Innovations in Transportation Larry Verstraete Crabtree Publishing Company www crabtreebooks com
Pedal Power In the 1970s American Joe Breeze along with other bicycle enthusiasts started a new trend in biking Breeze combined the best features of two popular bicycle designs the BMX bicycle motocross and the racing bike His new design known as the mountain bike offers speed on smooth stretches but can easily handle rough bumby roads and hills Today mountain bikes are often used on mountain trails and rough unpaved roads 4
Inventions and Innovations An invention is a product or process that is the first creation of its kind The first bicycle ever built is an invention Joe Breeze’s mountain bike is an innovation An innovation is a change or improvement to an existing invention Inventions and innovations in transportation make getting around easier faster and safer for all of us Perhaps the stories in this book will inspire you to be a problem solver too Inventors innovators and engineers solve problems or meet needs An engineer’s job is to use science and math to solve problems or meet needs Sometimes engineers can also be inventors and innovators when they make new solutions or improve on existing ones Inventors innovators and engineers all share the same traits such as curiosity and creativity These students are racing small cars they have built that run off solar power or power from the Sun 5
