Bicycles have been invented and used for two hundred years, but few people know when and by whom they were invented.
The earliest proposer of the idea of ??using a chain to drive the rear wheel (without pedaling the ground) is said to be Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance art master. The sketches he made are still in the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Italy. The design in this drawing is quite ingenious, indicating that this genius's idea is basically the same scientific principle on which today's bicycles are based. According to legend, Leonardo da Vinci himself prototyped and rode the bicycle he designed. However, some people think that Leonardo da Vinci just had this idea, and that it was not he himself who wanted to concretize his imagination and draw it into design drawings. The actual facts need to be further verified by historians.
At the end of the 18th century, the Frenchman Sifulak invented the earliest bicycle. This earliest bicycle was made of wood and had a relatively simple structure. It had neither a driving device nor a steering device. The cyclist relied on his feet to push forward. When changing direction, he could only get off the bicycle and move the bicycle. Even so, when Sifulak rode this bicycle to the park for a ride, everyone present was quite surprised and admired. The German Baron Carl Durais built a wooden horse bicycle with handles in 1817. He installed a directional handle on the front wheel of the bicycle, making it the first truly practical bicycle.
In 1818, the British blacksmith and machinist Dennis Johnson took the lead in replacing wood with iron and replacing the frame of the wheel with iron. Then he founded two schools in London to train People learn and ride bicycles. Later, the British called this interesting car Hobby Hors. This iron car can reach a speed of 13 kilometers per hour when ridden by skilled and experienced people.
In 1839, the Scotsman Macmillan transformed the "Trojan Horse" into a two-wheeled vehicle with a small front wheel and a large rear wheel. The wheels were made of wood, covered with iron sheets, and the front wheels were equipped with feet. The pedals and crank connecting rod are used to bring it to the rear wheel. The front of the car is equipped with a handle, which can change the direction. The seat cushion is low, but the feet do not need to be on the ground. It can be driven by pedaling with both feet. Historians believe that this is the only one since The first bike that could be pedaled. Although Macmillan's change played an important role in the history of bicycle development, this new type of bicycle failed to attract attention for a long period of time during his lifetime. In 1889, Delzer copied it according to Macmillan's The prototype he created and copied was exhibited at a vehicle exhibition in London, which earned Delzer the reputation of "the inventor of the safe self-service car". It was not until 1892 that Macmillan's contribution was recognized by the society at that time.
In 1861, the French doll manufacturer Michanx invented the front-wheel-drive bicycle, which added pedals directly to the front axle. With this bicycle, you could ride all over Europe. In 1867 Michanx founded the company and began mass manufacturing. In 1869, the French invented the chain to drive the rear wheel. By this time, the bicycle was considered a complete version.
In 1888, Dunlop, a veterinarian living in Ireland, invented the rubber pneumatic tire. This was a very important invention in the history of bicycle development. It not only solved the most uncomfortable vibration problem of bicycles for many years, but also made it more comfortable. The speed of the bicycle has been increased a lot. In fact, someone had invented rubber tires before, but because rubber was very expensive at that time, it was not widely used. Since then, bicycles have become popular in countries around the world.
There is one thing that many people may not know. Bicycles were once used in combat, mainly to replace horses. According to research, the first military use of bicycles was the war between Britain and the Boers in South Africa from 1899 to 1902, followed by the war on Chinese soil from 1904 to 1905. The Russo-Japanese War.