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Making History
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 Tuesday 3.00-3.30 p.m |
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Sue Cook presents the series that examines listeners' historical queries, exploring avenues of research and uncovering mysteries. |
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The bicycle - tyres, pedals and chains
Listener's query
"What were the main stages in the development of the bicycle? Would there have been pneumatic tyres by the end of the 19th century?"
Brief summary
The first bicycle was really the hobby-horse which came in in 1819. It had no pedals, and the rider paddled along with his or her legs on the ground. Forty years later came the 'boneshaker', which was developed in Paris in the 1860s and came to England in 1869. The bicycle then developed very quickly.
Eugene Mayer in Paris invented the wire wheel, which immediately led to the penny-farthing. In 1885 J.K. Starley, an Englishman, developed the safety bicycle with two similar-sized wheels - but the hard tyres made it very uncomfortable. In 1888 John Boyd Dunlop, a Belfast vet, invented pneumatic tyres with an inner tube, which he made for his son's tricycle. These quickly took over from the solid tyres. In 1889 they were used extensively for racing, and by 1892 practically all bicycles had pneumatic tyres.
By the end of the 19th century the main features of the bike were complete, including the chain drive, the ability to freewheel and easy braking. Sturmey and Archer introduced two-speed gears from 1901 and derailleur gears came shortly after that.
Further reading
David V. Herlihy, Bicycle: The History (Yale University Press 2004)
Websites
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See AlsoThe ±«Óãtv is not responsible for the content of external sites |
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Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ±«Óãtv, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ±«Óãtv Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý