Sponsored links:
History of the Bicycle
In 1817 the Hobby Horse was invented by Karl von Drais. This was made of wood however it had no pedals and the bicycle had to be pushed along with your feet and was therefore named the Running Machine. Kirkpatrick Macmillan was credited with a machine in which power was supplied to the back wheel via rods connected to treadle-type pedals and in 1842 he was arrested for knocking a child over when cycling on the pavement. There were a number of other developments during the 1850's and 1860's including the invention of the pneumatic tyre and it was in 1870 that the Penny Farthing appeared. By the end of the 19th Century many of the key components of the modern bicycle had all been invented. The derailleur, chain drive, gears and the ability to manufacture from seamless tubes all happened in the late 19th Century.However it was not until the 1930s that bicycles became really popular. A combination of rising wages and lower production costs made bikes affordable and so their popularity grew.
Mountain biking was born in Marin County, California in the early 1970's. The first mountain bikes were hand made and built mainly for downhills with Mt Tamalpais being regarded as the birth place of the sport.