Who invented the bike? The first bicycle in the world. History of creation. Worldwide cycling boom

Many historians are arguing about who invented the bicycle; it would seem that there is no simpler invention in the world. That’s why the expression “reinventing the wheel” has an ironic connotation, meaning an attempt to come up with a new solution when a proven and reliable solution already exists for a long time. However, the bicycle was indeed reinvented several times, and there is historical evidence of this, and many people participated in this process. The development of the bicycle dates back to the 18th century and continues to this day.

First transport In a person's life, the bicycle that he receives in childhood and with the help of which he learns to maintain balance becomes a bicycle. Bicycles are a “helper” for postmen, schoolchildren, workers, as well as those who prefer not to use public transport who fight for the environment or play sports, active recreation. Scientists from different countries have long proven the health-improving role of cycling.

Who created the bicycle, in what year?

There is no clear answer to this question. First developments attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and his student Giacomo Caprotti, but the origin of these drawings is considered dubious. There are also unconfirmed legends about the Ural craftsman Artamonov, who rode a bicycle of his own invention from Tagil to Moscow and thereby held the world's first bicycle race.

Beginning in 1817, no longer artisanal, but official attempts were made at the industrial level to develop and improve a model of a wheeled vehicle.

One of the reasons for the development of this type of transport was monstrous climate anomaly 1816 in the Northern Hemisphere. Due to a volcanic eruption in April 1815 in Indonesia, the northern part of the planet experienced a summer with air temperatures near zero, a lean year and a decline in the number of horses. This is not to mention the fact that more than 70 thousand people died in Indonesia itself.

But there would be no happiness if misfortune did not help! Was alternative developed travel on horseback. Subsequently, the convenience of a new waste-free means of transportation, which does not require investment and does not depend on anything other than the efforts of the rider, was appreciated by grateful humanity and gained worldwide popularity. The bicycle today is used on all continents, not counting the Arctic and Antarctica.

Who invented the first bicycle

The name “bicycle” (“swift-footed”) was proposed by the Frenchman Joseph Niepce. In addition, for a long time and in many languages, the bicycle was called Rover thanks to John Starley. The French name “bicyclet,” which existed for some time in Russia, did not take root anywhere. But in England there is no “bicycle”, there is a “bicycle”.

The history of the creation and improvement of the bicycle

The design of the bicycle was constantly updated.

• In 1853, the same Monsieur Michaud added a spring-loaded saddle and brakes to the bicycle.
• In 1867, thanks to Edward Cowper, spoked wheels appeared on the vehicle.

In 1869, the first bicycle race took place in France. At that time, the bicycle already had a frame.

• 1870-1885 - the time of funny and scary "spider" bicycles with a disproportionately large front wheel with pedals, a saddle on top of this wheel and a small rear wheel. Due to their appearance, known today from engravings, they were called "penny farthings" (large and small coins). Such large wheels could travel a long distance in one revolution of the wheel. And they increased the speed of movement to almost 30 km/h, but riding on such a design was fraught with the danger of turning over on the slightest bump and getting seriously injured, which happened quite regularly.

About a hundred “penny farthings” were registered in St. Petersburg, and then in Moscow, but soon this type of transport was prohibited by law due to its danger.

• In 1878, Horace Lawson added a chain drive to the design. Folding bicycles appeared that same year.
• In 1888, John Dunlop gave the bicycle inflatable rubber tires, which reduced shaking when riding and made movement much more comfortable. He simply wrapped the metal wheels of the “boneshaker,” as the bicycle was also called, with a watering hose and filled it with air. This was a revolution in the history of bicycle development.

Dunlop was a veterinarian by profession, and he undertook to improve the vehicle for the sake of his son.

• In 1898, the bicycle received the ability to freewheel and, in addition to the design, pedal brakes.
• In the 90s of the century before last, bicycles appeared on which you could move lying down or reclining.
• At the beginning of the 20th century, bicycles had a planetary gearshift, and in 1950, racer Tullio Campagnolo developed a new one, which is still used today.
• In the 70s of the twentieth century, the production of bicycles made of titanium and carbon fiber began; they were designed for movement in the mountains and were called that way: mountain bikes.
• In 1983 the bicycle was equipped with a cycling computer and complex system changing speeds.

Bicycle at different times in different countries

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the popularity of bicycles decreased somewhat due to the development of the automobile industry. Humanity switched to a new toy and enthusiastically studied its capabilities for almost half a century. Bicycle fashion returned in the 60s as a result of propaganda healthy image life.

Today the cyclist is a full participant traffic; Thanks to the increase in the number of those who travel on mechanical two-wheeled friends, highways are unloaded, and the atmosphere of the city becomes cleaner. and the health of the nation is stronger.

In the territory of the former USSR, bicycles began to be produced since 1924. The country ranked fourth in the world in the production of this equipment.

On this moment A large distribution of this type of transport has been noticed in Denmark, followed by the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The popularity of the two-wheeled friend is also growing in Russia. But in Spain and other southern European countries it remains low: the average resident of this country cycles no more than 20 km per year.

In many European cities you can rent a bicycle, even for free. Number of cyclists in many European cities is more than 60%.

They also love bicycles in Asia because they are cheap, although recently they have been inferior to motorcycles and cars.

Conclusion

In general, we can say that cycling is a lifestyle. It is environmentally friendly and does not add costs. It gives freedom of action, advantages over motorists, pedestrians and motorcyclists. It allows you to experience an adrenaline rush and a feeling of flight, get rid of stress and improve your health.

This simple device changes your life in an amazing way. On a clear day, it is much more interesting to spend your free time walking around the city or a picturesque forest park than lying on the couch. A sea of ​​positive emotions, new impressions and a huge number of bright and memorable photographs - this is what a bicycle will give to everyone who knows how to stay in its saddle at least a little.

Many people argue about who invented the first bicycle. The answer to this question often depends on the nationality of the person being asked. The French claim that the first bike was designed by a Frenchman, the Scots think that the inventor was a Scot, the British believe that the pioneer was an Englishman, and Americans often attribute the credit for creating the bicycle to an American. Since the early 1990s, the International Conference on the History of Cycling in San Francisco began to trace cycling history from the emergence of women's struggle for their rights against chauvinism. In the current understanding of the history of cycling, it is believed that the creation of the first bicycle is the merit of many people who contributed to its appearance with their ideas and developments.

Giovanni Fontana's four-wheeled prototype

In 1418, Giovanni Fontana built the world's first vehicle, set in motion muscle strength person. It was a four-wheeled cart with transmission to the rear wheels through a rope between wooden pulleys.

Dated to 1493 are sketches of a primitive bicycle, which was supposedly drawn by Leonardo da Vinci, as was believed until 1974. Further examination of the drawings revealed that they were not drawn by da Vinci. The suggestion that these sketches were completed by a student of Da Vinci's after the original drawing was lost is also believed to be false. An age test was performed, but the Vatican-owned library in Milan is hiding the apparently objectionable result, so experts consider the sketches invalid.

Models developed in the early 19th century

1791 Count Comte de Sicrac is credited with building the celerifera, supposedly a toy wooden horse with two wheels instead of two runners. This first bicycle is now considered a patriotic myth, created by a French historian in 1891. This myth was debunked by a French researcher in 1976. In fact, there was a case where Jean Sivrac of Marseille sold a four-wheeled speed trainer called a celerifer abroad in 1817.

1801 Mention of the bicycle in Russia. Allegedly, the serf blacksmith Efim Artamonov built an iron structure with a front wheel as tall as a man, and a rear wheel half as tall. There was also a steering wheel, a saddle, and pedals. On this big-wheeled bicycle, Artamonov completed an unreal marathon from his hometown of Verkhoturye, near Perm, to Moscow. Only one entry was made about this event in the “Dictionary of the Verkhoturye district of the Perm province” that the artisan of the Ural plant Artamonov ran on his invention during the coronation. The dictionary was published more than a hundred years after this event, in 1910. It is also said that Artamonov’s cart itself was taken into the royal collection of rare things and was soon lost.

This story has been questioned by many, even by Russian researchers in a documentary about the history of bicycles based on exhibits in the Velomoto Hall at the Moscow Polytechnic Museum.

1817 The world's first bicycle was called differently: a running machine, a handcar and a dandy horse. It was invented by German inventor Baron Karl Dröze in response to widespread famine and mass horse slaughter following a bad harvest year. Earlier, Mount Tambora erupted.

The very first bicycle had a handlebar holder above the front wheel. This is the first two-wheeled vehicle. From him came the development of the principle of constructing all vehicles with two wheels, the advantage of which is that a bicycle or motorcycle has minimal rolling resistance. Drez's bicycles were made entirely of wood. When riding them, you had to find balance on the front wheel in order to move it a little when turning. People then did not dare to remove their feet from the safe ground, so they were propelled by running on the surface.

After a good harvest in 1817, riding bicycles in cities was banned throughout the world, as most cyclists rode on cobblestones, which they could not balance on and hit pedestrians. Over time, this quirk went away on its own. It took almost 50 years until a new generation of people emerged with a better sense of balance.

A new wave of improvements after half a century

1863 A “bone shaker” bicycle appeared, made of solid steel with a rectangular cross-section. The heavy steel wheels make this car a literal vibrator on daily commutes on cobblestone roads.

An improved front wheel with pedals has appeared - direct drive, without gear, with one speed. This machine was already known as a bicycle (“fast leg” in French), but most often it was called a bone shaker. These bikes have become a hobby for both walking and fresh air, and for horse riding in closed academies - something like roller skating rinks, which can still be found in large cities.

1870 The creation of a regular bicycle, although it is better known as a “big wheel”. It became more comfortable to ride than its predecessor, but this ride required acrobatic skills, so the popularity of big wheels was always limited. It was the first all-metal car. Before this, metallurgy was not developed enough to provide metal that was strong enough to build small, lightweight parts. For the first time, everyone began to call this machine a two-wheeled bicycle.

The pedals were still attached directly to the front wheel without transmission mechanism. Solid rubber tires and long spokes on the huge front wheel provided a much smoother ride than its predecessor. The front wheels were installed with an ever-increasing and unlimited diameter, as manufacturers quickly realized that the larger the wheel, the further you can ride on it with one rotation of the pedals. You could buy a wheel of a size that would be comfortable for you, taking into account the length of your legs.

These bicycles were very popular among young people as a means of transportation. They were worth the average wages of a worker for six months from the beginning of the first decade of the 1880s.

Due to the fact that the rider was sitting too high above the center of gravity, the front wheel could be stopped at any moment by a stone, a rut on the road, or suddenly jumped out onto roadway dog, and the entire apparatus, rotating on the wheel axis, tipped forward. In this case, the rider, having become trapped under the steering wheel with his feet, was unceremoniously thrown headfirst to the ground. This is where the expression “get hit on the back of the neck” came into being.

1872 The German Friedrich Fischer first began to mass produce steel ball bearings, patented by Jules Surrey in 1869.

1876 The Englishmen Brouvet and Harrison received a patent for the first caliper brakes.

1878 The Englishmen Scott and Phillot patented the first effective planetary gear shift mechanism, which was planned to be installed in the hub of the front driving wheel of a bicycle.

In 1878, the first American bicycle manufacturer, Columbia Bicycle, began operations at the Weed Sewing Machine Company in Hartford, Connecticut. The company's first regular product catalog was twenty pages long. The first bicycles had a tall 60-inch rear wheel, unlike European models.

They sold for $125, when sewing machines of the same manufacturer sold for $13.

1879 Englishman Henry John Lawson created rear wheel with a chain drive, this is how the safe “bikecycle” bicycle appeared. Before this, his early models were driven by levers.

1880s. While men risked breaking their necks while racing with the speed of the wind on high wheels, ladies, constrained by corsets and long skirts, could only leisurely ride a circle around the park on a tricycle.

Three-wheeled vehicles were also preferred by most of the worthy gentlemen, such as doctors and clergy. Many mechanical innovations now used on automobiles were originally invented for. Rack and pinion steering, drum and disc brakes are just a few.

1888 A pneumatic tire has been created, which was first invented by an Irish veterinarian in an attempt to provide his son, who had been ill since childhood, a more comfortable ride on his tricycle. This inventive young doctor was named Dunlop. After this invention, comfort and safety could be combined in one transport. Bicycles kept getting cheaper as manufacturing methods improved and people wanted to ride a pedal-powered machine.

1890 We started collecting safe bicycles. As the name suggests, these bikes are safer than regular ones. Further improvements in metallurgy prompted another design change, or, most likely, led to a return to the previous design. With metal that was now strong enough to make a good chain, sprockets small and light enough for a person to turn, the next bicycle design was reverted to the original design - with two wheels of the same size.

Now, instead of rotating the pedals along with one revolution of the wheel, by changing the gear ratio you can get the same speed as from a huge and tall wheel. Initially, bicycles still had solid rubber tires, and in the absence of long shock-absorbing spokes, riding on safety rollers was not as uncomfortable as on large-wheeled designs. Some of the safest bicycles 100 years ago were equipped with front or rear suspension. A regular bike and a safety bike were pitted against each other, with the buyer given the choice of the comfort of a big wheel or the safety of a low-slung bike. Another innovation laid the gravestone for the big-wheel design - pneumatic tires.

The safe two-wheeler has essentially the same design as the classic modern bicycle. The safety of the new bicycles allowed more people to ride them. Although bicycles were still relatively expensive, they were mostly ridden by the wealthy elite.

Finds of 20th century designers

1903 Hubs with multi-speed gearboxes, invented by Sturmey Archer, began to be used. Since 1930 they have been widely used on bicycles produced throughout the world. The dominance of these gearboxes continued until 1950, when the familiar parallelogram derailleurs with a sprocket cassette on the rear wheel began to be used.

1930s. Innovator Schwinn built a bicycle with wide tires, a shock-absorbing front fork, and a tiered frame designed to attract the attention of teenagers.

This youth transport became the prototype of the mountain bike. The Schwinn Excelsior became the model for early mountain bikes almost fifty years later.

1977 The first mountain bike appeared, which was developed in the Marin Co., California, north of San Francisco. Joe Breeze, Otis Guy, Harry Fisher and Craig Mitchell were the earliest designers, builders and promoters.

1984 They started adding sprockets to the cassette on the rear wheel, and the number of speeds increased from 15 to 18, 21 and 24.

1994 Sachs (SRAM) produces the Power Disc brake system, the first commercially available hydraulic disc brake.

1996 Mountain bike was first used on Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia (USA).

Department social research in Nilsson states that cycling is the third most popular view sports after swimming and morning exercises.

First bike. Introduction.

It is very difficult to trace the history of the invention and emergence of the bicycle; each country, as is customary in history, “pulls the blanket” to its side. Therefore, now on the Internet there are a lot of sources with very different versions, real and not so real. Basically, there are two main versions of the story about who first invented the world's first bicycle. One version claims that the first bicycle in the world was invented in Russia, by the blacksmith Artamonov. But soon they forgot about this invention. It was called a two-wheeled cart. According to the second version, in the question “who invented the first bicycle,” Karl von Dres is considered the inventor. It will be discussed below.

The very idea of ​​moving a person on wheels, using his own strength, appeared a very long time ago. An example is all kinds of strollers and carts on four or two wheels. Such inventions appeared almost simultaneously throughout the developed world, for example, France and Germany.

The history of the creation of the first bicycle

Although the history of the creation of the first bicycle is ambiguous, the founder of the bicycle as such can be called Karl von Dres, a German baron.

In 1814, he assembled a certain two-wheeled wooden scooter, which he himself gave the name “walking machine.” The main difference between this device and modern bicycles was that it did not have pedals; a person had to push off the ground with his feet in order to move. In 1817, Karl von Dres received a patent for his invention. This was the very story of the invention of the first bicycle.

In the further history of the development of the bicycle, this invention received the name “trolley”, in honor of the name of its creator. This word is still in our vocabulary, but its designation is completely different.

Speaking of different versions of the history of the bicycle, some sources indicate a completely different date for the invention of the first bicycle. It was supposedly the Russian inventor Artamonov, who was already 14 years ahead of the German one. Unfortunately, he was not given a patent for his invention, although his bicycle worked properly - as the story goes, Artamonov rode about 5,000 kilometers on it.

The further history of the development of the bicycle comes mainly from Western Europe and the USA. Various companies made modifications to the connecting rod systems, which were attached to the front wheel.

History of bicycle development

In 1853, thanks to the Frenchman Pierre Michaud, a pedal drive attached to the front wheel was patented. The bike also has a spring-loaded saddle and a brake. In the history of bicycle creation, this model is called a “bone shaker.”

After a two-kilometer “bone shaker” race was held on May 31, 1868 in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud, cycling became a very fun hobby everywhere. By the way, the name of the bicycle is not ambiguous - riding it was really not an easy task, you had to have quite a lot of strength and dexterity.

Then, in 1867, the history of the bicycle was supplemented by a new event - the inventor Cowper developed a new design for a wheel with spokes. A year after this event, in Paris, Meyer & Co. began producing bicycles with a chain - the so-called chain drive to the rear wheel.

1870-1885 is the time of spider bicycles. This is the name given to bicycles with a large front wheel. Pedals were attached to the front wheel, and the rear wheel was several times smaller. Such large wheels were made out of the desire to cover as much distance as possible in one revolution of the wheel. As a rule, due to such wheels, the maximum speed movement, and reached almost 30 km/h, but riding such a “spider” was completely unsafe - the slightest bump could cause you to roll over, and the high altitude contributed to major injuries. The only alternatives to “spiders” were tricycles.

Further in the history of “spider” bicycles there is a small improvement - the English inventor Lawson added a chain drive to the design. This model was called the “kangaroo”; its speed depended on the type of gears. In 1880, the city government of St. Petersburg registered about a hundred of these bicycles, and soon, two years later, they began to appear in Moscow. These bicycles were not at all suitable for the Moscow roads of those times, and were completely banned by the government.

Then the improvement of designs continued non-stop - about 6,000 patents were filed in England and the USA alone.

"Safe Bike"

The beginning of modern bicycles in the history of their creation was laid in 1884 by James K. Starley. But the really big leap forward in technology came from Scottish veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop, who added the pneumatic hollow tire. To make it more comfortable for his son to ride the “boneshaker,” he put a watering hose on the wheels and filled them with water, but this greatly reduced the speed of movement. Then he filled the hose with air, and even came up with a special valve so that the air did not leave the tire under its own pressure. This invention was precisely the innovation that led to the widespread use of bicycles.

In the subsequent history of bicycles, they were constantly improved, weight was reduced, speed was increased, and comfort and strength were increased.

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Today, when someone is said to be “reinventing the wheel,” it means that the person is engaged in a useless activity, inventing something that has already been invented a long time ago. Who actually invented the bicycle and how? In fact, reinventing the wheel turned out to be not such a simple and quick task, and many people contributed different people. So, this post is about the history of the invention of the bicycle.

The invention of the bicycle has a long history. There is a lot of evidence that wheeled devices driven by human muscular power were created by talented inventors at different times and in different countries. The first evidence of such devices dates back to the time of Alexander the Great. According to ancient sources, back in the 4th century. BC e. The ruler of Syracuse, Dionysius, had a certain “gamaxion” - a cart driven by muscular force. Similar devices are also mentioned in later Roman sources. Self-propelled carts, driven by pedals and levers, were also built in the Middle Ages.

A fairly common misconception is that the first .

In Russia in the 18th century. the creation of “self-running strollers”, quite advanced for their time, is associated with the names of talented inventors Leonty Shamshurenkov and Ivan Kulibin.

self-propelled carriage of Kulibin (1791)

But, oddly enough, for thousands of years such inventions remained only interesting curiosities and never became widespread. Only in the 19th century did the first devices appear and become widespread, which, gradually improving, became the bicycles we know today.

Who exactly built the first device resembling a modern bicycle is not known for certain. There are many versions about this. For example, in Russian archives there is evidence of Efim Artamonov, a serf who invented the bicycle back in 1801 and even rode it from the Urals to Moscow. True, some consider this incident a legend and question it, since very little information about this event has been preserved in written sources. And the first inventor whose name is reliably associated with the appearance of the bicycle is usually called Karl Dresa.

Karl Dres was a forester from Bavaria, and circumstances prompted him to think about inventing a new means of transportation. After 1812, a series of crop failures followed for several years in Europe. Oats for horses became expensive and then Drez came up with a simple two-wheeled device with a steering wheel and a seat, which allowed a person to move faster. The “trolley”—that’s how Drez’s invention was called—did not have pedals, and you had to move on it by pushing off the ground with your feet. However, this method of transportation was noticeably faster than walking. With the help of a handcar it was possible to move at a speed of about 15 km/h.

This is what the first “running machine”, invented by Drez, looked like

In 1817, Drez's invention became popular and soon similar machines began to be produced in different countries. After some time, there were so many handcars that the authorities of some cities began to introduce bans and fines to prevent the owners of these cars from interfering with pedestrians walking on the sidewalks.

Such cars were produced in England

But for a bicycle to become a bicycle, it still had to have pedals. In 1840, the Scot MacMillan made an attempt to improve the bicycle. He added pedals that were connected to the rear wheel using levers.

Macmillan and his bicycle

However, MacMillan's invention remained little known and did not spread.

In 1863, French inventor Pierre Lallement proposed another option by installing pedals on the front wheel. In France, there were people who supported the inventor - engineer Pierre Michaud and industrialists the Olivier brothers. Soon new cars, called bicycles, began to be mass-produced.

Pierre Lallement and his bicycle

After this, bicycles continued to improve. Bicycles began to be produced with a metal frame, then to make the structure lighter they began to make it from metal tubes. In 1867, the Englishman Cowler developed the design of a wheel with metal spokes. In the 1870s, a bicycle design commonly called a “spider”, with a huge front wheel and a small rear wheel, became widespread.

Spider bike

The Spiders could be driven quite quickly - at a speed of about 30 km/h, but the ride was unsafe. A small bump could cause a fall, and the fall from the bike was quite high.

In 1878, the English inventor Lawson made the next important improvement - he added a chain drive to the bicycle design. Nowadays, bicycles no longer need a huge front wheel. And in 1888, Scotsman John Dunlop came up with another important part modern bicycle- inflatable rubber tires. Thanks to them, riding bicycles, which have become nicknamed “bone shakers,” becomes noticeably more comfortable.

John Starley's Rover bicycle is one of the first similar to modern ones. e

By the end of the 19th century, bicycles became very popular, the number of cyclists worldwide exceeded a million, and regular competitions began to be held. cycling, postmen and the army began to be equipped with bicycles.

Soldiers with folding bicycles (early 20th century)

But the story of the invention of the bicycle did not end there. The bicycle also needed a brake and a freewheel mechanism, good bearings to reduce friction, a gear shift mechanism, and better materials for the frame (the first bicycles rusted easily and had to be lubricated and wiped with gasoline after each ride). All these improvements took decades.

It is difficult to answer the question in what year the first wooden bicycle was invented. And who exactly can be considered the father of the “miracle machine”. After all, the history of the creation of a bicycle is quite diverse. It took more than a dozen years for it to become what we know it now. But it all started back in 1817.

When and by whom was it created

The year preceding this significant event was considered the “year without summer.” Abnormal cold, due to a volcanic eruption, was recorded in the Western Hemisphere in 1816. Almost the entire crop was destroyed. The number of livestock, including horses, has decreased significantly. That's why people tried to find alternative way movement.

Perhaps this is what prompted Karl von Drese to resume work on the bicycle. His first attempt to demonstrate a vehicle in 1814 was unsuccessful. And in 1817, this German baron created the first semblance of a bicycle. The design was two-wheeled, had a handlebar holder above the front wheel and consisted entirely of wood.

The wooden bicycle was called a “running machine.” Since they moved on it with the help of their legs, pushing off from the ground with them. In this case it was necessary to balance on the front wheel. It looked more like a scooter than a bicycle. It could reach speeds of up to 12 km/h.

A year later, Drez patented his invention. It became so popular by the end of 1918 that it began to be produced in French and English carriage factories. But the “bicycle boom” did not last long, and did not bring Karl Drez much money. In 1851, the professor died without a penny to his name. Only 20 years later work on bicycles was resumed.

Interesting to know! The creation of the bicycle played an important role in the development of cars and airplanes in the future.

The path to a real bike

In 1840, Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick MacMillan attached the first pedals and saddle to a “running machine.” The transmission of this design was a system of connecting rods that transmitted force from a person to the front wheel. Like a classic sewing machine.

In 1863, a young engineer, Pierre Lallement, who was developing baby carriages, attached pedals to a long-forgotten railcar. The entire structure was mounted on the front axle. Lilman demonstrated his invention in Paris and attracted the attention of many. Including the three rich Olivier brothers. They highly appreciated new bike, and offered Lalman cooperation.

Pierre Michaud, a famous French engineer who also worked with the Olivier brothers, improved Lallement's model: he replaced the wooden frame with an iron one. However, the wheels were still wooden, with metal tires. Michaud also suggested calling the new vehicle " vélocipède" (bicycle).

Interesting to know! Only in 1866 Pierre Lallement managed to obtain a patent for his invention. This year is considered the beginning of mass production of bicycles.

Legends about the invention

There are several other theories about where and by whom the first bicycle was invented. But they are more likely to be classified as patriotic legends that have not received enough evidence.

According to some sources, Leonardo da Vinci is considered the creator of the bicycle. Sketches of a primitive bicycle, subsidized in 1493, were found. They were supposed to belong to him. But subsequent examination showed that this was not so. It is possible that the sketch was completed by his student when the original was lost, but this data is also considered false.

Others say that in 1801, Russian serf Efim Artamanov designed an iron bicycle. On it he traveled from the city of Verkhoturye to Moscow. This is evidenced by only one entry in the Dictionary of the Verkhoturye District of the Perm Province. The design itself was transferred to the royal collection, and was soon lost.