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First introduced in
19th-century Europe, bicycles now number approximately one billion
worldwide, providing the principal means of transportation in many regions.
They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for
use in many other fields of human activity, including children's toys, adult
fitness, military and police applications, courier services, and cycle
sports.
The basic shape and configuration of a typical bicycle has hardly changed
since the first chain-driven model was developed around 1885, although many
important details have been improved, especially since the advent of modern
materials and computer-aided design. These have allowed for a proliferation
of specialized designs for particular types of cycling.
Several innovators contributed to the history of the bicycle by developing
precursor human-powered vehicles. The documented ancestors of today's modern
bicycle were known as push bikes, Draisines or hobby horses. To use the
Draisine, first introduced to the public in Paris by the German Baron Karl
von Drais in 1818, the operator sat astride a wooden frame supported by two
in-line wheels and pushed the vehicle along with his/her feet while steering
the front wheel.
The bicycle has had a considerable effect on human society, in both the
cultural and industrial realms. In its early years, bicycle construction
drew on pre-existing technologies; more recently, bicycle technology has, in
turn, contributed both to old and new areas. |
