Millions of people daily overcome huge distances by bicycles, but not everyone knows the origin of this cycling transport.
The bike has recently celebrated its 200th anniversary and we’re celebrating too! Drais’ invention in Mannheim in 1817 went a long way. The inventor Karl Freiherr Drais von Sauerbronn tested his latest invention in 1817: the two-wheeled running machine made of wood. He raced across the street at a breathtaking speed of around 15 kilometers per hour.
While the car was once seen as the mode of transport of the future, today it is increasingly cyclists and a network of cycle lanes that define the cityscape in most of the world’s major cities. The importance of this means of transport cannot be underestimated: its development gave rise to the first human-powered two-wheeled transportation system, it liberated women and it is a symbol of progress, fun and entertainment, and freedom and joy. But it also embodies hope and is ideally suited to a future faced with major problems such as climate change, an obesity epidemic, and an ever-increasing population – especially in the big cities. In any case, it’s come a long way from humble beginnings as a hobby horse.
Some interesting facts about bicycles
The first bicycles did not have tires, which is why they were nicknamed “bone-shaking”.
One of the old cycling vehicle models had different wheels – a huge front and a small rear. The ratio of their sizes was the same as that of the English pennies and farthings. Vehicles of this design were called “penny-farthing”.
Men in cycling shave their legs. This is done in order to facilitate the application of massage and speed up the process of skin regeneration in case of abrasions that are inevitable in cycling. But in fact, the most important aspect of shaving is to improve aerodynamics. In the case of track racing, this has even been proven by measurements.
The famous Spanish cyclist Miguel Indurain had unique physical data: his lung capacity was about eight liters, while for ordinary athletes it is six, and his heart rate at rest was 28-30 beats per minute.
China is considered the most cycling country, where the number of bicycles to cars is 300 to 1. In total, there are about 500 million bicycles in China.
The first round-the-world trip on a bicycle was carried out by the Englishman Thomas Stevens in 1884 and took 3 years. For travel, an old bicycle was used with a huge front wheel and a tiny rear wheel, and the wheels were iron and without tires.
American Denis Muller-Korenek has developed a fantastic speed of 295.6 km / h. Another US citizen Michael Seacrest managed to drive 1958 km in one day. So far, no one has been able to come close to these figures.