Innovations in Bicycle Design
13 artifacts in this set
Pickering Velocipede, circa 1870
Velocipede
Pickering and Davis of New York developed this velocipede to be durable enough to travel the American roads of the late 1860s. It featured smaller wheels, a lower frame, and sprung handlebars to reduce road shock. The machine's backbone was made from an iron tube rather than cast iron, creating a slightly lighter yet strong vehicle.
Women's Bicycle, circa 1890
Bicycle
Many women in the late 19th century wanted to ride bicycles. But mounting a high-wheel ordinary was difficult, especially in a period dress -- and donning athletic attire or bloomers for some was considered socially unacceptable. The safety bicycle changed that. This drop-frame safety allowed women to mount the bicycle easily and accommodated the dresses worn by riders.
Rudge Rotary Tricycle, circa 1885
Tricycle
This chain-driven tricycle, made by Rudge Cycle Company in 1885, offered health and recreation options to those unable to mount high-wheel ordinaries. Tricycles provided an accessible seat and the stability of three wheels. And for many Victorian women, tricycles allowed them the chance to pedal down the street in dresses rather than in unconventional clothing like bloomers.
Van Cleve Bicycle, Made by the Wright Brothers circa 1896
Bicycle
Wilbur and Orville Wright established their first bicycle shop in 1892. They started building their own bikes in 1896. Van Cleve bicycles -- named for Wright family ancestors -- used high-grade materials, and they featured special oil-retaining wheel hubs and coaster brakes of the brothers' own design. The Wrights built each bike to order, hand-making parts with basic tools.
Gormully and Jeffery Manufacturing Company Rambler Bicycles, 1895
Trade catalog
Gormully and Jeffery, maker of the Rambler bicycle, published this catalog in 1895. The pages contain specifications and images for a number of bicycles, and sections on the details of construction. Like most catalogs, the company praised its machines and quality manufacturing above all others.
Rex Tandem Bicycle, 1898
Bicycle
Bohn C. Hicks of Chicago, Illinois, devised a bicycle with a third wheel. The wheel was used not for stability but to absorb or minimize shocks when riding over obstructions -- or so the inventor claimed. This 1898 version is a tandem, a bicycle for two or more riders.
Band Saw, Used by the Wright Brothers, circa 1899
Band Saw
The Wright brothers' bicycle shop contained several large power tools primarily used for making and repairing bikes. Some were also used to build their early gliders and airplanes. The shop building did not have electricity, so the Putnam lathe, Crescent band saw and Barnes drill press were powered by overhead belts and shafts connected to a single-cylinder gas engine.
Wright Cycle Shop
Store
Wilbur and Orville Wright operated their bicycle business in this building from 1897 to 1908 in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers sold and repaired bikes, and they even produced models under their own brands. It was also in this shop that the Wright brothers built their earliest flying machines, including the 1903 Flyer that became the first successful heavier-than-air, powered, controlled aircraft.
Briggs & Stratton Motorized Bicycle, 1920-1930
Motorbike
In the 1910s and 1920s cyclists could travel without pedaling. The Motor Wheel, a wheel fitted with a four-stroke, single-cylinder gasoline engine, could attach to a bicycle and propel it down the road. Briggs & Stratton Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, built this version. The company purchased the rights to produce the device in 1919 and continued production until 1924.
Briggs & Stratton Motor Wheel Advertisement, 1920
Advertisement
Around 1920, if a cyclist was tired of pedaling or his bicycle had been relegated to storage, the Briggs & Stratton Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provided another option. The Motor Wheel, a four-stroke, single-cylinder gasoline engine, could attach to a bicycle and propel it down the road. The company produced the Motor Wheel from 1919 to 1924.
Bicycle Coaster Brake, 1930-1950
Bicycle brake
Early bicycles with ineffective brakes led to runaway cycles that imperiled the rider and pedestrians. The coaster brake, first used in the late 1890s, allowed riders to stop pedaling and coast safely -- and by applying backward pressure on the pedal engage the brake drum in the wheel hub to let bike and rider come to a controlled stop.
Bicycle Pant Clips, 1900-1930
Clip (Fastener)
Men who rode bicycles purchased trouser clips to keep their paint legs from catching in the chain. Before he became famous, Henry Ford rode his bicycle to work through the streets of Detroit and used trouser clips similar to these.
Ford "Mode: Flex" Functional Bicycle Prototype, 2015
Bicycle
Automakers increasingly considered themselves "mobility providers" in the 2010s. Ford Motor Company's MoDe:Flex bicycle prototype was born of that thinking. The power-assisted bike operated via an Apple iPhone app that controlled the electric motor, monitored the rider's speed and heart rate, and provided navigation assistance and traffic updates. When disassembled, the bike fit neatly into the trunk of a compact car.
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