History of cycling

History of cycling

The first indications of inventing a bicycle as a mean of transport date back to the beginning of the 18^th century. Wood was the basic material, which logically did not provide much comfort. In the very beginning, there was just a frame and two wheels. As no pedals were available for drive, the rider was pushing his feet against the ground to make the machine go forward. The first such bicycle was patented in the year 1817 by the German baron Karl Friedrich Drais von Sauerbronn, and then many imitations of this so-called boneshaker were manufactured.

In the year 1839, the first pedals appeared, created by the Scottish blacksmith named Kirkpatrick Macmillian, but they turned out not to be too effective, and therefore in the year 1861, cranks with pedals were attached to the boneshaker’s front wheel by a Parisian named Pierre Michaux. This was the first velocipede created. Such bicycle became a hit in the European towns and soon hundreds of velocipedes were riding in the streets. The velocipede patent was applied for in the year 1866.

Three years later, on 31 May 1869, the first velocipede race was held in Paris. The first race between towns was organised in the same year from Paris to Rouen and it exists up to now. The riders were achieving the average speed of 12 km/h. With the first races, also the first racing teams were created making many experiments to invent faster machine. These efforts resulted into the growth in the front-wheel size, because the larger the front-wheel, the longer the distance will be covered by a single wheel rotation. The bicycle was not too safe, but despite that it became popular among the high society people.

As previously mentioned, the bicycle was not too safe and therefore in the year 1885, a man from England named John Kemp Starley manufactured a bicycle called Rover. Both wheels were more or less symmetrical, the front one’s diameter was 76 cm and the rear one was driven using a chain. Such bicycle was much easier to control when compared with the preceding types with a large front wheel with the diameter of 1.2 to 1.5 meter. In the same era, John Boyd Dunlop invented tyres.

Soon the cycling became very popular in Europe, and such popularity resulted in organising the cycling races. In the year 1903, an editor of the L'auto magazine organised a stage race around France to promote the magazine, this race being the predecessor of the most famous world race of Tour de France. The race distance was 2428 km and was won by Maurice Garin.

The intensive development of cycling was interrupted in the year 1914 by the World War I, but even during the war the bikes found their place when moving the military troops, material or mail.

Then racing started again in Europe. In the year 1919, Tour de France was held again and the winning rider was awarded with the yellow jersey for the first time. Yellow was the colour of the pages of the L'auto magazine organising the race.

The restoration of racing resulted into development of technology, and the first tubeless tyres and quick clamps appeared, created by the Italian Tullio Campagnolo in the year 1927. In the year 1933, the first Campagnolo’s derailleur was welcome.

After the World War II, bikes went out of fashion due to better affordability of cars. Bikes were used as a mean of transport especially in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, where huge networks of cycle paths were created.

The first real cycling star appeared in the year 1940 and his name was Fausto Coppi, who as the first man won Tour and Giro in the same year – in 1949. Soon after that, the first service cars began to appear, transporting spare parts.

Later, another stars appeared – a Frenchman Jacques Anquentil, the first racer who won Tour de France five times (1957, 1961–64), and above all, probably the best cyclist of all times, Eddie Merckx, who won Tour, Giro and World Championship in the year 1974. During his career, he won more than 550 races.

During the same year, a new sport appeared, so-called MTB (mountain bike), and in the year 1987, the fist mountain bike World Championship was held in France.

Source: Chris Sidwells, Complete Bike Book