| Bicycles are one of the most popular forms of | | | | Innovation on the draisines came around 1839 with |
| transportation in modern cities today. Particularly in | | | | Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick MacMillan. MacMillan |
| some parts of China and in Dutch countries, bicycles | | | | added a mechanical handle to the end wheel. This |
| are used as a primary form of transportation. Aside | | | | addition in design and structure brought the velocipede |
| from being an economic and environment-friendly form | | | | much closer to the modern bicycle that we have |
| of transportation for adults and adolescent students, | | | | today. Between 1950s-1960s, further innovations were |
| the bicycle is also popular among children as toys. In | | | | made on the bicycle. Two frenchmen, Ernest Michaux |
| the United States, school children ride their bikes to | | | | and Pierre Lallement added a new dimension to the |
| school. Kids and toddlers learn their first attempt at | | | | bicycle design by increasing the diameter of the front |
| independence and autonomy in bike riding. Nowadays, | | | | wheel and attaching pedals to it. Aside from the front |
| bicycling activities and health fitness activities that | | | | pedals features, this bike was now made of a steel |
| involve bicycling are also coming up and are being | | | | frame that was mounted on wooden wheels wrapped |
| recognized as new forms of sports, attesting to the | | | | with metal or iron tires. But because the tires were not |
| fact that indeed, the bicycle has not lost its functional | | | | proportionate to the frame and to its hind wheels, this |
| appeal to human activities. | | | | design was made to fail; and albeit the metal and iron |
| What most people do not know is that the modern | | | | tires the wheels sturdier, its heavy and unequal weight |
| bicycle has developed over some period of time. | | | | made it harder to move around. No wonder this new |
| Humans are now enjoying the transportation, | | | | bicycle was named the "boneshaker". |
| recreational and health benefits of the bicycle due to | | | | The 1885 innovation on the new bicycle remedied |
| some very relevant inventions and innovations | | | | some of the problems in design and function of the |
| thereafter which resulted to the modern bicycle - most | | | | "Boneshaker". J.K. Starley, Shergold and Lawson |
| commonly called now as the bike - that we have | | | | reduced the diameter of the front wheel. They also |
| today. | | | | moved the seat farther back from the front wheels |
| Documented history of the modern bicycle goes back | | | | and attached the chain drive so that the rider need not |
| to the early 19th century with the invention of the | | | | pedal on the front wheels. This made the "Dwarf" |
| "velocipedes" or human-powered vehicles. These | | | | safer for the rider, not to mention more balanced and |
| velocipedes are used and moved using the rider's legs | | | | easier to ride on. |
| and feet. One of the foremost examples of the | | | | Further relevant innovations came around the 1880 and |
| velocipede is the pushbike or the "draisines" which was | | | | the 1890s, adding new features of design to the |
| introduced in France by German Baron Karl von Drais | | | | bicycle making it more comfortable to use and with |
| in 1818. The draisines, much like the modern bike, had | | | | applied physics, this ultimately made the bicycle one of |
| two aligned tires that were connected by a wooden | | | | the best loved form of transportation, sports and |
| seat where the rider sits on as he or she pushes along | | | | recreation that we have today. |
| with his or her feet. | | | | |