The Importance of Biking in a Modern Age

Today, biking is not just a sport because it is also used for a myriad of other things. Each of these things show how important biking has become in our modern age. Take transportation, for example. People, often in populated areas, have been switching to biking instead of driving in order to get to where they need to go. This is especially evident in cities, where people often live close to their place of occupation. Another reason why biking has become so important is because of rising gasoline prices. The average price of gasoline has been rising steadily for years. In order to save money, and the environment, people have begun switching to biking. A third reason relating to biking's importance is exercise. For many people needing to slim down or gain muscle, biking has been their answer. Bicycles have also spawned numerous biking competitions and races. These are only a few examples of how biking has impacted our lives. There are many other effects that biking has had on our world. If you would like to see my opinion on the future of biking, be sure to check out my other page.

Bicycles from the Mid-1800's Through the 20th Century

With the bicycle already riding down the path to greatness, many different additions and modifications were made to von Drais's original design throughout the rest of the 19th century. Speed-control systems, pneumatic (air-filled) tires, and wheel size modifications were all made to increase the riding experience and safety. The high-wheel bike (aka "the Penny Farthing"), made in the late 1800's, was an attempt at increasing the amount of power one could get from pedaling.

The high-wheeler was one of the first all metal bikes, except for the rubber tires. Manufacturers in America and Europe began using metal alloys to create the frames for bikes in the early 1900's. This greatly raised the top biking speeds, which futher increased biking's popularity, which had been growing exponentially for over a century. The invention of the gear system greatly increased a bike's power and allowed for the addition of multiple speeds that the driver could adjust to adapt to his or her terrain. As bicycles moved into the late 20th century, mountain biking's popularity increased.

Mountain biking involves using a bike with wide tires for increased traction and with heavy metal frames for more stability. Using a mountain bike allows travel on different terrain, such as grass, rock, and dirt.

The Early Origins and Progression of the Bicycle

The concept of a self-powered travelling machine de facto has been around since the late 18th century. The actual creation of the bicycle, however, had to wait until the late 19th century. The first physical representation of what a self-propelled machine might look like was assembled by the German Baron Karl von Drais in 1813. The machine was a four-wheeled sort of carriage that was intended to transport two to four people. One person would steer the machine and one or more riders would have to propel the machine by means of cranking a tiller with their legs. Clumsy and difficult to maneuver, the machine was soon forgotten. Disappointed, Drais began work on a two-wheeled machine where the rider must balance his or herself and pedal a crank with their legs to move. The frame was made of wood and the wheels were made of iron. After presenting the invention, he called it a velocipede, meaning "fast foot" in Latin. The invention travelled up to speeds of 12mph and quickly caught the attention of people all over France and Germany. This primative bicycle was destined to become a revolutionary machine within the next century.