![]() The machine, which weighed about 45 pounds, similar to a 21-century beach cruiser, might look clunky to the modern eye, but people who tried it back in those early days agreed: It was fun to ride. It had no pedals or brakes, but Drais quickly discovered the centrifugal forces, gyroscopic effects, and other dynamics - some still not fully understood by scientists two centuries years later - that allow a moving bicycle to balance and be stable. ![]() His Laufmaschine had two 27-inch wheels placed in a line, an upholstered saddle nailed to the frame, hubs with brass bushings, and a steering mechanism that turned the front wheel. Drais starting thinking about alternatives to horse-drawn transport. Photo courtesy Mannheim Technoseum.Īmong the many harsh consequences in Europe was a massive oats shortage, and widespread starvation of livestock. Europeans called 1816 “The Year Without a Summer.” It was like a miniature Ice Age. The effect was so enormous that it disrupted weather patterns all over the world for 18 months The following summer, much of Europe, North America, and Asia suffered through freezing temperatures and persistent snowfall. That volcano blew on April 10, 1815, a once-in-a-millennium eruption. The idea for the Laufmaschine emerged out of an explosion - the eruption of Mount Tambora, in modern-day Indonesia, to be precise. (Wikipedia and numerous articles credit Drais as the creator of the first meat grinder, but historian Hans-Erhard Lessing, who has studied and written about the inventor and bicycle history extensively, insists that this is one of many urban legends about Drais.) Yet his crowning achievement was his Laufmaschine, a wooden bike that launched a craze and ultimately changed the world after spurring widespread antagonism and ridicule. He is credited with making a stenograph machine that helped inspire the modern typewriter, and a wood-saving stove with padded pots. The son of an influential aristocrat, from a family that had nobility and little money, the young German wanted a career in forestry, but because a suitable position wasn’t open, he started tinkering full time. Like a lot of brilliant inventors, Drais was a misunderstood and highly sensitive soul. ![]() That’s right, the first bike ride took place 200 years ago. The most remarkable thing about that 13km spin, which lasted a little less an hour, was that it probably was the first bike ride in human history. When the 32-year-old rider reached the mail station near that nearby community, he turned around and rode back home. Karl Drais rolled out from the center of Mannheim early on a Thursday morning in June, meandering south along the Rhine toward Schwetzingen. For more information on becoming a member to gain access to exclusive content, industry offers, training tools and more, click here. This article was originally published to VeloClub members. ![]()
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