THE USEFUL BICYCLE Children learn to ride them early in life Families take them for a spin on weekends for fun and for exercise People even ride them to and from work What is this vehicle It is the bicycle the two-wheeled vehicle riders move by pushing pedals with their feet The bicycle is a source of entertainment but it is also an important means of transportation Though many children now ride bicycles bicycles were once just meant for adults 4
The bicycle has been around for about 200 years It has changed a lot since the first one was invented Today there are about two times more bicycles than cars worldwide In areas where there are few automobiles most people use bicycles to get around Even in countries that do have many cars bicycles are often used for traveling short distances Why might the bicycle be growing as a means of transportation What benefits does it have compared to cars for example Compare and Contrast Helmets and gloves make bike riding much safer and more comfortable 5
WHO INVENTED THE BICYCLE In the early 1800s a German engineer named Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun produced a machine called the draisienne It had two wheels and was pushed by the rider’s legs In 1818 Denis Johnson of England made a machine called the pedestrian curricle or hobby-horse It could only be ridden on smooth roads Another name for the draisienne was the dandy horse 6
Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan may have developed an early version of a bicycle in about 1840 This machine had two pedals connected by a rod that provided power to the rear wheel The rider could travel without touching the ground and produce enough momentum to remain upright Several of the early forms of the bicycle were called velocipedes The first velocipede powered with pedals mounted on the front wheel was built in France No one knows who did this first but Pierre Michaux and his son Ernest presented one in Paris in 1864 Kirkpatrick Macmillan is sometimes credited as the bicycle’s inventor Why do you think this is when Baron Sauerbrun invented his machine first Think About It Riding early bicycles took some practice and falls were a part of the ride 7
