Who InventedThe Bicycle
From wooden running machines to carbon fiber racers—the 200-year journey of humanity's most efficient form of transport.
The Running Machine
In the summer of 1817, Baron Karl von Drais unveiled his “Laufmaschine”—the running machine. A wooden frame connecting two wheels, steered by handlebars, propelled by pushing feet against the ground.
It looked absurd to onlookers in Mannheim, but Drais had solved a problem created by a natural disaster. The bicycle was born from necessity.
Drais covered 13 kilometers in under an hour on his first public ride—faster than a horse-drawn stagecoach.
“The year without a summer killed the horses. From their deaths, the bicycle was born.”
On the eruption of Mount Tambora, 1815The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia caused global climate disruption. Crops failed across Europe. Horses starved. Karl von Drais invented his running machine as an alternative to horse travel—necessity driving innovation.
The Evolution of Two Wheels
The Velocipede
Pierre Michaux (or his son Ernest) attached pedals to the front wheel. Iron tires on cobblestones earned it the nickname "boneshaker."
First U.S. Patent
Pierre Lallement brought the velocipede to America and received the first U.S. bicycle patent.
The Penny-Farthing
Engineers realized larger wheels cover more ground. Front wheels grew to 1.5 meters—fast but terrifying.
The Safety Bicycle
John Kemp Starley's "Rover" introduced equal-sized wheels and chain drive. The modern bicycle was born.
Taking a Header
With front wheels up to 1.5 meters tall, penny-farthings were fast but terrifying. A small obstacle could send riders flying headfirst over the handlebars. Only young, athletic men dared ride them—until John Kemp Starley changed everything.
The phrase “taking a header” for falling forward comes directly from penny-farthing accidents.
The Safety Revolution
The High Wheeler
Front wheels up to 1.5 meters tall. Fast, but terrifying. A stumble meant flying headfirst over the handlebars. Only young, athletic men dared ride.
- ✕ Dangerous
- ✕ Men only
- ✕ Requires athleticism
The Safety Bicycle
Equal-sized wheels. Chain drive to rear wheel. Diamond frame geometry still used today. Suddenly, anyone could ride.
- ✓ Safe & stable
- ✓ Everyone welcome
- ✓ Design unchanged 140 years
Wheels of Change
The safety bicycle didn't just change transportation—it changed society forever.
Freedom on Two Wheels
For the first time in history, women could travel independently, without chaperones. The bicycle offered mobility that horse riding (in sidesaddle) never could.
Susan B. Anthony's Declaration
“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance.”
Rational Dress
Women abandoned corsets and long skirts for practical cycling attire. The “rational dress” movement emerged—and fashion was changed forever. The bicycle became a symbol of freedom and independence.
The Numbers Tell the Story
More than double the number of cars worldwide
Global annual bicycle production
2,428 km around France
Starley's diamond frame still dominant
The Enduring Machine
From wooden running machines to carbon-fiber racing bikes, from cobblestone streets to dedicated bike lanes, the bicycle has proven remarkably adaptable.
It requires no fuel, produces no emissions, improves health, and connects communities. In an age of climate crisis and urban congestion, the simple invention of a German baron in 1817 may yet prove to be one of humanity's most important technologies.
The 1970s oil crisis sparked a bicycle renaissance in the West. Mountain bikes, carbon fiber, e-bikes—innovation continues.
Sources & Further Reading
- “Bicycle” — Encyclopedia Britannica
- “History of the Bicycle” — Wikipedia
- “The Bicycle: A History” — History.com
- “How the Bicycle Paved the Way for Women's Rights” — Smithsonian Magazine
- “Karl Drais” — Wikipedia
- “Year Without a Summer (Mount Tambora)” — Wikipedia
- “Safety Bicycle” — Wikipedia
This narrative was fact-checked against peer-reviewed sources and authoritative historical records.