The Bicycle

Posted in The World Of Metal on 11th August 2010

The modern bicycles that we see today are indeed a far step from the bone-shakers of yesteryear. Their popularity is such that, reportedly, there are over 800 million of them in use throughout the world. We thought that we would have a look at how they came into our lives.

Bicycles have long a history stretching back to the late 1400's when Leonardo da Vinci sketched out his ideas for what such a thing might look like. It would take a further 300 years before an embryonic machine would make its first appearance. This was basically a wooden hobbyhorse called the "Celerifere" and the invention of a Frenchman; Comte de Sivrac. The rider sat between the two wheels on a beam that connected them together and pushed his feet along the ground to drive it along. Not rocket science now, but it might have been then.

By the early 1800's, when a German Baron, Baron Karl von Drais, invented a way of steering such a machine, hobbyhorse riding became quite a popular pastime.

Numerous people tinkered with the concept and around the mid 1800's the "Penny farthing" was being peddled along country roads and city streets. These machines must have been quite a sight with their high riding position further emphasized by the rider perched precariously on the seat and gripping hold of the handlebars.

By the late 1800's John Kemp Starley had come up with the "Rover safety" which was the precursor to the modern bicycle that we recognise today. The famous diamond frame made its appearance and is still used in the construction of bikes today.

Improvements and innovations kept and continue to keep on coming. As the old iron frames gave way to tubular steel frames, usually made from an alloyed steel, for example a HSLA (High Strength Low Alloy) type 4130 with its additions of chromium and molybdenum it is easier to weld and offers a greater tensile strength to the other popular alternative grade 1020 carbon steel. End use and price of the bicycle will be a factor in deciding which type and what alloy is used. Frames are also produced from a variety of other materials, titanium and aluminium alloys and also carbon fibres.

Major improvements were seen in gearing, brake parts and suspension systems produced from stainless steel, aluminium alloys, plastics, ceramics and composites. The use of ball bearings produced from steel and hybrid ceramics, chain drives made from carbon or alloyed steels and seats made from plastics and nylons although leather still remains a popular option.

Best not forget pneumatic tyres and the impact they had on lessening the impact. These came in about 1887 and are usually thought to have been invented by John Dunlop however his patent was overturned as it had been superseded by one granted in 1846 to another Scottish inventor, Robert Thompson. I think that it would be fair to say the Dunlop re-invented the pneumatic tyre for use on a bicycle.

Modern, "Space age", technologies using computer aided design models help produce faster and faster cycles that enable riders to power them around velodromes creating new Olympic World records and to push them along the roads and up the hills and mountains, when competing in events like the World famous Tour de France.

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