Exploring The Early Exercise Bike
One of the most popular forms of home exercise today is the stationary exercise bike
. This form of exercise has evolved and changed throughout hundreds of years to become what it is today.
The invention of the first bicycle is rather cloudy, but the first human powered land vehicle that we are aware of was invented in 1418. This contraption had four wheels and used an endless rope that connected gears to the wheels.
This invention was created by Giovanni Fontana. Later, drawings dated to 1493 depicted an early theoretical bicycle.
Early on it was suspected that these drawings were actually drawn in 1574 by Leonardo da Vinci. However, extensive evaluation of the drawings indicated that these drawings were not created by da Vinci.
The final conclusion after a dating test revealed that the drawings were most likely drawn at a later date and made to appear older than they actually were. These drawings have not held very much significance since.
Later in 1791, Comte de Sicrac designed the first "celerifer." The celerifer was a hobby horse with two wheels instead of a rocker.
This is also thought to be a scam created by a French historian in 1891. This myth was discovered to be false by another French researcher in 1976.
However, a Jean Sievrac of Marseille did purchase a four-wheeled speed coach that was called a celerifer in 1817. In 1817, the velocipede was also invented.
Karl Drais designed the velocipede. The velocipede also came to be called the running machine, Draisienne, and dandy horse.
He was inspired to create this machine after many of the horses died from starvation and in slaughter houses because of the previous year's crop failure. The failure had been caused by the eruption of the volcano Tambora.
The front wheel was movable from left to right to provide the ability to steer. This is the first real evidence of the development of the bicycle.
The running machine used the two-wheel principle and tried to reduce the amount of friction that the wheels came in contact with. Although they were constructed completely out of wood, they were an ideal means of getting around a city.
These contraptions did not have pedals due to the fact that people were afraid to keep their feet off the ground. Instead, people moved them by pushing on the ground.
That year the people received a much better harvest and horses became more available again. As a result the velocipedes were banned from being used on the sidewalks.
The velocipedes could not be used on the bumpy cobblestone streets and so the use of these machines slowly ceased. It is said Kirkpatric Mcmillan developed a treadle-type pedals for the bicycle in 1839.
However, this is also considered to be a myth in the history of the bicycle. In 1863, the velocipede evolved to use straight angles and steel with the added component of pedals.
The pedal allowed the velocipede to be ridden over the cobblestones, but the steel made it feel as if you bones would be rattled apart when riding across the uneven ground. As a result, the velocipede became known as the Bone Shaker.
However, large cities developed smooth riding rinks very similar to roller skating rinks for people to enjoy riding the bone shaker on even ground. This promoted the fad and the rich enjoyed this diversion greatly.
In 1870 the High Wheelers were created. These machines were much easier to ride and did not rattle the bones as much when on cobble stones.
However, the height and design of the bike required that the rider had very good balance. As a result, they never reached use by a wide range of people.
This was also the first machine to be completely made out of metal. The pedals were still located on the front wheel at this time.
Rubber tires were soon applied, which made the bicycle ride even smoother than they had been able to before. People began to realize that the larger they made the wheel, the farther they could travel on one rotation of the pedals and the smoother the ride was over the cobblestones.
As a result, when a person went into a shop to purchase a bicycle, he would always buy the bike with the largest wheels possible. The only limiting factor on the size of the wheels was the length of the rider's leg.
Bikes were very primitive in the beginning, but they have come a long way in promoting exercise and health.
by: Ronald Pedactor
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