June 12, 1817: When Was the Bicycle Invented?

A Brief History

On June 12, 1817, Karl Drais of Germany invented a contraption he called the “Laufmaschine,” German for “running machine” as the two wheeled single rider vehicle was powered by the rider scooting his feet along the ground. Also known as a “draisine” (German) or “draisienne” (French), this earliest form of bicycle later became known broadly as a “velocipede,” a term covering all types of bicycles and other people powered ground vehicles. Drais patented his invention in France in 1818, and the name continued to evolve to become known as “The Dandy Horse.”

Digging Deeper

The evolution of the bicycle continued with the addition of pedal power, originally cranks directly connected to the drive wheel(s) as in a modern tricycle. Later arrangements of gears or chains provided a more refined method of transferring leg power to the drive wheel(s). During the 19th Century a variety of contraptions were developed, from one wheeled unicycles to four wheeled quadricycles and even five wheeled vehicles. The push powered Dandy Horse, although it looked similar to a modern bicycle layout with two large wheels arranged in line front and back with a seat in the middle on which the rider straddled the device, was finally superseded by pedal power in France in the 1860’s. The “balance bike” sort of Dandy Horse was impractical over rough ground, and was primarily limited to smooth, firm roadways or surfaces. With the invention of pneumatic (air filled) tires and the familiar layout of centrally located pedals turning a gear that drove a chain around a second gear at the rear wheel the bicycle became friendlier to less ideal roadways. (The first pneumatic tire was invented in 1845-1847, but never produced. The propagation of commercially successful pneumatic tires began in 1888, by Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop in Ireland. (Perhaps you recognize the name on your own car’s tires?) Bikes usually have metal tensioned spokes, though some today may have rigid plastic spokes or even a solid wheel.

Various types of brakes, such as the coaster brake and caliper hand brake have been applied to bicycles, and all sorts of accessories have been made available. Horns, bells, lights, baskets, saddlebags, air pumps, tool kits, lunch boxes, water bottles and the like have made bikes useful in many ways. In fact, over a billion bikes have been produced worldwide over the years. Small trailers for towing tots, pets, or equipment are a common sight. Even special bicycle helmets and clothing is readily available today. (Some heathens have even added small electric or gasoline motors to bikes, but we are not discussing motorized bikes today!) Bicycle propelled vendors and work carts are common in cities, and in many cities, you may find pedi-cabs, a cyclist with a passenger compartment behind him to carry paying customers. Some cities have bicycle sharing plans where a person can take a city owned bike at his will and leave it at his destination for the next user. School children, college students, and commuting workers all commonly use bicycles as a low cost, environmentally sound way to travel, especially in cities with congested roads and limited parking opportunities. (Note: Stationary bikes are NOT GOOD for commuting!)

Bicycles can be serious business, equipping thousands of military troops during World War II (notably the Japanese) both infantry soldiers and dispatch riders. Police even in the United States often employ a bicycle unit. Specialty bikes for carrying 2 or more people, for fold up compactness, short and long distance racing bikes, and for certain terrain (such mountains) bikes are available for whatever biking you may want to do. Single speed or multi-geared bikes are available, and the old standby of steel frames has given way to aluminum, composites or special alloys for those riders that want minimum weight of their bike. Bikes can be expensive, with the Scott Genius model costing upwards of $13,000. Or you could find a reasonably serviceable bike in someone’s trash. Your choice. If you choose to leave the Joneses in the dust, opt for the Trek “Butterfly” Madone, once ridden by Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France of 2009. It auctioned off for a cool half million dollars!

In the United States, bikers in Oregon and Washington, D.C. commute on bikes more than anywhere else, and people in The Netherlands cycle more (99% own bikes!) than any other country per capita. (Top 10 bicycling countries are Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Japan, Switzerland, Belgium and China. Of course, China produces the most bicycles, even for the US market.) The high price of gasoline and scarcity of parking for cars makes cycling a great alternative. Some people cycle just for the health benefit or recreation, while others use bikes to make deliveries or as getaway vehicles for robberies! Tourists find bikes an economical and fun way to see a country. Drivers who have had their drivers license revoked or suspended may have to turn to cycling out of necessity, but be warned, it is possible to get a traffic ticket or even be arrested for drunk driving on a bicycle.

The first known bicycle race was held in 1868 in Paris, a 1200 meter affair. France has evolved their long history of bicycle racing into the Tour de France, the most prestigious bicycle race in the world. Italians are another race of bicycle racing enthusiasts. Short and long distance cycling are also sports competed for in the Olympics. Charity events are common, and “bicycle trains” of supervised school children have been organized for kids to commute to school. Cross country races off road are grueling events, and there is even an Iditarod bicycle race in Alaska. Ironman triathlon competitions feature a cycling segment as well. Mass bike rides by people sans clothing have been staged (so we have heard…). Bicycle trick riding is a highly entertaining spectacle, though possibly dangerous for those spectators with a heart condition! Sadly, as much as 75% of crashes between motor vehicles and bicycles result in a fatality, normally for the cyclist. The mandatory and voluntary use of helmets and lights (at night) have reduced some of the injuries due to bike wrecks. As of 2012 the death rate for cyclists in the United States was 2.3 fatalities per million citizens, with Florida being by far the deadliest state (per capita) with a death rate of 5.7 per million people (compared to runner up Louisiana at 3.8). More adult men are killed on bikes than any other demographic. Obviously, there are numerous clubs and publications for the biking enthusiast. Books and feature films (such as Breaking Away in 1979) centered on cycling are fairly common as well. Perhaps you recall the hilarious Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985) which itself is a sort of parody of the 1948 classic, The Bicycle Thief.

Theatrical release poster by John Alvin.

Question for students (and subscribers): If you have a favorite bicycle or bicycle story you would like to share, please do so in the comments section below this article. If you are aware of any bike that costs more than $500,000 let us know. Happy cycling!

If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

Your readership is much appreciated!