1817 KARL FRIEDRICH CHRISTIAN LUDWIG DRAIS, FREIHERR VON SAUERBRONN (KARL VON DRAIS) IN GERMANY MADE THE FIRST TWO WHEELED STEERABLE CYCLING MACHINE, WHICH HE CALLED A LAUFMASCHINE (A TRAVELLING MACHINE) SOON TO BE KNOWN AS A DRAISIENNE OR HOBBY-HORSE, MADE MAINLY OF WOOD, WHICH HE PADDLED ALONG WITH HIS LEGS. THIS WAS COPIED AND FOUND POPULARITY IN PARIS WHERE IT BECAME KNOWN AS A DRAISIENNE AFTER ITS GERMAN INVENTOR.

ABOUT 1840 A SCOT KNOWN AS KIRKPATRICK MACMILLAN WHO LIVED NEAR DUMFRIES SCOTLAND, BUILT A MACHINE DRIVEN BY PENDANT LEVERS WITH RODS TO A BACK WHEEL AXLE CRANK. IT HAD WOODEN WHEELS WITH STEEL TYRES. THIS MACHINE IS NOW LOST BUT YOU MAY SEE NEW REPLICAS TODAY.

1851 MRS BLOOMER VISITED ENGLAND, SHE INTRODUCED LIBBY MILLERS FULL TURKISH TROUSERS WITH A SHORT SKIRT, SOME MORE DARING LADIES THEN ALTERED THEIR DRESS AND THESE BECAME KNOWN AS BLOOMERS. NOW LADIES COULD RIDE THESE NEW MACHINES AND PRESERVE MODESTY! THIS FASHION DIED OUT BY 1860.

1861 PIERRE MICHAUX WHO USUALLY MADE COACHES IN THE CHAMPS ELYSEES QUARTER OF PARIS, WITH HIS ELDEST SON (OF 5) ERNEST AFTER MAKING A REPAIR TO A DRAISIENNE, CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF PEDALS, MADE A NEW BICYCLE WITH PEDALS AND WITHOUT KNOWING IT THEN, STARTED THE WORLDS CYCLE INDUSTRY. THIS CYCLE NOW CALLED A BONESHAKER. BY 1862 ERNEST HAD MADE OVER 140 BONESHAKERS.

1869 THE COVENTRY MACHINISTS' COMPANY WAS SET UP TO MAKE VELOCIPEDES (BONESHAKERS); FORMERLY COVENTRY SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, EVENTUALLY IN 1898 BECAME THE SWIFT CYCLE COMPANY. THIS ‘TRANSITIONAL’ BICYCLE WITH A SMALLER REAR WHEEL AND A LARGER FRONT WHEEL WITH PEDALS WAS MADE TO FULFIL AN ORDER FOR FRANCE. WAR IN FRANCE WITH PRUSSIA INTERVENED, THE FACTORIES THERE LAY IDLE, ARTISANS MOBILISED, AND THESE BICYCLES WERE ACTUALLY SOLD IN ENGLAND.

NOW ALL THE BICYCLES WERE MADE WITH PEDALS ON THE FRONT WHEEL AND MANY WERE HAND MADE COPIES BY BLACKSMITHS ALL OVER THE WORLD. WOODEN BICYCLES HAD NOW DISAPPEARED.

1870 A COVENTRY GENTLEMAN CALLED JAMES STARLEY LATER KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF THE CYCLE INDUSTRY IN THIS COUNTRY WITH HIS FRIEND WILLIAM HILLMAN PATENTED THE ARIEL TENSION WHEEL BICYCLE A MOST UNUSUAL DESIGN COSTING £8 AND £12 WITH SPEED GEAR.

A NEW SPORT WAS BEGINNING AND THE VERY RICH YOUNG PEOPLE WERE RIDING LONGER DISTANCES, CYCLE CLUBS WERE BEING FORMED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. SOME MEMBERS OF THE NEW BICYCLE TOURING CLUB RODE FROM LONDON TO BRIGHTON. (BEGINNINGS OF CTC, Cyclists Touring Club WE ALL KNOW TODAY).

1878 MR JOSEPH LUCAS MADE THE FIRST BICYCLE LAMPS IN BIRMINGHAM. THESE EARLY OIL LAMPS SWUNG ON THE AXLE SHAFT WITHIN THE FRONT WHEEL.

1880 SAW THE FRONT WHEEL GROWING, ABOUT 50"(130cm) THE 'HIGH BICYCLE' OR 'ORDINARY' WAS NOW ESTABLISHED AND WAS VERY POPULAR FOR A BRIEF PERIOD UNTIL 1885.

1885 THE HIGH BICYCLE HAD REACHED PERFECTION AND EVERY DIFFERENT CONFIGURATION HAD BEEN EXPLORED. THERE WERE EVEN GEARED HUBS TO DRIVE A SMALLER, SAFER FRONT WHEEL.

1885 JOHN KEMP STARLEY THE NEPHEW OF JAMES STARLEY MADE HIS ROVER BICYCLE WITH A NEW CHAIN DRIVE TO THE REAR WHEEL. THIS WAS VERY MUCH SAFER TO RIDE WITH TWO EQUAL SMALLER WHEELS, THAN THE HIGH BICYCLE AND SO EVERYONE WANTED THIS NEW ROVER 'SAFETY BICYCLE' AND MOST OF THE 'HIGH BICYCLES' (ORDINARY'S) WERE DISCARDED.

THESE ROVER AND SIMILAR BICYCLES WERE TO BECOME VERY POPULAR AND FROM THIS TIME ALL BICYCLES WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS ONE AND SET THE FASHION FOR THE WORLD.

1887 LADY HARBERTON FORMED THE 'RATIONAL DRESS SOCIETY' AND RE POPULARISED THE WEARING OF COSTUMES RESEMBLING LIBBY MILLAR'S  ‘BLOOMERS’ FROM THE 1850s FOR THE LADIES WHO CYCLED.

1888 MR DUNLOP PATENTED HIS PNEUMATIC TYRE.

1890 HUMBER BICYCLES WERE MADE, THESE WHEELS WERE MOSTLY ABOUT 28" OR 30" (700/760mm)

1895 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WOULD GO FOR SOCIAL BICYCLE RIDES IN THE PARKS AND TOUR THE COUNTRYSIDE AND CYCLING BECAME A VERY RESPECTABLE PASTIME

EARLY BICYCLE MANUFACTURERS LIKE ROVER HUMBER AND HILLMAN ALL TURNED TO MAKING MOTORCARS AND ARE NAMES WE RECOGNISE TODAY.

SINCE THE EARLY 1900s, BICYCLES HAVE BEEN MADE TO GO FASTER AND WITH LESS EFFORT BY VARIOUS WAYS, THEY HAVE HAD GEARS IN EVER INCREASING VARIATIONS, THE WHEELS HAVE BEEN MADE IN VARIOUS SIZES AND WIDTHS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES EVEN CARRIER BIKES WERE MADE FOR THE DELIVERY BOYS AND ICE CREAM BOXES WERE PUT ON WHEELS AND PEDALLED.

TODAY OUR COUNTRY LEADS THE WORLD WITH CHRIS BOARDMAN ON THE MIKE BURROWS MONOCOQUE BICYCLE THIS LATEST REVOLUTIONARY CYCLE. WE ALL NOW ENJOY CYCLING TOGETHER FOR EXERCISE AND TRAVEL ON THE CYCLES OF OUR CHOICE.

THIS HAS BEEN A SHORT HISTORY AIDED WITH SOME FACTS FROM JOHN PINKERTON’S BOOKS ON ALL ASPECTS OF CYCLING AND ITS HISTORY, TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THE BICYCLE CAME TO BE WITH US, AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.

PLEASE CYCLE CAREFULLY WITH CONSIDERATION FOR OTHER ROAD USERS, GET TO KNOW AND OBSERVE YOUR HIGHWAY CODE

BEST WISHES

PETER J HENDERSON

www.beam.to/pennyfarthingtimes  For more Victorian information

NOW HERE IS A LITTLE POEM TO LEARN

In memory of my generous friends

George Dale, John & David Pinkerton

All dearly loved cycling