
 In the 1970’s pollution became a
growing issue and bicycles became
more popular
 Bicycles are used as an alternative
today because of expensive gas prices
and environmental concerns

18. Works Cited
 Advameg, Inc. , . (2010). Bicycle. Retrieved from http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Bicycle.html
 EnchantedLearning.com, Initials. (2010). Invention of the bicycle. Retrieved from
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/b/bicycle.shtml
 Ewen-Campen, B. (2003, October 3). The Modernizing effects of the bicycle. Retrieved from
http://fubini.swarthmore.edu/~ENVS2/S2003/Bewenca1/Ben_Third_Essay.htm
 Exploratorium, . (n.d.). Science of cycling: timeline. Retrieved from
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/timeline.html
 Fiedler, D. (2010). Bikes: an illustrated history. Retrieved from
http://bicycling.about.com/od/thebikelife/ss/History.htm
 Mozer, D. (2010). Bicycle history timeline. Retrieved from http://www.ibike.org/library/history-timeline.htm
 Otto, S. (2009, August 12). 'intelligent' bicycle of the future unveiled. Retrieved from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/6010317/Intelligent-bicycle-of-the-future-unveiled.html
 Ratnikas, A. (2010). Timelines-bicycle. Retrieved from
http://timelinesdb.com/listevents.php?subjid=210&dayinhist=0&date1=-
99999999999&date2=99999999999&words=&title=Bicycle&fromrec=0