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{{Short description|Pedal-driven two-wheel vehicle}} | |||
{{Other uses|Bicycle (disambiguation)}} | |||
{{About||the butterfly genus|Bicyclus{{!}}''Bicyclus''|other uses}} | |||
] of any kind in the world—is the Chinese ], with some 500 million in service.<ref name=Koeppel2007>{{Citation |title= Flight of the Pigeon |last= Koeppel |first= Dan |magazine= ] |date= January/February 2007 |volume= 48 |issue= 1 |ISSN=0006-2073 |publisher= ] |pages= 60–66 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=isUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60 |accessdate= 2012-01-28 }}</ref>EtymologyThe word ''bicycle'' was used in English print in the London '']'' in 1868, from the French term ''bicyclette'' which had been used as an adjective in 1847, and as a noun by 1868.<ref>", n.". ] Online (December 2012). Oxford University Press. 19 February 2013</ref> Before that, and in some places thereafter, bikes were known primarily as ]s.<ref>{{cite book|title=Bicycling Touring and Mountain Bike Basics|isbn=0-393-31337-9|year=1995|author=Peter Oliver|publisher=W.W. Norton & Company|page=12|quote=A Belgian newspaper, ''Le Gaulois'', is credited with coining the term, <nowiki>``bicycle,''</nowiki> in the 1890s. Before that — and in some places thereafter — bikes were primarily known as velocipedes.}}</ref>History]] | |||
{{Redirect|Bike}} | |||
I can ride my bike with no hashtag bars | |||
{{Pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} | |||
{{Infobox machine | |||
| name = Bicycle | |||
| image = Left side of Flying Pigeon.jpg | |||
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| image_upright = 1.35 | |||
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| caption = The most popular bicycle model—and most popular vehicle of any kind in the world—is the Chinese ], with about 500 million produced.<ref name="Koeppel2007" /> | |||
| classification = Vehicle | |||
| industry = | |||
| application = ] | |||
| dimensions = | |||
| weight = | |||
| fuel_source = ] (and/or ]) | |||
| powered = | |||
| self-propelled = | |||
| wheels = 2 | |||
| tracks = | |||
| legs = | |||
| aerofoils = | |||
| axles = | |||
| components = ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| invented = 19th century | |||
| inventor = ], ] | |||
| examples = | |||
| free_label = Types | |||
| free_text = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
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}} | |||
{{Sustainable energy}} | |||
] | |||
A '''bicycle''', also called a '''pedal cycle''', '''bike''', '''push-bike''' or '''cycle''', is a ] or ], ], ], with two ] attached to a ], one behind the other. A {{vanchor|bicycle rider|BICYCLE_RIDER}} is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. | |||
Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century in ]. By the early 21st century there were more than 1 billion bicycles.<ref name=Koeppel2007/><ref name=Economist2011/> There are many more bicycles than ]s.<ref name=Squatriglia2008/><ref name=AMA2006/><ref name=ABC/> Bicycles are the principal ] in many regions. They also provide a popular form of ], and have been adapted for use as ]. Bicycles are used for ], ] and ] applications, ], ], and ]. | |||
My booooooyyyyyyyyycycle booooooyyyyyyyyyycycle | |||
The basic shape and configuration of a typical ], has changed little since the first ] model was developed around 1885.{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|pp=200–50}}{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|pp=266–71}}{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|p=280}} However, many details have been improved, especially since the advent of ] and ]. These have allowed for a proliferation of specialized designs for many types of cycling. In the 21st century, ]s have become popular. | |||
Yo I go by the ane of Dane Jones Im with ym crew and we is bout to show all what we be rdin on ya dig kdoggie hashtag swag{{Main|History of the bicycle}} | |||
]'' (around 1820), the first two-wheeler and as such the archetype of the bicycle]] | |||
The ], also called Draisienne or laufmaschine, was the first human means of transport to use only two wheels in ] and was invented by the German ] ]. It is regarded as the modern bicycle's forerunner; Drais introduced it to the public in ] in summer 1817 and in Paris in 1818.<ref name="CSTM">{{cite web | |||
| title = Canada Science and Technology Museum: Baron von Drais’ Bicycle | |||
| year = 2006 | |||
| url = http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/collection/cycles2.cfm| accessdate = 2006-12-23 | |||
| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20061229213036/http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/collection/cycles2.cfm| archivedate= 29 December 2006 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> Its rider sat astride a wooden frame supported by two in-line wheels and pushed the vehicle along with his/her feet while steering the front wheel. | |||
] | |||
] | |||
The first mechanically-propelled, two-wheeled vehicle may have been built by ], a Scottish blacksmith, in 1839, although the claim is often disputed.<ref>Herlihy (2004: 66–7)</ref> He is also associated with the first recorded instance of a ] traffic offense, when a ] newspaper in 1842 reported an accident in which an anonymous "gentleman from Dumfries-shire... bestride a velocipede... of ingenious design" knocked over a little girl in Glasgow and was fined five ]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13040607|title=Is dangerous cycling a problem?|publisher=BBC|date=13 April 2011|accessdate=13 April 2011| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110414035046/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13040607| archivedate= 14 April 2011 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> | |||
The bicycle's invention has had an enormous effect on society, both in terms of ] and of advancing modern ] methods. Several components that played a key role in the development of the automobile were initially invented for use in the bicycle, including ]s, ], ]s, and ].<ref>Heitmann, J. A. ''The Automobile and American Life''. McFarland, 2009, {{ISBN|0-7864-4013-9}}, pp. 11ff</ref> | |||
In the early 1860s, Frenchmen ] and ] took bicycle design in a new direction by adding a mechanical ] drive with pedals on an enlarged front wheel (the ]). Another French inventor named Douglas Grasso had a failed prototype of Pierre Lallement's bicycle several years earlier. Several inventions followed using rear-wheel drive, the best known being the rod-driven velocipede by Scotsman ] in 1869. The French creation, made of iron and wood, developed into the "]" (historically known as an "ordinary bicycle", a ], since there was then no other kind).<ref>Norcliffe, Glen. ''The Ride to Modernity: The Bicycle in Canada, 1869-1900'' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001), p.50, citing Derek Roberts.</ref> It featured a tubular steel frame on which were mounted wire-spoked wheels with solid rubber tires. These bicycles were difficult to ride due to their high seat and poor ]. In 1868 Rowley Turner, a sales agent of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company (which soon became the Coventry Machinist Company), brought a Michaux cycle to ], England. His uncle, Josiah Turner, and business partner ], used this as a basis for the 'Coventry Model' in what became Britain's first cycle factory.<ref>McGrory, David. ''A History of Coventry'' (Chichester: Phillimore, 2003), p.221.</ref> | |||
==Etymology== | |||
The ''dwarf ordinary'' addressed some of these faults by reducing the front wheel diameter and setting the seat further back. This, in turn, required gearing—effected in a variety of ways—to efficiently use pedal power. Having to both pedal and steer via the front wheel remained a problem. ] (nephew of James Starley), J. H. Lawson, and Shergold solved this problem by introducing the ] (originated by the unsuccessful "bicyclette" of Englishman Henry Lawson),<ref>Norcliffe, p.47.</ref> connecting the frame-mounted cranks to the rear wheel. These models were known as ]s, dwarf safeties, or upright bicycles for their lower seat height and better weight distribution, although without pneumatic tires the ride of the smaller-wheeled bicycle would be much rougher than that of the larger-wheeled variety. Starley's 1885 ], manufactured in Coventry<ref>McGrory, p.222.</ref> is usually described as the first recognizably modern bicycle. Soon the ''seat tube'' was added, creating the modern bike's double-triangle ''diamond frame''. | |||
The word ''bicycle'' first appeared in English print in '']'' in 1868, to describe "Bysicles and trysicles" on the "Champs Elysées and Bois de Boulogne".<ref name=OED>{{OED|bicycle}}</ref> The word was first used in 1847 in a French publication to describe an unidentified two-wheeled vehicle, possibly a carriage.<ref name=OED/> The design of the bicycle was an advance on the ], although the words were used with some degree of overlap for a time.<ref name=OED/><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bicycle |title=bicycle (n.) |dictionary=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=10 February 2014}}</ref> | |||
Other words for bicycle include "bike",<ref>{{OED|bike}}</ref> "pushbike",<ref>{{OED|pushbike}}</ref> "pedal cycle",<ref>{{OED|pedal cycle}}</ref> or "cycle".<ref>{{OED|cycle}}</ref> In ], the ] for "bicycle" is 0x1F6B2. The ] <code>&#x1F6B2;</code> in ] produces 🚲.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F680.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1F680.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |title=Transport and Map Symbols |publisher=unicode.org |access-date=10 February 2014}}</ref> | |||
Further innovations increased comfort and ushered in a second ], the 1890s ''Golden Age of Bicycles''. In 1888, Scotsman ] introduced the first practical pneumatic tire, which soon became universal. Soon after, the rear ] was developed, enabling the rider to coast. This refinement led to the 1890s invention<ref>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://www.sheldonbrown.com/coaster-brakes.html | |||
Although bike and cycle are used interchangeably to refer mostly to two types of two-wheelers, the terms still vary across the world. In India, for example, a cycle<ref>{{cite news |date= |title=Why has India's Calcutta city banned cycling? |work=] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-24237390 |access-date=28 February 2022}}</ref> refers only to a two-wheeler using pedal power whereas the term bike is used to describe a two-wheeler using ] or ] as a source of motive power instead of motorcycle/motorbike. | |||
==History== | |||
{{Main|History of the bicycle}}The "]",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-24/the-resilience-lessons-of-the-dandy-horse-bike |title=How an Ancestor of the Bicycle Relates to Climate Resilience |first=Nicole |last=Javorsky |date=24 April 2019 |publisher=Bloomberg |accessdate=5 April 2022}}</ref> also called ''Draisienne'' or ''Laufmaschine'' ("running machine"), was the first human means of transport to use only two wheels in ] and was invented by the German ] ]. It is regarded as the first bicycle and von Drais is seen as the "father of the bicycle",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle/draisienne-1817-2017-200-years-cycling-innovation-design | title=200 years since the father of the bicycle Baron Karl von Drais invented the 'running machine' | Cycling UK }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEB4GYtmW-w | title=Karl von Drais "Father of Bicycles" | website=] | date=17 November 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dpma.de/english/our_office/publications/background/worlddayofthebicycle/index.html | title=DPMA | World Day of the Bicycle }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://scihi.org/karl-drais-mechanical-horse/ | title=Karl Drais and the Mechanical Horse | SciHi Blog | date=29 April 2018 }}</ref> but it did not have pedals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/world-s-first-bicycle-ride-took-place-200-years-ago-1.3112354|title=World's first bicycle ride took place 200 years ago|last=Scally|first=Derek|date=10 June 2017|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=29 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/frames1.html|title=Frames & Materials|website=Science of Cycling|access-date=29 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bikecitizens.net/200th-anniversary-bicycle-changed-society/|title=200th anniversary: How the bicycle changed society|last=Gliemann|first=Jennifer|date=21 March 2017|website=Bike Citizens|language=en-US|access-date=29 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Limebeer|first1=D. J. N.|title=Dynamics and Optimal Control of Road Vehicles|last2=Massaro|first2=Matteo|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2018|isbn=9780192559814|pages=13–15}}</ref> Von Drais introduced it to the public in ] in 1817 and in Paris in 1818.<ref name=csts>{{cite web |publisher=Canada Science and Technology Museum |title=Baron von Drais' Bicycle |url=http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/collection/cycles2.cfm |access-date=10 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061229213036/http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/collection/cycles2.cfm |archive-date=29 December 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|p=26}} Its rider sat astride a wooden frame supported by two in-line wheels and pushed the vehicle along with his or her feet while steering the front wheel.<ref name=csts/> | |||
The ] may have been built by ], a Scottish blacksmith, in 1839, although the claim is often disputed.{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|pp=66–67}} He is also associated with the first recorded instance of a cycling traffic offense, when a Glasgow newspaper in 1842 reported an accident in which an anonymous "gentleman from Dumfries-shire... bestride a velocipede... of ingenious design" knocked over a little girl in Glasgow and was fined five ]s ({{Inflation|UK|{{£sd|s=5}}|1842|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13040607 |title=Is dangerous cycling a problem? |work=] |date=13 April 2011 |access-date=11 February 2014}}</ref> | |||
In the early 1860s, Frenchmen ] and ] took bicycle design in a new direction by adding a mechanical ] drive with pedals on an enlarged front wheel (the ]). This was the first in mass production. Another French inventor named Douglas Grasso had a failed prototype of Pierre Lallement's bicycle several years earlier. Several inventions followed using rear-wheel drive, the best known being the rod-driven velocipede by Scotsman ] in 1869. In that same year, bicycle wheels with wire spokes were patented by ] of Paris.<ref>''Bulletin des lois de la République française'' (1873) 12th series, vol. 6, ("Improvements in the wheels of bicycles"), issued 4 August 1869.</ref> The French ''vélocipède'', made of iron and wood, developed into the "]" (historically known as an "ordinary bicycle", a ], since there was then no other kind).{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=50}} It featured a tubular steel frame on which were mounted wire-spoked wheels with solid rubber tires. These bicycles were difficult to ride due to their high seat and poor ]. In 1868 Rowley Turner, a sales agent of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company (which soon became the ]), brought a Michaux cycle to ], England. His uncle, Josiah Turner, and business partner ], used this as a basis for the 'Coventry Model' in what became Britain's first cycle factory.<ref>McGrory, David. ''A History of Coventry'' (Chichester: Phillimore, 2003), p. 221.</ref> | |||
The ''dwarf ordinary'' addressed some of these faults by reducing the front wheel ] and setting the ] further back. This, in turn, required gearing—effected in a variety of ways—to efficiently use pedal power. Having to both pedal and steer via the front wheel remained a problem. Englishman ] (nephew of James Starley), J.H. Lawson, and Shergold solved this problem by introducing the ] (originated by the unsuccessful "bicyclette" of Englishman Henry Lawson),{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=47}} connecting the frame-mounted cranks to the rear wheel. These models were known as ]s, dwarf safeties, or upright bicycles for their lower seat height and better weight distribution, although without pneumatic tires the ride of the smaller-wheeled bicycle would be much rougher than that of the larger-wheeled variety. Starley's 1885 ], manufactured in Coventry<ref>McGrory, p. 222.</ref> is usually described as the first recognizably modern bicycle.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cycle market: Moving into the fast lane|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/cycle-market-moving-into-the-fast-lane-1702191.html |work=] |location=London |date=26 February 2018}}</ref> Soon the ''seat tube'' was added which created the modern bike's double-triangle ''diamond frame''. | |||
Further innovations increased comfort and ushered in a second ], the 1890s ''Golden Age of Bicycles''. In 1888, Scotsman ] introduced the first practical pneumatic tire, which soon became universal. ] demonstrated the supremacy of Dunlop's tyres in 1889, winning the tyre's first-ever races in Ireland and then England.<ref name="Gold Hume">Hume, William (1938). . Archive maintained by 'The Pedal Club'. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403120845/http://www.thepedalclub.org/archives/goldenbook/u-z/WilliamHume.html |date=3 April 2012 }}</ref><ref name="Dunlop time">{{cite web|url=http://www.dunlop.eu/dunlop_uk/what_sets_dunlop_apart/history/|title=Dunlop, What sets Dunlop apart, History, 1889|access-date=27 February 2018|archive-date=2 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402192832/http://www.dunlop.eu/dunlop_uk/what_sets_dunlop_apart/history/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Soon after, the rear ] was developed, enabling the rider to coast. This refinement led to the 1890s invention<ref>{{cite web | |||
|url=http://www.sheldonbrown.com/coaster-brakes.html | |||
| title = One-Speed Bicycle Coaster Brakes | | title = One-Speed Bicycle Coaster Brakes | ||
| |
| first = Sheldon | last = Brown | ||
| quote = Coaster brakes were invented in the 1890s. | | quote = Coaster brakes were invented in the 1890s. | ||
| |
| access-date = 1 December 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129160301/http://sheldonbrown.com/coaster-brakes.html| archive-date= 29 November 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> of ]s. ] and hand-operated ]-pull brakes were also developed during these years, but were only slowly adopted by casual riders. | ||
The ] with vertical pedal arrangement and ] was introduced in 1892 by the Swedish engineers ] and ]. It attracted attention at the ] and was produced in a few thousand units. | |||
Bicycles and horse buggies were the two mainstays of private transportation just prior to the automobile, and the grading of smooth roads in the late 19th century was stimulated by the widespread advertising, production, and use of these devices.<ref name="herlihy">{{cite book | |||
| title = Bicycle: the history | |||
| last = Herlihy | |||
| first = David V. | |||
| authorlink = David V. Herlihy | |||
| publisher = Yale University Press | |||
| isbn = 0-300-10418-9 | |||
| pages = 200–250, 266–271, 280 | |||
| year = 2004}}</ref>{{rp|280}} | |||
In the 1870s many ]s flourished. They were popular in a time when there were no cars on the market and the principal mode of transportation was ]s, such the ] or the ]. Among the earliest clubs was ], which has operated since 1878. By the turn of the century, cycling clubs flourished on both sides of the Atlantic, and touring and racing became widely popular. The ] was founded in Nottingham, England in 1888. It became the biggest bicycle manufacturing company in the world, making over two million bikes per year.<ref>{{cite news|title=On Your Bike...|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidlands/series2/raleigh_bikes_cycling.shtml|agency=BBC|date=26 February 2018}}</ref> | |||
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px"> | |||
File:Women on bicycles, late 19th Century USA.jpg|Women on bicycles on unpaved road, USA, late 19th Century | |||
Bicycles and horse buggies were the two mainstays of private transportation just prior to the automobile, and the grading of smooth roads in the late 19th century was stimulated by the widespread advertising, production, and use of these devices.{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|p=280}} More than 1 billion bicycles have been manufactured worldwide as of the early 21st century.<ref name=Koeppel2007/><ref name=Economist2011/> Bicycles are the most common vehicle of any kind in the world, and the most numerous model of any kind of vehicle, whether human-powered or ], is the Chinese ], with numbers exceeding 500 million.<ref name=Koeppel2007/> The next most numerous vehicle, the ] motorcycle, has more than 100 million units made,<ref name="SuperCub">{{cite web |url=https://www.honda.co.jp/supercub-anniv/ |title=Honda|SUPER CUB FANSITE|スーパーカブファンのためのポータルサイト |accessdate= 20 May 2021}}</ref> while most produced car, the ], has reached 44 million and counting.<ref name=Squatriglia2008/><ref name=AMA2006/><ref name=ABC/><ref name=FoxBusiness/> | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px"> | |||
File:Women on bicycles, late 19th Century USA.jpg|Women on bicycles on unpaved road, US, late 19th century | |||
File:Ordinary bicycle01.jpg|A '']'' or ''ordinary bicycle'' photographed in the ] museum in the Czech Republic | File:Ordinary bicycle01.jpg|A '']'' or ''ordinary bicycle'' photographed in the ] museum in the Czech Republic | ||
File:Svea Velocipede.jpg|The ] by ] and ], exhibited at the ] | |||
File:BicyclePlymouth.jpg|Bicycle in ], England at the start of the 20th century | |||
File:BicyclePlymouth.jpg|Bicycle in ], England, at the start of the 20th century | |||
File:Antônio, Luís and Pedro.jpg|Brazilian princes (from left) ], ], and ] on a triple tandem bicycle during their exile, 1891 | |||
File:Man with bicycle (I0002502).tiff|Man with a bicycle in Glengarry County, Ontario between 1895 and 1910 | |||
File:The first bicycle.png|The first bicycle by ] ] | |||
File:The London Hansom Cycle 1896.png|Drawing from an 1896 newspaper of The London Hansom Cycle | |||
File:Draisine or Laufmaschine, around 1820. Archetype of the Bicycle. Pic 01.jpg|Wooden '']'' (around 1820), the first two-wheeler and as such the archetype of the bicycle | |||
File:Michauxjun.jpg|upright=0.9|left|Michaux's son on a velocipede 1868 | |||
File:Old CTC sign.jpg|] sign on display at the ] | |||
File:John Boyd Dunlop (c1915).jpg|upright|left|] on a bicycle {{Circa|1915}} | |||
File:1886 Starley 'Rover' Safety Cycle British Motor Museum 09-2016 (29928044262).jpg|1886 ] ] at the ]. The first modern bicycle, it featured a rear-wheel-drive, ]n cycle with two similar-sized wheels. Dunlop's ] was added to the bicycle in 1888. | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
==Uses== | ==Uses== | ||
Bicycles are used for transportation, ], and ].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fishman |first=Elliot |date=2 January 2016 |title=Cycling as transport |journal=Transport Reviews |language=en |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=1–8 |doi=10.1080/01441647.2015.1114271 |issn=0144-1647|doi-access=free }}</ref> They are also used professionally by ], ]s, ], ], and ] services. Military uses of bicycles include ], ], troop movement, supply of provisions, and patrol, such as in ].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Magazine |first1=Smithsonian |last2=Kindy |first2=David |title=The Black Buffalo Soldiers Who Biked Across the American West |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-black-buffalo-soldiers-who-biked-across-the-american-west-180980246/ |access-date=8 July 2023 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref> | |||
Bicycles have been and are employed for many uses: | |||
*Utility: transportation, ], and ] | |||
*Work: ], ]s, ], ], and ]. | |||
*Recreation: ], ], ], ], and play. | |||
*]: ], ], ] and ] to multi-stage events like the ], ], the ], the ], the ], among others. | |||
*Military: ], troop movement, supply of provisions, and patrol. See ]. | |||
*Entertainment and performance: ], ]. | |||
They are also used for recreational purposes, including ], ], ], and ]. ] include ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]s. Major multi-stage professional events are the ], the ], the ], the ], and the ]. They are also used for entertainment and pleasure in other ways, such as in organised mass rides, ] and ]. | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:BicyclesMilkChurnsKolkata gobeirne.jpg|Transporting milk churns in ], India | |||
File:Working bicycle.jpg|A ] in ], Netherlands | |||
File:Children Bicycle.jpg|A toy, ], KPK, Pakistan. | |||
</gallery> | |||
==Technical aspects== | ==Technical aspects== | ||
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2021}} | |||
] in New York City]] | |||
] | |||
The bicycle has undergone continual adaptation and improvement since its inception. These innovations have continued with the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design, allowing for a proliferation of specialized bicycle types. | |||
The bicycle has undergone continual adaptation and improvement since its inception. These innovations have continued with the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design, allowing for a proliferation of specialized bicycle types, improved ], and riding comfort.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game changers {{!}} 12 innovations that changed road cycling |url=https://www.bikeradar.com/features/cycling-innovations/ |access-date=10 January 2023 |website=BikeRadar |date=10 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
===Types=== | ===Types=== | ||
{{Main|List of bicycle types}} | {{Main|List of bicycle types}} | ||
] | ]]] | ||
] ], an example of a bicycle designed for sport]] | |||
Bicycles can be categorized in different ways: such as by function, by number of riders, by general construction, by gearing or by means of propulsion. The more common types include ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, and ]. Less common are ], ], ]s, ], ], ] and ]. | |||
Bicycles can be categorized in many different ways: by function, by number of riders, by general construction, by gearing or by means of propulsion. The more common types include ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, and ]s. Less common are ], ], ]s, ], ], ], ]s, ] and ]. | |||
]s, ]s and ]s are not strictly bicycles, as they have respectively one, three and four wheels, but are often referred to informally as "bikes". | |||
] | |||
]s, ]s and ] are not strictly bicycles, as they have respectively one, three and four wheels, but are often referred to informally as "bikes" or "cycles". | |||
===Dynamics=== | ===Dynamics=== | ||
{{Main|Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics}} | {{Main|Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics}} | ||
] | |||
A bicycle stays upright while moving forward by being steered so as to keep its ] over the wheels.<ref name=NS2581>{{cite journal | |||
| last=Various | |||
A bicycle stays upright while moving forward by being steered so as to keep its ] over the wheels.<ref name="NS2581">{{cite journal|last=Various|date=9 December 2006|title=Like falling off|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19225812.400|url-status=dead|journal=New Scientist|issue=2581|page=93|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204070845/https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19225812.400|archive-date=4 December 2008|access-date=27 January 2009}}</ref> This steering is usually provided by the rider, but under certain conditions may be provided by the bicycle itself.<ref name=MPRS>{{cite journal | |||
| date=9 December 2006 | |||
| journal = ] | |||
| title=Like falling off | |||
| journal=] | |||
| issue=2581 | |||
| page=93 | |||
| url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19225812.400 | |||
| accessdate=27 January 2009}}</ref> This steering is usually provided by the rider, but under certain conditions may be provided by the bicycle itself.<ref name=MPRS>{{cite journal | |||
| journal = Proc. R. Soc. A. | |||
| volume = 463 | | volume = 463 | ||
| issue = 2084 | | issue = 2084 | ||
| year = 2007 | | year = 2007 | ||
| pages = |
| pages = 1955–82 | ||
| title = Linearized dynamics equations for the balance and steer of a bicycle: a benchmark and review | | title = Linearized dynamics equations for the balance and steer of a bicycle: a benchmark and review | ||
| |
| last1 = Meijaard | ||
| doi = 10.1098/rspa.2007.1857 | | doi = 10.1098/rspa.2007.1857 | ||
| first1 = J.P. | | first1 = J.P. | ||
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| first4 = A.L. | | first4 = A.L. | ||
| bibcode=2007RSPSA.463.1955M | | bibcode=2007RSPSA.463.1955M | ||
| s2cid = 18309860 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
| issn=1364-5021 }}</ref> | |||
The combined center of mass of a bicycle and its rider must lean into a turn to successfully navigate it. This lean is induced by a method known as ], which can be performed by the rider turning the handlebars directly with the |
The combined center of mass of a bicycle and its rider must lean into a turn to successfully navigate it. This lean is induced by a method known as ], which can be performed by the rider turning the handlebars directly with the hands<ref name="Wilson">{{cite book | ||
| title = Bicycling Science | | title = Bicycling Science | ||
|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780262731546 | |||
| url-access = registration | |||
| edition = Third | | edition = Third | ||
| last = Wilson | | last = Wilson | ||
| first = David Gordon | | first = David Gordon | ||
| |
|author2=Jim Papadopoulos | ||
| year = 2004 | | year = 2004 | ||
| publisher = The |
| publisher = The MIT Press | ||
| isbn = 0-262-73154- |
| isbn = 978-0-262-73154-6 | ||
| pages = }}</ref> or indirectly by leaning the bicycle.<ref name="fajans">{{cite journal|last=Fajans|first=Joel|date=July 1738|title=Steering in bicycles and motorcycles|url=http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~fajans/pub/pdffiles/SteerBikeAJP.PDF|url-status=dead|journal=American Journal of Physics|volume=68|issue=7|pages=654–59|bibcode=2000AmJPh..68..654F|doi=10.1119/1.19504|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901081011/http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~fajans/pub/pdffiles/SteerBikeAJP.PDF|archive-date=1 September 2006|access-date=4 August 2006}}</ref> | |||
| pages = 270–272}}</ref> or indirectly by leaning the bicycle.<ref name="fajans">{{cite journal | |||
| journal = American Journal of Physics | |||
| volume = 68 | |||
| issue = 7 | |||
| month = July | |||
| year = 2000 | |||
| last = Fajans | |||
| first = Joel | |||
| title = Steering in bicycles and motorcycles | |||
| url = http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~fajans/pub/pdffiles/SteerBikeAJP.PDF | |||
| format = PDF | |||
| accessdate = 2006-08-04 | |||
| pages = 654–659 | |||
| doi = 10.1119/1.19504 | |||
| bibcode=2000AmJPh..68..654F| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20060901081011/http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~fajans/pub/pdffiles/SteerBikeAJP.PDF| archivedate= 1 September 2006 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> | |||
Short-wheelbase or tall bicycles, when braking, can generate enough stopping force at the front wheel to flip longitudinally.<ref>{{cite book | Short-wheelbase or tall bicycles, when braking, can generate enough stopping force at the front wheel to flip longitudinally.<ref>{{cite book | ||
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| first = Vittore | | first = Vittore | ||
| year = 2006 | | year = 2006 | ||
| publisher = Lulu |
| publisher = ] | ||
| isbn = 978-1-4303-0861-4 | | isbn = 978-1-4303-0861-4 | ||
| pages = 241–342}}</ref> The act of purposefully using this force to lift the rear wheel and balance on the front without tipping over is a trick known as a ], endo, or front wheelie. | | pages = 241–342}}</ref> The act of purposefully using this force to lift the rear wheel and balance on the front without tipping over is a trick known as a ], endo, or front wheelie. | ||
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===Performance=== | ===Performance=== | ||
{{Main|Bicycle performance}} | {{Main|Bicycle performance}} | ||
The bicycle is extraordinarily efficient in both biological and mechanical terms. The bicycle is the most efficient human-powered means of transportation in terms of energy a person must expend to travel a given distance.<ref>"Bicycle Technology", S.S. Wilson, ], March 1973</ref> From a mechanical viewpoint, up to 99% of the energy delivered by the rider into the pedals is transmitted to the wheels, although the use of gearing mechanisms may reduce this by 10–15%.<ref> | |||
The bicycle is extraordinarily efficient in both biological and mechanical terms. The bicycle is the most efficient human-powered means of transportation in terms of energy a person must expend to travel a given distance.<ref>S.S. Wilson, "", '']'', March 1973</ref> From a mechanical viewpoint, up to 99% of the energy delivered by the rider into the pedals is transmitted to the wheels, although the use of gearing mechanisms may reduce this by 10–15%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pedal power probe shows bicycles waste little energy |url=http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/1999/aug3099/30pedal.html |work=Johns Hopkins Gazette |date=30 August 1999}}</ref><ref name="whitt">{{cite book | |||
, | |||
30 August 1999</ref><ref name="whitt">{{cite book | |||
| title = Bicycling Science | | title = Bicycling Science | ||
| edition = Second | | edition = Second | ||
| last = Whitt | | last = Whitt | ||
| first = Frank R. | | first = Frank R. | ||
| |
|author2=David G. Wilson | ||
| year = 1982 | | year = 1982 | ||
| publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology | | publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology | ||
| isbn = 0-262-23111- |
| isbn = 978-0-262-23111-4 | ||
| pages = 277–300}}</ref> In terms of the ratio of cargo weight a bicycle can carry to total weight, it is also an efficient means of cargo transportation. | |||
| pages = 277–300}}</ref> | |||
In terms of the ratio of cargo weight a bicycle can carry to total weight, it is also an efficient means of cargo transportation. | |||
A human traveling on a bicycle at low to medium speeds of around {{Convert|16|–|24|km/h|abbr=on|0}} uses only the power required to walk. Air drag, which is proportional to the square of speed, requires dramatically higher power outputs as speeds increase. If the rider is sitting upright, the rider's body creates about 75% of the total drag of the bicycle/rider combination. Drag can be reduced by seating the rider in a more ]ally streamlined position. Drag can also be reduced by covering the bicycle with an aerodynamic ]. The fastest recorded unpaced speed on a flat surface is {{Convert|144.18|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="upi">{{cite web | |||
] ]] | |||
|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/aerovelo-eta-bullet-shaped-bike-sets-new-human-powered-speed-world-record-1582628 | |||
| title = AeroVelo Eta: bullet-shaped bike sets new human-powered speed record | |||
| date = 21 September 2016 | |||
| website = International Business Times | |||
| access-date = 29 November 2016}}</ref> | |||
In addition, the ] generated in the production and transportation of the food required by the bicyclist, per mile traveled, is less than {{Fraction|1|10}} that generated by energy efficient motorcars.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/advocacy/bike_co2.htm |title=How Much Do Bicycles Pollute? Looking at the Carbon Dioxide Produced by Bicycles |publisher=Kenkifer.com |date=20 November 1999 |access-date=24 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115130508/http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/advocacy/bike_co2.htm |archive-date=15 November 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
A human traveling on a bicycle at low to medium speeds of around {{Convert|10|–|15|mph|abbr=on}} uses only the energy required to walk. Air drag, which is proportional to the square of speed, requires dramatically higher power outputs as speeds increase. If the rider is sitting upright, the rider's body creates about 75% of the total drag of the bicycle/rider combination. Drag can be reduced by seating the rider in a more ]ally streamlined position. Drag can also be reduced by covering the bicycle with an aerodynamic ]. The fastest unpaced speed on a flat surface is {{Convert|82.819|mph|abbr=on}}<ref name="sam"></ref> | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160px"> | |||
Image:Corsa bacchetta.jpg|A ] | |||
File:Wooden bicycle for young child.jpg|] for young children | |||
</gallery> | |||
==Parts== | |||
In addition, the ] generated in the production and transportation of the food required by the bicyclist, per mile traveled, is less than 1/10 that generated by energy efficient cars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/advocacy/bike_co2.htm |title=How Much Do Bicycles Pollute? Looking at the Carbon Dioxide Produced by Bicycles |publisher=Kenkifer.com |date=1999-11-20 |accessdate=2011-10-24}}</ref> | |||
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2021}} | |||
=== |
===Frame=== | ||
In its early years, bicycle construction drew on pre-existing technologies. More recently, bicycle technology has in turn contributed ideas in both old and new areas. | |||
====Frame==== | |||
{{Main|Bicycle frame}} | {{Main|Bicycle frame}} | ||
The great majority of modern bicycles have a frame with upright seating that looks much like the first chain-driven bike.{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|pp=200–50}}{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|pp=266–71}}{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|p=280}} These upright bicycles almost always feature the ''diamond frame'', a ] consisting of two triangles: the front triangle and the rear triangle. The front triangle consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube, and seat tube. The head tube contains the ], the set of bearings that allows the ] to turn smoothly for steering and balance. The top tube connects the head tube to the seat tube at the top, and the down tube connects the head tube to the ]. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube and paired chain stays and seat stays. The chain stays run parallel to the ], connecting the bottom bracket to the rear ], where the axle for the rear wheel is held. The seat stays connect the top of the seat tube (at or near the same point as the top tube) to the rear fork ends. | |||
] | |||
The great majority of today's bicycles have a frame with upright seating that looks much like the first chain-driven bike.<ref name="herlihy"/> These upright bicycles almost always feature the ''diamond frame'', a ] consisting of two triangles: the front triangle and the rear triangle. The front triangle consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube, and seat tube. The head tube contains the ], the set of bearings that allows the ] to turn smoothly for steering and balance. The top tube connects the head tube to the seat tube at the top, and the down tube connects the head tube to the ]. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube and paired chain stays and seat stays. The chain stays run parallel to the ], connecting the bottom bracket to the rear ], where the axle for the rear wheel is held. The seat stays connect the top of the seat tube (at or near the same point as the top tube) to the rear fork ends. | |||
] with a ].]] | |||
Historically, women's bicycle frames had a top tube that connected in the middle of the seat tube instead of the top, resulting in a lower ] at the expense of compromised structural integrity, since this places a strong bending load in the seat tube, and bicycle frame members are typically weak in bending. This design, referred to as a '']'' or as an ''open frame'', allows the rider to mount and dismount in a dignified way while wearing a skirt or dress. While some women's bicycles continue to use this frame style, there is also a variation, the '']'', which splits the top tube laterally into two thinner top tubes that bypass the seat tube on each side and connect to the rear fork ends. The ease of stepping through is also appreciated by those with limited flexibility or other joint problems. Because of its persistent image as a "women's" bicycle, step-through frames are not common for larger frames. | Historically, women's bicycle frames had a top tube that connected in the middle of the seat tube instead of the top, resulting in a lower ] at the expense of compromised structural integrity, since this places a strong bending load in the seat tube, and bicycle frame members are typically weak in bending. This design, referred to as a '']'' or as an ''open frame'', allows the rider to mount and dismount in a dignified way while wearing a skirt or dress. While some women's bicycles continue to use this frame style, there is also a variation, the '']'', which splits the top tube laterally into two thinner top tubes that bypass the seat tube on each side and connect to the rear fork ends. The ease of stepping through is also appreciated by those with limited flexibility or other joint problems. Because of its persistent image as a "women's" bicycle, step-through frames are not common for larger frames. | ||
Step-throughs were popular partly for practical reasons and partly for social mores of the day. For most of the history of bicycles' popularity women have worn long skirts, and the lower frame accommodated these better than the top-tube. Furthermore it was considered "unladylike" for women to open their legs to mount and |
Step-throughs were popular partly for practical reasons and partly for social mores of the day. For most of the history of bicycles' popularity women have worn long skirts, and the lower frame accommodated these better than the top-tube. Furthermore, it was considered "unladylike" for women to open their legs to mount and dismount—in more conservative times women who rode bicycles at all were vilified as immoral or immodest. These practices were akin to the older practice of riding horse ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cyclist |first=Average Joe |date=10 April 2017 |title=How the Bicycle Became a Symbol for Women's Emancipation |url=https://averagejoecyclist.com/bicycle-became-symbol-womens-emancipation/ |access-date=12 August 2022 |website=Average Joe Cyclist |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
Another style is the recumbent bicycle. These are inherently more aerodynamic than upright versions, as the rider may lean back onto a support and operate pedals that are on about the same level as the seat. The world's fastest bicycle is a recumbent bicycle but this type was banned from competition in 1934 by the ].<ref>{{cite web| |
Another style is the ]. These are inherently more aerodynamic than upright versions, as the rider may lean back onto a support and operate pedals that are on about the same level as the seat. The world's fastest bicycle is a recumbent bicycle but this type was banned from competition in 1934 by the ].<ref>{{cite web|date=1 April 1934|title=History Loudly Tells Why The Recumbent Bike Is Popular Today|url=http://www.recumbent-bikes-truth-for-you.com/history.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030802090926/http://www.recumbent-bikes-truth-for-you.com/history.html|archive-date=2 August 2003|access-date=24 October 2011|publisher=Recumbent-bikes-truth-for-you.com}}</ref> | ||
Historically, materials used in bicycles have followed a similar pattern as in aircraft, the goal being high strength and low weight. Since the late 1930s alloy steels have been used for frame and fork tubes in higher quality machines. |
Historically, materials used in bicycles have followed a similar pattern as in aircraft, the goal being high strength and low weight. Since the late 1930s alloy steels have been used for frame and fork tubes in higher quality machines. By the 1980s ] ] techniques had improved to the point that aluminum tube could safely be used in place of ]. Since then aluminum alloy frames and other components have become popular due to their light weight, and most mid-range bikes are now principally aluminum alloy of some kind.{{Where|date=August 2012}} More expensive bikes use ] due to its significantly lighter weight and profiling ability, allowing designers to make a bike both stiff and compliant by manipulating the lay-up. Virtually all professional racing bicycles now use carbon fibre frames, as they have the best strength to weight ratio. A typical modern carbon fiber frame can weigh less than {{convert|1|kg|lb}}. | ||
| url = http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/bamboo-bikes/ | |||
| title = About My Planet: Bamboo Bikes | |||
| author = Jen Lukenbill | |||
| accessdate =14 January 2013}}</ref> | |||
Recent versions use bamboo for the primary frame with glued metal connections and parts, priced as exotic models.<ref name=lukenbill/><ref>{{cite web | |||
| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/31/business/bamboo-bicycles-zambia-zambikes/index.html |publisher=CNN |date= may 31, 2012 |title=Made in Africa: Bamboo bikes put Zambian business on right track |author=Teo Kermeliotis }}</ref> | |||
<ref>{{cite AV media |url=http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/ |publisher= NHK World News in English |title=Bamboo bicycles made in Zambia|date=14 Jan 2013 |location=Tokyo |medium=TV news}}</ref> | |||
Other exotic frame materials include ] and advanced alloys. ], a natural ] with high strength-to-weight ratio and ]<ref name="Lakkad">{{cite journal |title=Mechanical properties of bamboo, a natural composite |last1=Lakkad |last2=Patel |journal=Fibre Science and Technology |volume=14 |issue=4 |date=June 1981 |pages=319–22 |doi=10.1016/0015-0568(81)90023-3}}</ref> has been used for bicycles since 1894.<ref name=lukenbill>{{cite web | |||
====Drivetrain and gearing==== | |||
|url=http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/bamboo-bikes/ | |||
] | |||
|title=About My Planet: Bamboo Bikes | |||
|author=Jen Lukenbill | |||
|access-date=14 January 2013 | |||
|url-status=dead | |||
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025023815/http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/bamboo-bikes/ | |||
|archive-date=25 October 2012 | |||
}}</ref> Recent versions use bamboo for the primary frame with glued metal connections and parts, priced as exotic models.<ref name="lukenbill" /><ref>{{cite news | |||
|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/31/business/bamboo-bicycles-zambia-zambikes/index.html |publisher=CNN |date= 31 May 2012 |title=Made in Africa: Bamboo bikes put Zambian business on right track |author=Teo Kermeliotis }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/ |publisher=NHK World News in English |title=Bamboo bicycles made in Zambia |date=14 January 2013 |location=Tokyo |medium=TV news |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115214146/http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/ |archive-date=15 January 2013 }}</ref> | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160px"> | |||
File:Bicycle diagram-en.svg|Diagram of a bicycle | |||
File:Triumph Bicycle.JPG|A ] with a ] | |||
File:Trek Y Foil.jpg|A carbon fiber ] Y-Foil from the late 1990s | |||
</gallery> | |||
===Drivetrain and gearing=== | |||
{{Main|Bicycle drivetrain systems}} | {{Main|Bicycle drivetrain systems}} | ||
The ''drivetrain'' begins with pedals which rotate the ], which are held in axis by the bottom bracket. Most bicycles use a chain to transmit power to the rear wheel. A very small number of bicycles use a shaft drive to transmit power, or special belts. Hydraulic bicycle transmissions have been built, but they are currently inefficient and complex. | The ''drivetrain'' begins with pedals which rotate the ], which are held in axis by the bottom bracket. Most bicycles use a chain to transmit power to the rear wheel. A very small number of bicycles use a shaft drive to transmit power, or special belts. Hydraulic bicycle transmissions have been built, but they are currently inefficient and complex. | ||
Since cyclists' legs are most efficient over a narrow range of pedaling speeds, or ], a variable ] helps a cyclist to maintain an optimum pedalling speed while covering varied terrain. Some, mainly utility, bicycles use hub |
Since cyclists' legs are most efficient over a narrow range of pedaling speeds, or ], a variable ] helps a cyclist to maintain an optimum pedalling speed while covering varied terrain. Some, mainly utility, bicycles use ]s with between 3 and 14 ratios, but most use the generally more efficient dérailleur system, by which the chain is moved between different cogs called chainrings and sprockets to select a ratio. A dérailleur system normally has two dérailleurs, or mechs, one at the front to select the ] and another at the back to select the sprocket. Most bikes have two or three chainrings, and from 5 to 11 sprockets on the back, with the number of theoretical gears calculated by multiplying front by back. In reality, many gears overlap or require the chain to run diagonally, so the number of usable gears is fewer. | ||
An alternative to chaindrive is to use a synchronous belt. These are toothed and work much the same as a chain—popular with commuters and long distance cyclists they require little maintenance. They cannot be shifted across a cassette of sprockets, and are used either as single speed or with a hub gear. | |||
] are appropriate for different people and styles of cycling. Multi-speed bicycles allow gear selection to suit the circumstances: a cyclist could use a high gear when cycling downhill, a medium gear when cycling on a flat road, and a low gear when cycling uphill. In a lower gear every turn of the pedals leads to fewer rotations of the rear wheel. This allows the energy required to move the same distance to be distributed over more pedal turns, reducing fatigue when riding uphill, with a heavy load, or against strong winds. A higher gear allows a cyclist to make fewer pedal turns to maintain a given speed, but with more effort per turn of the pedals. | ] are appropriate for different people and styles of cycling. Multi-speed bicycles allow gear selection to suit the circumstances: a cyclist could use a high gear when cycling downhill, a medium gear when cycling on a flat road, and a low gear when cycling uphill. In a lower gear every turn of the pedals leads to fewer rotations of the rear wheel. This allows the energy required to move the same distance to be distributed over more pedal turns, reducing fatigue when riding uphill, with a heavy load, or against strong winds. A higher gear allows a cyclist to make fewer pedal turns to maintain a given speed, but with more effort per turn of the pedals. | ||
With a ''chain drive'' transmission, a ''chainring'' attached to a crank drives the chain, which in turn rotates the rear wheel via the rear sprocket(s) (] or ]). There are four gearing options: two-speed hub gear integrated with chain ring, up to 3 chain rings, up to 12 sprockets, hub gear built into rear wheel (3-speed to 14-speed). The most common options are either a rear hub or multiple chain rings combined with multiple sprockets (other combinations of options are possible but less common). | |||
] instead of a chain]] | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160px"> | |||
With a ''chain drive'' transmission, a ''chainring'' attached to a crank drives the chain, which in turn rotates the rear wheel via the rear sprocket(s) (] or ]). There are four gearing options: two-speed hub gear integrated with chain ring, up to 3 chain rings, up to 11 sprockets, hub gear built into rear wheel (3-speed to 14-speed). The most common options are either a rear hub or multiple chain rings combined with multiple sprockets (other combinations of options are possible but less common). | |||
File:Dsb-1.jpg|A ] instead of a chain | |||
File:Shimano xt rear derailleur.jpg|A set of rear sprockets (also known as a cassette) and a ] | |||
File:Hub gear.jpg|upright|Hub gear | |||
</gallery> | |||
===Steering=== | |||
] to prevent cyclist's palsy (]).<ref>{{Cite journal |pmid = 12860549|year = 2003|last1 = Patterson|first1 = J.M.|title = Ulnar and median nerve palsy in long-distance cyclists. A prospective study|journal = The American Journal of Sports Medicine|volume = 31|issue = 4|pages = 585–89|last2 = Jaggars|first2 = M.M.|last3 = Boyer|first3 = M.I.|doi = 10.1177/03635465030310041801|s2cid = 22497516}}</ref>]] | |||
The ] turn the fork and the front wheel via the ], which rotates within the headset. Three styles of handlebar are common. ''Upright handlebars'', the norm in Europe and elsewhere until the 1970s, curve gently back toward the rider, offering a natural grip and comfortable upright position. ''Drop handlebars'' "drop" as they curve forward and down, offering the cyclist best braking power from a more aerodynamic "crouched" position, as well as more upright positions in which the hands grip the brake lever mounts, the forward curves, or the upper flat sections for increasingly upright postures. Mountain bikes generally feature a 'straight handlebar' or 'riser bar' with varying degrees of sweep backwards and centimeters rise upwards, as well as wider widths which can provide better handling due to increased leverage against the wheel. | |||
The ] connect to the ] that connects to the fork that connects to the front wheel, and the whole assembly connects to the bike and rotates about the steering axis via the ] bearings. Three styles of handlebar are common. ''Upright handlebars'', the norm in Europe and elsewhere until the 1970s, curve gently back toward the rider, offering a natural grip and comfortable upright position. ''Drop handlebars'' "drop" as they curve forward and down, offering the cyclist best braking power from a more aerodynamic "crouched" position, as well as more upright positions in which the hands grip the brake lever mounts, the forward curves, or the upper flat sections for increasingly upright postures. Mountain bikes generally feature a 'straight handlebar' or 'riser bar' with varying degrees of sweep backward and centimeters rise upwards, as well as wider widths which can provide better handling due to increased leverage against the wheel. | |||
===Seating=== | |||
] | ] | ||
] also vary with rider preference, from the cushioned ones favored by short-distance riders to narrower saddles which allow more room for leg swings. Comfort depends on riding position. With comfort bikes and hybrids, cyclists sit high over the seat, their weight directed down onto the saddle, such that a wider and more cushioned saddle is preferable. For racing bikes where the rider is bent over, weight is more evenly distributed between the handlebars and saddle, the hips are flexed, and a narrower and harder saddle is more efficient. Differing saddle designs exist for male and female cyclists, accommodating the genders' differing anatomies, although bikes typically are sold with saddles most appropriate for men. | ] also vary with rider preference, from the cushioned ones favored by short-distance riders to narrower saddles which allow more room for leg swings. Comfort depends on riding position. With comfort bikes and hybrids, cyclists sit high over the seat, their weight directed down onto the saddle, such that a wider and more cushioned saddle is preferable. For racing bikes where the rider is bent over, weight is more evenly distributed between the handlebars and saddle, the hips are flexed, and a narrower and harder saddle is more efficient. Differing saddle designs exist for male and female cyclists, accommodating the genders' differing anatomies and sit bone width measurements, although bikes typically are sold with saddles most appropriate for men. Suspension seat posts and seat springs provide comfort by absorbing shock but can add to the overall weight of the bicycle. | ||
A recumbent bicycle has a reclined ] that some riders find more comfortable than a saddle, especially riders who suffer from certain types of seat, back, neck, shoulder, or wrist pain. Recumbent bicycles may have either under-seat or over-seat ]. | A recumbent bicycle has a reclined ] that some riders find more comfortable than a saddle, especially riders who suffer from certain types of seat, back, neck, shoulder, or wrist pain. Recumbent bicycles may have either under-seat or over-seat ]. | ||
===Brakes=== | |||
{{Main|Bicycle brake |
{{Main|Bicycle brake}} | ||
] trademark: V-Brake, on rear wheel of a ]]] | ] trademark: V-Brake, on rear wheel of a ]]] | ||
Bicycle brakes may be rim brakes, in which friction pads are compressed against the wheel rims; hub brakes, where the mechanism is contained within the wheel hub, or disc brakes, where pads act on a rotor attached to the hub. Most road bicycles use rim brakes, but some use disc brakes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cyclingtips.com.au/2013/10/disc-brakes-and-road-bikes-what-does-the-future-hold/ |title=Disc Brakes and Road Bikes: What does the Future Hold? |publisher=cyclingtips.com.au |date=1 October 2013 |access-date=24 February 2014 |author=Wade Wallace}}</ref> ] are more common for mountain bikes, tandems and recumbent bicycles than on other types of bicycles, due to their increased power, coupled with an increased weight and complexity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sheldonbrown.com/disc-brakes.html |title=Disc Brakes |publisher=sheldonbrown.com |author=John Allan |access-date=24 February 2014}}</ref> | |||
] and hub]] | ] and hub]] | ||
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]s do not have brakes, because all riders ride in the same direction around a track which does not necessitate sharp deceleration. Track riders are still able to slow down because all track bicycles are fixed-gear, meaning that there is no freewheel. Without a freewheel, coasting is impossible, so when the rear wheel is moving, the cranks are moving. To slow down, the rider applies resistance to the pedals, acting as a braking system which can be as effective as a conventional rear wheel brake, but not as effective as a front wheel brake.<ref>{{cite web | ]s do not have brakes, because all riders ride in the same direction around a track which does not necessitate sharp deceleration. Track riders are still able to slow down because all track bicycles are fixed-gear, meaning that there is no freewheel. Without a freewheel, coasting is impossible, so when the rear wheel is moving, the cranks are moving. To slow down, the rider applies resistance to the pedals, acting as a braking system which can be as effective as a conventional rear wheel brake, but not as effective as a front wheel brake.<ref>{{cite web | ||
| |
|url=http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html | ||
| title = Fixed Gear Conversions: Braking | | title = Fixed Gear Conversions: Braking | ||
| last = Brown | | last = Brown | ||
| first = Sheldon | | first = Sheldon | ||
| |
| access-date = 11 February 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209002353/http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html| archive-date= 9 February 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> | ||
===Suspension=== | |||
{{Main|Bicycle suspension}} | {{Main|Bicycle suspension}} | ||
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Bicycle suspensions are used primarily on mountain bicycles, but are also common on hybrid bicycles, as they can help deal with problematic vibration from poor surfaces. Suspension is especially important on recumbent bicycles, since while an upright bicycle rider can stand on the pedals to achieve some of the benefits of suspension, a recumbent rider cannot. | Bicycle suspensions are used primarily on mountain bicycles, but are also common on hybrid bicycles, as they can help deal with problematic vibration from poor surfaces. Suspension is especially important on recumbent bicycles, since while an upright bicycle rider can stand on the pedals to achieve some of the benefits of suspension, a recumbent rider cannot. | ||
Basic mountain bicycles and hybrids usually have front suspension only, whilst more sophisticated ones also have rear suspension. Road bicycles tend to have no suspension |
Basic mountain bicycles and hybrids usually have front suspension only, whilst more sophisticated ones also have rear suspension. Road bicycles tend to have no suspension. | ||
===Wheels and tires=== | |||
{{Main|Bicycle wheel|Bicycle tire}} | {{Main|Bicycle wheel|Bicycle tire}} | ||
The wheel axle fits into fork ends in the frame and fork. A pair of wheels may be called a wheelset, especially in the context of ready-built "off the shelf", performance-oriented wheels. | The wheel axle fits into fork ends in the frame and fork. A pair of wheels may be called a wheelset, especially in the context of ready-built "off the shelf", performance-oriented wheels. | ||
Tires vary enormously depending on their intended purpose. ] use tires 18 to 25 millimeters wide, most often completely smooth, or ], and inflated to high pressure |
Tires vary enormously depending on their intended purpose. ] use tires 18 to 25 millimeters wide, most often completely smooth, or ], and inflated to high pressure to roll fast on smooth surfaces. Off-road tires are usually between {{Convert|38|and|64|mm|abbr=on}} wide, and have treads for gripping in muddy conditions or metal studs for ice. | ||
=== |
===Groupset=== | ||
] generally refers to all of the components that make up a bicycle excluding the bicycle frame, fork, stem, wheels, tires, and rider contact points, such as the saddle and handlebars. | |||
], fenders/mud-guards, water bottles in ], four ]s and a handlebar bag.]] | |||
===Accessories=== | |||
Some components, which are often optional accessories on sports bicycles, are standard features on utility bicycles to enhance their usefulness and comfort. ]s, or ]s, protect the cyclist and ] from spray when riding through wet areas and ]s protect clothes from oil on the chain while preventing clothing from being caught between the chain and ] teeth. ]s keep bicycles upright when parked, and ]s deter theft. Front-mounted ], ]s, and ]s mounted above either or both wheels can be used to carry equipment or cargo. Pegs can be fastened to one, or both of the wheel hubs to either help the rider perform certain tricks, or allow a place for extra riders to stand, or rest.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} Parents sometimes add rear-mounted ], an auxiliary saddle fitted to the crossbar, or both to transport children. | |||
], fenders (called mud-guards), water bottles in ], four ]s and a handlebar bag]] | |||
Some components, which are often optional accessories on sports bicycles, are standard features on utility bicycles to enhance their usefulness, comfort, safety and visibility. ] with spoilers (mudflaps) protect the cyclist and moving parts from spray when riding through wet areas. In some countries (e.g. Germany, UK), fenders are called ]s. The ]s protect clothes from oil on the chain while preventing clothing from being caught between the chain and ] teeth. ]s keep bicycles upright when parked, and ]s deter theft. Front-mounted ], front or rear ]s or racks, and ]s mounted above either or both wheels can be used to carry equipment or cargo. Pegs can be fastened to one, or both of the wheel hubs to either help the rider perform certain tricks, or allow a place for extra riders to stand, or rest.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} Parents sometimes add rear-mounted ], an auxiliary saddle fitted to the crossbar, or both to transport children. Bicycles can also be fitted with a hitch to tow a ] for carrying cargo, a child, or both. | |||
'']'' and ''toestraps'' and ] help keep the foot locked in the proper pedal position and enable cyclists to pull and push the pedals. Technical accessories include ]s for measuring speed, distance, heart rate, GPS data etc. Other accessories include ], reflectors, ], mirrors, water bottles and ], and ].<ref name="bicycleuniverse">{{cite web|url=http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/accessories.html#safety |title=Safety Accessories |accessdate=2006-09-13 |last=Bluejay |first=Michael |work=Bicycle Accessories |publisher=BicycleUniverse.info| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20061008024853/http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/accessories.html| archivedate= 8 October 2006 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> | |||
] and toestraps and ] help keep the foot locked in the proper pedal position and enable cyclists to pull and push the pedals. Technical accessories include ]s for measuring speed, distance, heart rate, GPS data etc. Other accessories include ], reflectors, mirrors, racks, trailers, bags, water bottles and ], and ].<ref name="bicycleuniverse">{{cite web|url=http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/accessories.html#safety |title=Safety Accessories |access-date=13 September 2006 |last=Bluejay |first=Michael |work=Bicycle Accessories |publisher=BicycleUniverse.info| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061008024853/http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/accessories.html| archive-date= 8 October 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> Bicycle lights, reflectors, and helmets are required by law in some geographic regions depending on the legal code. It is more common to see bicycles with bottle generators, dynamos, lights, fenders, racks and bells in Europe. Bicyclists also have specialized form fitting and high visibility clothing. | |||
]s may help reduce injury in the event of a collision or accident, and a certified helmet is legally required of riders in some jurisdictions. Helmets are classified as an accessory<ref name="bicycleuniverse" /> or an item of clothing by others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bicycling.about.com/library/weekly/aa041098.htm |title=The Essentials of Bike Clothing |accessdate=2006-09-13 |work=About Bicycling |publisher=About.com| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20060826085232/http://bicycling.about.com/library/weekly/aa041098.htm| archivedate= 26 August 2006 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> | |||
Children's bicycles may be outfitted with cosmetic enhancements such as ], streamers, and ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kicinski-Mccoy |first1=James |title=The Coolest Bike Accessories For Kids |url=https://www.mothermag.com/bike-accessories-for-kids/ |website=MOTHER |access-date=30 April 2020 |date=3 August 2015}}</ref> ] are sometimes used when learning to ride, but a dedicated ] teaches independent riding more effectively.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Blommenstein |first1=Biko |last2=Kamp |first2=John |date=2022 |title=Mastering balance: The use of balance bicycles promotes the development of independent cycling |journal=British Journal of Developmental Psychology |language=en |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=242–253 |doi=10.1111/bjdp.12409 |issn=0261-510X |pmc=9310799 |pmid=35262200}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mercê |first1=Cristiana |last2=Branco |first2=Marco |last3=Catela |first3=David |last4=Lopes |first4=Frederico |last5=Cordovil |first5=Rita |date=2022 |title=Learning to cycle: From training wheels to balance bike |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=19 |issue=3 |page=1814 |doi=10.3390/ijerph19031814 |issn=1660-4601 |pmc=8834827 |pmid=35162834 |doi-access=free }}</ref> | |||
Bicycles can also be fitted with a hitch to tow a ] for carrying cargo, a child, or both. | |||
]s can reduce injury in the event of a collision or accident, and a suitable helmet is legally required of riders in many jurisdictions.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Clarke |first1=Colin |last2=Gillham |first2=Chris |date=November 2019 |title=Effects of bicycle helmet wearing on accident and injury rates |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337367329 |website=Researchgate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bachynski |first1=Kathleen |last2=Bateman-House |first2=Alison |title=Mandatory Bicycle Helmet Laws in the United States: Origins, Context, and Controversies |journal=American Journal of Public Health |year=2020 |volume=110 |issue=8 |pages=1198–1204 |doi=10.2105/AJPH.2020.305718 |pmid=32552017 |pmc=7349454 }}</ref> Helmets may be classified as an accessory<ref name="bicycleuniverse" /> or as an item of clothing.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Essentials of Bike Clothing|url=http://bicycling.about.com/library/weekly/aa041098.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060826085232/http://bicycling.about.com/library/weekly/aa041098.htm|archive-date=26 August 2006|access-date=13 September 2006|work=About Bicycling|publisher=About.com}}</ref> | |||
====Tools==== | |||
] to clean off an area of the inner tube around the puncture, a tube of rubber solution (] fluid), round and oval patches, a metal grater and piece of chalk to make chalk powder (to dust over excess rubber solution). Kits often also include a wax crayon to mark the puncture location.]] | |||
{{main|Bicycle tools}} | |||
There are specialized bicycle tools for use both in the shop and on the road. Many cyclists carry tool kits. These may include a tire patch kit (which, in turn, may contain any combination of a ] or ], ]s, spare ], self-adhesive patches, or tube-patching material, an adhesive, a piece of sandpaper or a metal grater (for roughing the tube surface to be patched),<ref>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://sheldonbrown.com/flats.html#patching | |||
| title = Sheldon Brown: Flat tires | |||
| accessdate = 2008-05-29| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080513032548/http://www.sheldonbrown.com/flats.html| archivedate= 13 May 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://www.bikewebsite.com/bikeop.htm | |||
| title = BikeWebSite: Bicycle Glossary – Patch kit | |||
| accessdate = 2008-06-20| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080513060825/http://www.bikewebsite.com/bikeop.htm| archivedate= 13 May 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> and sometimes even a block of ].), ]es, ]s, screwdrivers, and a ]. There are also cycling specific ]s that combine many of these implements into a single compact device. More specialized bicycle components may require more complex tools, including proprietary tools specific for a given manufacturer. | |||
====Maintenance and repair==== | |||
<!-- ] links to this section. ~~~~ --> | |||
Some bicycle parts, particularly hub-based gearing systems, are complex. ], assisted-service, and full-service bicycle ] options exist. | |||
] are used to enable cyclists to cycle while the bike remains stationary. They are frequently used to warm up before races or indoors when riding conditions are unfavorable.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicycleadvisor.com/best-bike-trainer/ |title= Bicycle Advisor |date= 2 May 2015 |publisher=bicycleadvisor.com |access-date=16 December 2015}}</ref> | |||
* Some cyclists choose self-service: they maintain their own bicycles, perhaps as part of their enjoyment of the hobby of cycling or simply for economic reasons. | |||
* There exist several hundred assisted-service ]s worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Community Bicycle Organizations|url=http://www.bikecollectives.org/index.php?title=Community_Bicycle_Organizations|work=Bike Collective Network wiki|accessdate=15 January 2013}}</ref> At a co-op, ] bring in bicycles needing repair or maintenance; volunteers teach them how to do the required steps. | |||
* Full service is available from ]s at a ]. In areas where it is available, some cyclists purchase roadside assistance from companies such as the ] or the ]. | |||
=== |
=== Standards === | ||
A number of formal and industry standards exist for bicycle components to help make spare parts exchangeable and to maintain a minimum product safety. | A number of formal and industry standards exist for bicycle components to help make spare parts exchangeable and to maintain a minimum product safety. | ||
The ] (ISO) has a special technical committee for cycles, TC149, that has the |
The ] (ISO) has a special technical committee for cycles, TC149, that has the scope of "Standardization in the field of cycles, their components and accessories with particular reference to terminology, testing methods and requirements for performance and safety, and interchangeability". | ||
The ] (CEN) also has a specific Technical Committee, TC333, that defines European standards for cycles. Their mandate states that EN cycle standards shall harmonize with ]. Some CEN cycle standards were developed before ISO published their standards, leading to strong European influences in this area. European cycle standards tend to describe minimum safety requirements, while ISO standards have historically harmonized parts geometry. |
The ] (CEN) also has a specific Technical Committee, TC333, that defines European standards for cycles. Their mandate states that EN cycle standards shall harmonize with ]. Some CEN cycle standards were developed before ISO published their standards, leading to strong European influences in this area. European cycle standards tend to describe minimum safety requirements, while ISO standards have historically harmonized parts geometry.{{NoteTag|The TC149 ISO bicycle committee, including the TC149/SC1 ("Cycles and major sub-assemblies") subcommittee, has published the following standards:{{Citation needed|date=December 2012}} | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Safety requirements for bicycles | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Marking of cycle components | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Pedal axle and crank assembly with square end fitting – Assembly dimensions | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Screw threads used in bottom bracket assemblies | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Hubs and freewheels – Assembly dimensions | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Screw threads used to assemble freewheels on bicycle hubs | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Stem and handlebar bend – Assembly dimensions | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – External dimensions of spoke nipples | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Lighting and retro-reflective devices – Photometric and physical requirements | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Terminology (same as BS 6102-4) | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Safety requirements for bicycles for young children | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Screw threads used to assemble head fittings on bicycle forks | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Stem wedge angle | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Splined hub and sprocket – Mating dimensions | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Luggage carriers for bicycles – Concepts, classification and testing | ||
Other ISO Technical Committees have published various cycle relevant standards, for example: | Other ISO Technical Committees have published various cycle relevant standards, for example: | ||
* ] Bicycle tire and rim designations | * ] Bicycle tire and rim designations | ||
* ] Cycle |
* ] Cycle chains – Characteristics and test methods | ||
Published cycle standards from CEN TC333 include: | Published cycle standards from CEN TC333 include: | ||
Line 303: | Line 337: | ||
Yet to be approved cycle standards from CEN TC333: | Yet to be approved cycle standards from CEN TC333: | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Electrically power assisted cycles (] bicycle) | ||
* ] |
* ] Cycles – Terminology | ||
* 00333011 Cycles – Bicycles trailers – safety requirements and test methods |
* 00333011 Cycles – Bicycles trailers – safety requirements and test methods | ||
}} | |||
==Maintenance and repair== | |||
====Parts==== | |||
Like all devices with mechanical moving parts, bicycles require a certain amount of regular maintenance and replacement of worn parts. A bicycle is relatively simple compared with a car, so some cyclists choose to do at least part of the maintenance themselves. Some components are easy to handle using relatively simple tools, while other components may require specialist manufacturer-dependent tools. | |||
Many bicycle components are available at several different price/quality points; manufacturers generally try to keep all components on any particular bike at about the same quality level, though at the very cheap end of the market there may be some skimping on less obvious components (e.g. bottom bracket). | |||
For details on specific bicycle parts, see ] and ]. | |||
* There are several hundred assisted-service Community Bicycle Organizations worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Community Bicycle Organizations|url=http://www.bikecollectives.org/index.php?title=Community_Bicycle_Organizations|publisher=Bike Collective Network wiki|access-date=15 January 2013}}</ref> At a Community Bicycle Organization, ] bring in bicycles needing repair or maintenance; volunteers teach them how to do the required steps. | |||
<!-- *] --> | |||
* Full service is available from ]s at a ]. | |||
<!-- *] --> | |||
* In areas where it is available, some cyclists purchase roadside assistance from companies such as the ] or the ]. | |||
<!-- *] --> | |||
===Maintenance=== | |||
The most basic maintenance item is keeping the tires correctly inflated; this can make a noticeable difference as to how the bike feels to ride. Bicycle tires usually have a marking on the sidewall indicating the pressure appropriate for that tire. Bicycles use much higher pressures than cars: car tires are normally in the range of {{Convert|30|to|40|psi|kPa}}, whereas bicycle tires are normally in the range of {{Convert|60|to|100|psi|kPa}}. | |||
Another basic maintenance item is regular lubrication of the chain and pivot points for derailleurs and brake components. Most of the bearings on a modern bike are sealed and grease-filled and require little or no attention; such bearings will usually last for {{Convert|10000|miles|km}} or more. The crank bearings require periodic maintenance, which involves removing, cleaning and repacking with the correct grease. | |||
The chain and the brake blocks are the components which wear out most quickly, so these need to be checked from time to time, typically every {{Convert|500|miles|km}} or so. Most local bike shops will do such checks for free. Note that when a chain becomes badly worn it will also wear out the rear cogs/cassette and eventually the chain ring(s), so replacing a chain when only moderately worn will prolong the life of other components. | |||
Over the longer term, tires do wear out, after {{Convert|2000|to|5000|miles|km}}; a rash of punctures is often the most visible sign of a worn tire. | |||
===Repair=== | |||
Very few bicycle components can actually be repaired; replacement of the failing component is the normal practice. | |||
The most common roadside problem is a puncture of the tire's ]. A patch kit may be employed to fix the puncture or the tube can be replaced, though the latter solution comes at a greater cost and waste of material.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite web |last=Van Mead |first=Nick |date=3 May 2016 |title=Cycling: how to fix a puncture (even if you don't have the right tools) |website=theguardian.com |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/03/cycling-how-to-fix-a-puncture-even-if-you-dont-have-the-right-tools |access-date=13 November 2024}}</ref> Some brands of tires are much more ] than others, often incorporating one or more layers of ]; the downside of such tires is that they may be heavier and/or more difficult to fit and remove. | |||
===Tools=== | |||
{{main|Bicycle tools}} | |||
] to clean off an area of the ] around the puncture, a tube of rubber solution (] fluid), round and oval patches, a metal grater and piece of chalk to make chalk powder (to dust over excess rubber solution). Kits often also include a wax crayon to mark the puncture location.]] | |||
There are specialized bicycle tools for use both in the shop and at the roadside. Many cyclists carry tool kits. These may include a tire patch kit (which, in turn, may contain any combination of a ] or ], ]s, spare ], self-adhesive patches, or tube-patching material, an adhesive, a piece of sandpaper or a metal grater (for roughening the tube surface to be patched) and sometimes even a block of ]), ]es, ]s, screwdrivers, and a ]. Special, thin wrenches are often required for maintaining various screw-fastened parts, specifically, the frequently lubricated ball-bearing "cones".<ref>{{cite web | |||
|url=http://sheldonbrown.com/flats.html#patching | |||
| title = Sheldon Brown: Flat tires | |||
| access-date = 29 May 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513032548/http://www.sheldonbrown.com/flats.html| archive-date= 13 May 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | |||
|url=http://www.bikewebsite.com/bikeop.htm | |||
| title = BikeWebSite: Bicycle Glossary – Patch kit | |||
| access-date = 20 June 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513060825/http://www.bikewebsite.com/bikeop.htm| archive-date= 13 May 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> There are also cycling-specific ]s that combine many of these implements into a single compact device. More specialized bicycle components may require more complex tools, including proprietary tools specific for a given manufacturer. | |||
==Social and historical aspects== | ==Social and historical aspects== | ||
The bicycle has had a considerable effect on human society, in both the cultural and industrial realms. | The bicycle has had a considerable effect on human society, in both the cultural and industrial realms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-17 |title=How bicycles transformed our world |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/how-bicycles-transformed-world |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> | ||
===In daily life=== | ===In daily life=== | ||
{{See also|Cycling infrastructure|History of cycling infrastructure}} | |||
], New Zealand (c.1898-1905)]] | |||
Around the turn of the 20th century, bicycles reduced crowding in inner-city tenements by allowing workers to commute from more spacious dwellings in the suburbs. They also reduced dependence on horses. Bicycles allowed people to travel for leisure into the country, since bicycles were three times as energy efficient as walking and three to four times as fast. | Around the turn of the 20th century, bicycles reduced crowding in inner-city tenements by allowing workers to commute from more spacious dwellings in the suburbs. They also reduced dependence on horses. Bicycles allowed people to travel for leisure into the country, since bicycles were three times as energy efficient as walking and three to four times as fast. | ||
] ]]] | ], USA (2008)]] | ||
A number of cities around the world have implemented schemes known as ]s or community bicycle programs.<ref>{{cite journal| |
In built-up cities around the world, ] uses ] like bikeways to reduce ] and air pollution.<ref>{{cite journal | pmc = 3005092 | pmid=21174189 | doi=10.1007/s11524-010-9509-6 | volume=87 | issue=6 | title=Built environment influences on healthy transportation choices: bicycling versus driving | year=2010 | journal=J Urban Health | pages=969–93 | last1 = Winters | first1 = M | last2 = Brauer | first2 = M | last3 = Setton | first3 = EM | last4 = Teschke | first4 = K}}</ref> A number of cities around the world have implemented schemes known as ]s or community bicycle programs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shaheen |first1=Susan |last2=Guzman |first2=Stacey |last3=Zhang |first3=Hua |title=Bikesharing in Europe, the Americas, and Asia |journal=Transportation Research Record |volume=2143 |year=2010 |pages=159–67 |doi=10.3141/2143-20|s2cid=40770008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Shaheen |first=Stacey |author2=Stacey Guzman |title=Worldwide Bikesharing |journal=Access Magazine |year=2011 |url=http://uctc.net/access/39/access39_bikesharing.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326063609/http://www.uctc.net/access/39/access39_bikesharing.shtml |archive-date=26 March 2012 }}</ref> The first of these was the White Bicycle plan in ] in 1965. It was followed by yellow bicycles in ] and green bicycles in Cambridge. These initiatives complement public transport systems and offer an alternative to motorized traffic to help reduce congestion and pollution.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shaheen |first1=Susan |last2=Zhang |first2=Hua |last3=Martin |first3=Elliot |last4=Guzman |first4=Stacey |title=China's Hangzhou Public Bicycle |journal=Transportation Research Record |volume=2247 |year=2011 |pages=33–41 |doi=10.3141/2247-05|s2cid=111120290 |url=https://escholarship.org/content/qt62d8f2g3/qt62d8f2g3.pdf?t=psbd9f }}</ref> In Europe, especially in the Netherlands and parts of Germany and Denmark, bicycle commuting is common. In Copenhagen, a cyclists' organization runs a Cycling Embassy that promotes biking for commuting and sightseeing. The United Kingdom has a tax break scheme (IR 176) that allows employees to buy a new bicycle tax free to use for commuting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/|title=Tax free bikes for work through the Government's Green Transport Initiative |publisher=Cyclescheme}}{{primary source inline|date=September 2015}}</ref> | ||
In |
In the ] all train stations offer free ], or a more secure parking place for a small fee, with the larger stations also offering bicycle repair shops. Cycling is so popular that the parking capacity may be exceeded, while in some places such as Delft the capacity is usually exceeded.<ref>{{cite news | ||
| |
|url=http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2482297.ece/So_many_bikes%2C_so_little_space | ||
| title = So many bikes, so little space | | title = So many bikes, so little space | ||
| |
| first1 = Joel | last1 = Broekaert | ||
| first2 = Reinier | last2 = Kist | |||
| name-list-style = amp | |||
| date = 12 February 2010 | | date = 12 February 2010 | ||
| |
| newspaper = NRC Handelsblad | ||
| access-date = 13 February 2010 | |||
| accessdate = 2010-02-13}}</ref> In ] in Norway, the ] has been developed to encourage cyclists by giving assistance on a steep hill. Buses in many cities have ]s mounted on the front. | |||
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213211227/http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2482297.ece/So_many_bikes%2C_so_little_space | |||
| archive-date = 13 February 2010 | |||
| url-status = dead | |||
}}</ref> In ] in Norway, the ] has been developed to encourage cyclists by giving assistance on a steep hill. Buses in many cities have ]s mounted on the front. | |||
There are towns in some countries where ] has been an integral part of the landscape for generations, even without much official support. That is the case of ], in Portugal. | There are towns in some countries where ] has been an integral part of the landscape for generations, even without much official support. That is the case of ], in Portugal. | ||
In cities where bicycles are not integrated into the public transportation system, commuters often use bicycles as elements of a ], where the bike is used to travel to and from train stations or other forms of rapid transit. Some students who commute several miles drive a car from home to a campus parking lot, then ride a bicycle to class. ]s are useful in these scenarios, as they are less cumbersome when carried aboard. Los Angeles removed a small amount of seating on some trains to make more room for bicycles and wheel chairs.<ref>{{cite web | In cities where bicycles are not integrated into the public transportation system, commuters often use bicycles as elements of a ], where the bike is used to travel to and from train stations or other forms of rapid transit. Some students who commute several miles drive a car from home to a campus parking lot, then ride a bicycle to class. ]s are useful in these scenarios, as they are less cumbersome when carried aboard. Los Angeles removed a small amount of seating on some trains to make more room for bicycles and wheel chairs.<ref>{{cite web | ||
| |
|url=http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/10/16/metro-making-room-for-bikes-on-their-trains/ | ||
| title = Metro Making Room for Bikes on Their Trains | | title = Metro Making Room for Bikes on Their Trains | ||
| author = Damien Newton | | author = Damien Newton | ||
| date = |
| date = 16 October 2008 | ||
| publisher = LA.StreetsBlog.Org | | publisher = LA.StreetsBlog.Org | ||
| |
| access-date = 12 February 2010}}</ref> | ||
], Denmark, at a traffic light]] | |||
Some US companies, notably in the ], are developing both innovative cycle designs and cycle-friendliness in the workplace. ], whose |
Some US companies, notably in the ], are developing both innovative cycle designs and cycle-friendliness in the workplace. ], whose CEO ] "pedaled to pitch meetings ... was raising money from ]" on a two-wheeler, chose a new location for its New York headquarters "based on where biking would be easy". Parking in the office was also integral to HQ planning. Mitchell Moss, who runs the ] at ], said in 2012: "Biking has become the mode of choice for the educated high tech worker".<ref>Bernstein, Andrea, , '']'', 22 February 2012. "Bernstein reports from the project at WNYC". Retrieved 22 February 2012.</ref> | ||
Bicycles offer an important mode of transport in many developing countries. Until recently, bicycles have been a staple of everyday life throughout Asian countries. They are the most frequently used method of transport for commuting to work, school, shopping, and life in general. They also offer a degree of exercise to keep individuals healthy.<ref> |
Bicycles offer an important mode of transport in many developing countries. Until recently, bicycles have been a staple of everyday life throughout Asian countries. They are the most frequently used method of transport for commuting to work, school, shopping, and life in general. In Europe, bicycles are commonly used.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/10/24/240493422/in-most-every-european-country-bikes-are-outselling-cars|title=In Almost Every European Country, Bikes Are Outselling New Cars|date=24 October 2013|newspaper=NPR|last1=Calamur|first1=Krishnadev}}</ref> They also offer a degree of exercise to keep individuals healthy.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bicyclevehiclefo0000lowe |first=Marcia D. |last=Lowe |year=1989 |title=The Bicycle: Vehicle for a Small Planet |publisher=Worldwatch Institute |isbn=978-0-916468-91-0 |url-access=registration }}{{page needed|date=September 2015}}</ref> | ||
Bicycles are also celebrated in the visual arts. An example of this is the ], a film festival hosted all around the world. | Bicycles are also celebrated in the visual arts. An example of this is the ], a film festival hosted all around the world. | ||
===Poverty alleviation=== | ===Poverty alleviation=== | ||
]{{Excerpt|Bicycle poverty reduction}} | |||
Experiments done in Uganda, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka on hundreds of households have shown that a bicycle can increase a poor family's income as much as 35%.<ref>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://www.bicyclepotential.org/ | |||
| title = Bicycle: The Unnoticed Potential | |||
| publisher = BicyclePotential.org | |||
| year = 2009 | |||
| accessdate = 2011-07-09| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110625154846/http://www.bicyclepotential.org/| archivedate= 25 June 2011 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref>{{Better source|date=January 2013}}<ref>{{cite journal | |||
| author = Niklas Sieber | |||
| journal = Journal of Transport Geography | |||
| title = Appropriate Transportation and Rural Development in Makete District, Tanzania | |||
| year = 1998 | |||
| volume = 6 | |||
| issue = 1 | |||
| pages = 69–73 | |||
| url = http://www.niklas-sieber.de/Publications/TransGeo98.pdf | |||
| format = PDF | |||
| accessdate = 2011-07-09 | |||
| doi = 10.1016/S0966-6923(97)00040-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | |||
| url = http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/_images/pdfs/tsunami_measurement.pdf | |||
| title = Project Tsunami Report Confirms The Power of Bicycle | |||
| publisher = World Bicycle Relief | |||
| accessdate = 2011-07-09}}</ref> Transport, if analyzed for the cost-benefit analysis for rural ], has given one of the best returns in this regard. For example, road investments in India were a staggering 3-10 times more effective than almost all other investments and subsidies in rural economy in the decade of 1990s. What a road does at a macro level to increase transport, the bicycle supports at the micro level. The bicycle, in that sense, can be an important poverty-eradication tool in poor nations. | |||
===Female emancipation=== | ===Female emancipation=== | ||
{{See also|Bicycling and feminism}} | |||
] learning to ride a bicycle.<ref name=Willard1895/>]] | |||
] learning to ride a bicycle<ref name=Willard1895/>]] | |||
The safety bicycle gave women unprecedented mobility, contributing to ] in Western nations. As bicycles became safer and cheaper, more women had access to the personal freedom they embodied, and so the bicycle came to symbolize the ] of the late 19th century, especially in Britain and the United States.<ref name="herlihy"/>{{rp|266–271}} The ] in the 1890s also led to a movement for so-called ], which helped liberate women from corsets and ankle-length skirts and other restrictive garments, substituting the then-shocking ].<ref name="herlihy"/>{{rp|266–271}} | |||
The safety bicycle gave women unprecedented mobility, contributing to ] in Western nations. As bicycles became safer and cheaper, more women had access to the personal freedom that bicycles embodied, and so the bicycle came to symbolize the ] of the late 19th century, especially in Britain and the United States.{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|pp=266–71}}<ref name="Distillations">{{cite journal|last1=Roberts |first1=Jacob |title=Women's work |journal=Distillations |date=2017|volume=3|issue=1 |pages=6–11 |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/womens-work|access-date=22 March 2018}}</ref> The ] also led to a movement for so-called ], which helped liberate women from corsets and ankle-length skirts and other restrictive garments, substituting the then-shocking ].{{sfn|Herlihy|2004|pp=266–71}} | |||
The bicycle was recognized by 19th-century feminists and ]s as a "freedom machine" for women. American ] said in a '']'' interview on 2 February 1896: "I think it has done more to emancipate woman than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood."<ref name=HustedHarper1898/>{{rp|859}} In 1895 ], the tightly laced president of the ], wrote ''A Wheel Within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle, with Some Reflections by the Way'', a 75-page illustrated memoir praising "Gladys", her bicycle, for its "gladdening effect" on her health and political optimism.<ref name=Willard1895/> Willard used a cycling metaphor to urge other suffragists to action.<ref name=Willard1895/> | |||
The bicycle was recognized by 19th-century feminists and ]s as a "freedom machine" for women. American ] said in a '']'' interview on February 2, 1896: | |||
"I think it has done more to emancipate woman than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel. It gives her a feeling of self reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood."<ref name=HustedHarper1898/> In 1895 ], the tightly laced president of the ], wrote ''A Wheel Within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle, with Some Reflections by the Way'', a 75 page illustrated memoir praising "Gladys", her bicycle, for its "gladdening effect" on her health and political optimism.<ref name=Willard1895/> Willard used a cycling metaphor to urge other suffragists to action.<ref name=Willard1895/> | |||
In 1985, Georgena Terry started the first women-specific bicycle company. Her designs featured frame geometry and wheel sizes chosen to better fit women, with shorter top tubes and more suitable reach.<ref>{{cite web |title=6 Questions for Women's Bicycling Pioneer Georgena Terry |url=https://velojoy.com/2012/07/04/6-questions-for-womens-bicycling-pioneer-georgena-terry/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825135522/https://velojoy.com/2012/07/04/6-questions-for-womens-bicycling-pioneer-georgena-terry/ |archive-date=25 August 2012 |publisher=Velojoy |date=4 July 2012 |access-date=14 July 2021}}</ref> | |||
===Economic implications=== | ===Economic implications=== | ||
] advertisement from 1886]] | ] advertisement from 1886]] | ||
] proved to be a training ground for other industries and led to the development of advanced metalworking techniques, both for the frames themselves and for special components such as ]s, ]s, and sprockets. These techniques later enabled skilled metalworkers and mechanics to develop the components used in early automobiles and aircraft. | |||
] proved to be a training ground for other industries and led to the development of advanced metalworking techniques, both for the frames themselves and for special components such as ]s, ], and sprockets. These techniques later enabled skilled metalworkers and mechanics to develop the components used in early automobiles and aircraft. | |||
They also served to teach the industrial models later adopted, including mechanization and ] (later copied and adopted by ] and ]),<ref>Norcliffe, Glen. ''The Ride to Modernity: The Bicycle in Canada, 1869-1900'' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001), pp.23, 106, & 108. GM's practice of sharing chassis, bodies, and other parts is exactly what the early bicycle manufacturer Pope was doing.</ref> vertical integration<ref>Norcliffe, p.106.</ref> (also later copied and adopted by Ford), aggressive advertising<ref>Norcliffe, pp.142–47.</ref> (as much as 10% of all advertising in U.S. periodicals in 1898 was by bicycle makers),<ref>Norcliffe, p.145.</ref> lobbying for better roads (which had the side benefit of acting as advertising, and of improving sales by providing more places to ride),<ref name="Norcliffe, p.108">Norcliffe, p.108.</ref> all first practiced by Pope.<ref name="Norcliffe, p.108" /> In addition, bicycle makers adopted the annual model change<ref>Norcliffe, p.23.</ref><ref>Babaian, Sharon. ''The Most Benevolent Machine: A Historical Assessment of Cycles in Canada'' (Ottawa: National Museum of Science and Technology, 1998), p.97.</ref> (later derided as ], and usually credited to General Motors), which proved very successful.<ref>Babaian, p.98.</ref> | |||
], a pair of businessmen, ran the ] which designed, manufactured and sold their bicycles during the ] of the 1890s.<ref name="WDL">{{cite web |url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11373/ |title = Wilbur Wright Working in the Bicycle Shop |website = ] |date = 1897 |access-date = 22 July 2013 }}</ref> | |||
Early bicycles were an example of ], being adopted by the fashionable elites.<ref>Norcliffe, pp.8, 12, 14, 23, 147–8, 187–8, 208, & 243–5.</ref> In addition, by serving as a platform for accessories, which could ultimately cost more than the bicycle itself, it paved the way for the likes of the ].<ref>Norcliffe, pp.23, 121, & 123.</ref> | |||
They also served to teach the industrial models later adopted, including mechanization and ] (later copied and adopted by ] and ]),{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=23}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=106}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=108}} vertical integration{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=106}} (also later copied and adopted by Ford), aggressive advertising{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|pp=142–47}} (as much as 10% of all advertising in U.S. periodicals in 1898 was by bicycle makers),{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=145}} lobbying for better roads (which had the side benefit of acting as advertising, and of improving sales by providing more places to ride),{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=108}} all first practiced by Pope.{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=108}} In addition, bicycle makers adopted the annual model change{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=23}}<ref>Babaian, Sharon. ''The Most Benevolent Machine: A Historical Assessment of Cycles in Canada'' (Ottawa: National Museum of Science and Technology, 1998), p. 97.</ref> (later derided as ], and usually credited to General Motors), which proved very successful.<ref>Babaian, p. 98.</ref> | |||
Bicycles helped create, or enhance, new kinds of businesses, such as bicycle messengers,<ref>Norcliffe, p.212.</ref> traveling seamstresses,<ref>Norcliffe, p.214.</ref> riding academies,<ref>Norcliffe, p.131.</ref> and racing rinks.<ref>Norcliffe, p.30 & 131.</ref> Their board tracks were later adapted to early ] and ]. There were a variety of new inventions, such as ] tighteners,<ref>Norcliffe, p.125.</ref> and specialized lights,<ref>Norcliffe, p.123 & 125.</ref> socks and shoes,<ref>Norcliffe, p.125 & 126.</ref> and even cameras, such as the ]'s Poco.<ref>Norcliffe, p.238.</ref> Probably the best known and most widely used of these inventions, adopted well beyond cycling, is Charles Bennett's Bike Web, which came to be called the ].<ref>Norcliffe, p.128.</ref> | |||
Early bicycles were an example of ], being adopted by the fashionable elites.{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=8}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=12}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=14}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=23}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|pp=147–48}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|pp=187–88}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=208}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|pp=243–45}} In addition, by serving as a platform for accessories, which could ultimately cost more than the bicycle itself, it paved the way for the likes of the ].{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=23}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=121}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=123}} | |||
], ]]] | |||
They also presaged a move away from public transit<ref>Norcliffe, p.214–5.</ref> that would explode with the introduction of the automobile. | |||
Bicycles helped create, or enhance, new kinds of businesses, such as bicycle messengers,{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=212}} traveling seamstresses,{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=214}} riding academies,{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=131}} and racing rinks.{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=30}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=131}} Their board tracks were later adapted to early ] and ]. There were a variety of new inventions, such as ] tighteners,{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=125}} and specialized lights,{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=123}}{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=125}} socks and shoes,{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|pp=125–26}} and even cameras, such as the ]'s Poco.{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=238}} Probably the best known and most widely used of these inventions, adopted well beyond cycling, is Charles Bennett's Bike Web, which came to be called the ].{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=128}} | |||
J. K. Starley's company became the Rover Cycle Company Ltd. in the late 1890s, and then simply the ] when it started making cars. ] (in ]) and ] also began in the bicycle business, as did the ].<ref> | |||
], Burkina Faso.]] | |||
They also presaged a move away from public transit{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|pp=214–15}} that would explode with the introduction of the automobile. | |||
J. K. Starley's company became the Rover Cycle Company Ltd. in the late 1890s, and then renamed the ] when it started making cars. ] Limited (in ]) and ] also began in the bicycle business, as did the ].<ref> | |||
{{cite web | {{cite web | ||
| title = The Wrights' bicycle shop | | title = The Wrights' bicycle shop | ||
| year = 2007 | | year = 2007 | ||
| |
|url=http://www.nasm.si.edu/Wrightbrothers/who/1893/shop.cfm | ||
| |
| access-date = 5 February 2007 | ||
| |
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125080218/http://www.nasm.si.edu/wrightbrothers/who/1893/shop.cfm | ||
| archive-date = 25 January 2007 | |||
| url-status = dead | |||
}}</ref> Alistair Craig, whose company eventually emerged to become the engine manufacturers ], also started from manufacturing bicycles, in Glasgow in March 1885. | |||
In general, U.S. and European cycle manufacturers used to assemble cycles from their own frames and components made by other companies, although very large companies (such as Raleigh) used to make almost every part of a bicycle (including bottom brackets, axles, etc.) In recent years, those bicycle makers have greatly changed their methods of production. Now, almost none of them produce their own frames. | In general, U.S. and European cycle manufacturers used to assemble cycles from their own frames and components made by other companies, although very large companies (such as Raleigh) used to make almost every part of a bicycle (including bottom brackets, axles, etc.) In recent years, those bicycle makers have greatly changed their methods of production. Now, almost none of them produce their own frames. | ||
Many newer or smaller companies only design and market their products; the actual production is done by Asian companies. For example, some 60% of the world's bicycles are now being made in China. Despite this shift in production, as nations such as China and India become more wealthy, their own use of bicycles has declined due to the increasing affordability of cars and motorcycles.<ref> | Many newer or smaller companies only design and market their products; the actual production is done by Asian companies. For example, some 60% of the world's bicycles are now being made in China. Despite this shift in production, as nations such as China and India become more wealthy, their own use of bicycles has declined due to the increasing affordability of cars and motorcycles.<ref> | ||
{{Cite news|author=Francois Bougo|date=26 May 2010|title=Beijing looks to revitalise bicycle culture|publisher=Agence France-Presse|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iQeSSys_rKGJ7ve4u1ZsVyIA_LmQ|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531125628/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iQeSSys_rKGJ7ve4u1ZsVyIA_LmQ|archive-date=31 May 2010}}</ref> One of the major reasons for the proliferation of Chinese-made bicycles in foreign markets is the lower cost of labor in China.<ref>], 15 February 2003</ref> | |||
{{Cite news | |||
| author = Francois Bougo | |||
In line with the European financial crisis of that time, in 2011 the number of bicycle sales in Italy (1.75 million) passed the number of new car sales.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19801599 |title=Italian bicycle sales 'surpass those of cars' |date=2 October 2012 |work=]}}</ref> | |||
| title = Beijing looks to revitalise bicycle culture | |||
| url = http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iQeSSys_rKGJ7ve4u1ZsVyIA_LmQ | |||
| publisher = Agence France-Presse | |||
| date = May 26, 2010 | |||
}}</ref> | |||
One of the major reasons for the proliferation of Chinese-made bicycles in foreign markets is the lower cost of labor in China.<ref>], 15 February 2003</ref> | |||
===Environmental impact=== | |||
One of the profound economic implications of bicycle use is that it liberates the user from oil consumption.(Ballantine, 1972) The bicycle is an inexpensive, fast, healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transport.(Illich, 1974) | |||
], Netherlands]] | |||
One of the profound economic implications of bicycle use is that it liberates the user from ] consumption. (Ballantine, 1972) The bicycle is an inexpensive, fast, healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transport. ] stated that bicycle use extended the usable physical environment for people, while alternatives such as cars and motorways degraded and confined people's environment and mobility.<ref>Illich, I. (1974). ''Energy and equity''. New York, Harper & Row.</ref> Currently, two billion bicycles are in use around the world. Children, students, professionals, laborers, civil servants and seniors are pedaling around their communities. They all experience the freedom and the natural opportunity for exercise that the bicycle easily provides. Bicycle also has lowest carbon intensity of travel.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004035739/http://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/global-cyclists-say-no-carbon-opt-cdm |date=4 October 2017 }}, The World Bank, 27 October 2015</ref> | |||
In line with the European financial crisis, in Italy in 2011 the number of bicycle sales (1.75 million) just passed the number of new car sales.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19801599 |title=Italian bicycle sales 'surpass those of cars' |date=October 2, 2012}}</ref> | |||
===Manufacturing=== | ===Manufacturing=== | ||
{{See also|List of bicycle manufacturing companies}} | {{See also|List of bicycle manufacturing companies}} | ||
] | |||
The global bicycle market is $61 billion in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/133109-high-growth-and-big-margins-in-the-61-billion-bicycle-industry |title=High Growth and Big Margins in the $61 Billion Bicycle Industry |publisher=Seeking Alpha |date= |accessdate=2011-10-24}}</ref> {{As of|2009}} 130 million bicycles were sold every year globally and 66% of them were made in China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dare.co.in/opportunities/manufacturing/the-business-of-bicycles.htm |title=The Business of Bicycles | Manufacturing | Opportunities | DARE - Because Entrepreneurs Do | |publisher=DARE |date=2009-06-01 |accessdate=2011-10-24}}</ref> | |||
The global bicycle market is $61 billion in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=High Growth and Big Margins in the $61 Billion Bicycle Industry|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/133109-high-growth-and-big-margins-in-the-61-billion-bicycle-industry|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428021811/http://seekingalpha.com/article/133109-high-growth-and-big-margins-in-the-61-billion-bicycle-industry|archive-date=28 April 2009|access-date=24 October 2011|publisher=Seeking Alpha}}</ref> {{As of|2009}}, 130 million bicycles were sold every year globally and 66% of them were made in China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dare.co.in/opportunities/manufacturing/the-business-of-bicycles.htm |title=The Business of Bicycles | Manufacturing | Opportunities |publisher=DARE |date=1 June 2009 |access-date=24 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110153856/http://dare.co.in/opportunities/manufacturing/the-business-of-bicycles.htm |archive-date=10 November 2011 }}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;" | |||
|+ EU28 Bicycle market 2000–2014<ref name=conebi2014/> | |||
|- | |||
! Year !! production (M) !! sales (M) | |||
|- | |||
| 2000 || 14.531 || 18.945 | |||
|- | |||
| 2001 || 13.009 || 17.745 | |||
|- | |||
| 2002 || 12.272 || 17.840 | |||
|- | |||
| 2003 || 12.828 || 20.206 | |||
|- | |||
| 2004 || 13.232 || 20.322 | |||
|- | |||
| 2005 || 13.218 || 20.912 | |||
|- | |||
| 2006 || 13.320 || 21.033 | |||
|- | |||
| 2007 || 13.086 || 21.344 | |||
|- | |||
| 2008 || 13.246 || 20.206 | |||
|- | |||
| 2009 || 12.178 || 19.582 | |||
|- | |||
| 2010 || 12.241 || 20.461 | |||
|- | |||
| 2011 || 11.758 || 20.039 | |||
|- | |||
| 2012 || 11.537 || 19.719 | |||
|- | |||
| 2013 || 11.360 || 19.780 | |||
|- | |||
| 2014 || 11.939 || 20.234 | |||
|} | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;" | |||
|+ EU28 Bicycle market 2014<ref name=conebi2014>{{cite web |url=http://www.conebi.eu/?wpdmdl=892 |title= 2014 European Bicycle Industry & Market Profile |publisher= Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry |date= 2015}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
! Country !! Production (M) !! Parts (M€) !! Sales (M) !! Avg !! Sales (M€) | |||
|- | |||
| Italy || 2.729 || 491 || 1.696 || 288 || {{#expr:1.696*288round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Germany || 2.139 || 286 || 4.100 || 528 || {{#expr:4.1*528round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Poland || .991 || 58 || 1.094 || 380 || {{#expr:1.094*380round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Bulgaria || .950 || 9 || .082 || 119 || {{#expr:.082*119round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| The Netherlands || .850 || 85 || 1.051 || 844 || {{#expr:1.051*844round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Romania || .820 || 220 || .370 || 125 || {{#expr:.370*125round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Portugal || .720 || 120 || .340 || 160 || {{#expr:.340*160round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| France || .630 || 170 || 2.978 || 307 || {{#expr:2.978*307round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Hungary || .370 || 10 || .044 || 190 || {{#expr:.044*190round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Spain || .356 || 10 || 1.089 || 451 || {{#expr:1.089*451round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Czech Republic || .333 || 85 || .333 || 150 || {{#expr:.333*150round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Lithuania || .323 || 0 || .050 || 110 || {{#expr:.050*110round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Slovakia || .210 || 9 || .038 || 196 || {{#expr:.038*196round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Austria || .138 || 0 || .401 || 450 || {{#expr:.401*450round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Greece || .108 || 0 || .199 || 233 || {{#expr:.199*233round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Belgium || .099 || 35 || .567 || 420 || {{#expr:.567*420round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Sweden || .083 || 0 || .584 || 458 || {{#expr:.584*458round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Great Britain || .052 || 34 || 3.630 || 345 || {{#expr:3.630*345round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Finland || .034 || 32 || .300 || 320 || {{#expr:.300*320round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Slovenia || .005 || 9 || .240 || 110 || {{#expr:.240*110round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Croatia || 0 || 0 || .333 || 110 || {{#expr:.333*110round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Cyprus || 0 || 0 || .033 || 110 || {{#expr:.033*110round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Denmark || 0 || 0 || .470 || 450 || {{#expr:.470*450round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Estonia || 0 || 0 || .062 || 190 || {{#expr:.062*190round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Ireland || 0 || 0 || .091 || 190 || {{#expr:.091*190round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Latvia || 0 || 0 || .040 || 110 || {{#expr:.040*110round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Luxembourg || 0 || 0 || .010 || 450 || {{#expr:.010*450round1}} | |||
|- | |||
| Malta || 0 || 0 || .011 || 110 || {{#expr:.011*110round1}} | |||
|- | |||
! EU 28 !! 11.939 !! 1662 !! 20.234 || {{#expr:7941.2/20.234round0}} || 7941.2 | |||
|} | |||
===Legal requirements=== | ===Legal requirements=== | ||
{{Main|Bicycle law}} | {{Main|Bicycle law}} | ||
Early in its development, as with ]s, there were restrictions on the operation of bicycles. Along with advertising, and to gain free publicity, ] litigated on behalf of cyclists.<ref>Norcliffe, Glen. ''The Ride to Modernity: The Bicycle in Canada, 1869-1900'' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001), p.108.</ref> | |||
Early in its development, as with ]s, there were restrictions on the operation of bicycles. Along with advertising, and to gain free publicity, ] litigated on behalf of cyclists.{{sfn|Norcliffe|2001|p=108}} | |||
The 1968 ] of the ] considers a bicycle to be a vehicle, and a person controlling a bicycle (whether actually riding or not) is considered an operator. The traffic codes of many countries reflect these definitions and demand that a bicycle satisfy certain legal requirements before it can be used on public roads. In many ]s, it is an offense to use a bicycle that is not in a roadworthy condition. | |||
The 1968 ] of the United Nations considers a bicycle to be a vehicle, and a person controlling a bicycle (whether actually riding or not) is considered an operator or driver.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=United Nations |url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/Treaties/1977/05/19770524%2000-13%20AM/Ch_XI_B_19.pdf |title=Convention on Road Traffic |date=1968-11-08 |location=Vienna |pages=69 |chapter=Transport and Communications}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rules of the road for bicycles |url=https://www.progressive.com/lifelanes/on-the-road/bicycle-traffic-laws/ |access-date=April 1, 2024 |website=www.progressive.com}}</ref> The traffic codes of many countries reflect these definitions and demand that a bicycle satisfy certain legal requirements before it can be used on public roads. In many ]s, it is an offense to use a bicycle that is not in a roadworthy condition.<ref name="Arthurs-Brennan 2019 r622">{{cite web | last=Arthurs-Brennan | first=Michelle | title=What can cyclist legally do, and not do, in Europe? | website=cyclingweekly.com | date=March 22, 2019 | url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/routes/overseas/can-cyclist-legally-not-europe-411273 | access-date=March 1, 2024}}</ref><ref name="United Nations Treaty Collection 1968 b248">{{cite web | title=Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Chapter XI Transport and Communications, B. Road Traffic, 19. Convention on Road Traffic | website=United Nations Treaty Collection | date=November 8, 1968 | url=https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetailsIII.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XI-B-19&chapter=11 | ref={{sfnref | United Nations Treaty Collection | 1968}} | access-date=March 1, 2024}}</ref> | |||
In most jurisdictions, bicycles must have functioning front and rear lights when ridden after dark. As some generator or ]-driven lamps only operate while moving, rear ] are frequently also mandatory. Since a moving bicycle makes little noise, some countries insist that bicycles have a warning bell for use when approaching pedestrians, equestrians, and other cyclists, though sometimes a ] can be used when a 12 volt battery is available. | |||
In some countries, bicycles must have functioning front and rear lights when ridden after dark.<ref name="Home Page 2017">{{cite web | title=Bicycle road rules : VicRoads | website=Home Page | date=1 July 2017 |url=https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/bicycles | access-date=28 February 2023}}</ref><ref name="Service-public.fr 2022">{{cite web | title=Accessoires obligatoires à vélo | website=Service-public.fr | date=16 August 2022 |url=https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34169 | language=fr | access-date=28 February 2023}}</ref> | |||
Some countries require child and/or adult cyclists to wear helmets, as this may protect riders from head trauma. Countries which require adult cyclists to wear helmets include Spain, ] and Australia. Mandatory helmet wearing is one of the most controversial topics in the cycling world, with proponents arguing that it reduces head injuries and thus is an acceptable requirement, while opponents argue that by making cycling seem more dangerous and cumbersome, it reduces cyclist numbers on the streets, creating an overall negative health effect (fewer people cycling for their own health, and the remaining cyclists being more exposed through a reversed ] effect). | |||
Some countries require child and/or adult cyclists to wear helmets, as this may protect riders from head trauma. Countries which require adult cyclists to wear helmets include Spain, ] and Australia. Mandatory helmet wearing is one of the most controversial topics in the cycling world, with proponents arguing that it reduces head injuries and thus is an acceptable requirement, while opponents argue that by making cycling seem more dangerous and cumbersome, it reduces cyclist numbers on the streets, creating an overall negative health effect (fewer people cycling for their own health, and the remaining cyclists being more exposed through a reversed ] effect).<ref>{{Cite news|date=5 April 2017|title=Want Safer Streets for Cyclists? Ditch the Helmet Laws.|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-05/why-bike-helmet-laws-don-t-work|access-date=29 August 2020}}</ref> | |||
==Unicode== | |||
In ], the ] code for "bicycle" is <b>1F6B2</b>. The string <code>&#x1F6B2;</code> produces 🚲. | |||
===Theft=== | |||
{{Main|Bicycle theft}} | |||
] in ].]] | |||
Bicycles are popular targets for theft, due to their value and ease of resale.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Van Lierop|first1=Dea|last2=Grimsrud|first2=Michael|last3=El-Geneidy|first3=Ahmed|year=2014|title=Breaking into Bicycle Theft: Insights from Montreal, Canada|journal=International Journal of Sustainable Transportation|volume=9 |issue=7 |pages=490–501|doi=10.1080/15568318.2013.811332 |bibcode=2015IJSTr...9..490V |s2cid=44047626 |url=https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/articles/1v53k2443 }}</ref> The number of bicycles stolen annually is difficult to quantify as a large number of crimes are not reported.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicyclelaw.com/p.cfm/bicycle-safety/about-bike-theft |title=About Bicycle Theft |publisher=bicyclelaw.com |access-date=12 February 2014}}</ref> Around 50% of the participants in the Montreal International Journal of Sustainable Transportation survey were subjected to a bicycle theft in their lifetime as active cyclists.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://tram.mcgill.ca/Research/Publications/Cycling_theft.pdf|title = Breaking into bicycle theft: Insights from Montreal, Canada|last = van Lierop Grimsrud El-Geneidy|date = 2015|journal = International Journal of Sustainable Transportation| volume=9 | issue=7 | page=490 | doi=10.1080/15568318.2013.811332 | bibcode=2015IJSTr...9..490V | s2cid=44047626 |access-date = 30 September 2015}}</ref> Most bicycles have serial numbers that can be recorded to verify identity in case of theft.<ref>{{cite web | |||
|url=https://bikeindex.org/serials#fn-all-bikes-serials | |||
| title = Bike serial numbers | |||
| quote = Okay, fine, so maybe there are a few bikes without serial numbers, but this is rare and typical only on hand made bikes or really old bicycles. | |||
| access-date = 2 August 2017}}</ref> | |||
{{Clear}} | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{Portal|Sports|Transport}} | |||
{{Outline|Outline of bicycles}} | |||
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{{Spoken Misplaced Pages|EN_Bicycle.ogg|2007-12-07}} | |||
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* ] – use of bicycles for ], ], or for ]. | |||
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* ] — practices to reduce risk associated with cycling | |||
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* ] (software for bicycle design) | |||
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==Notes== | == Notes == | ||
{{NoteFoot}} | |||
{{Reflist|30em|refs= | |||
<ref name=HustedHarper1898>{{Citation |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=ADgQAQAAMAAJ&dq=I'll%20tell%20you%20what%20I%20think%20of%20bicycling&pg=PA858#v=snippet&q=%22I'll%20tell%20you%20what%20I%20think%20of%20bicycling%22%20%22I%20think%20it%20has%20done%20more%20to%20emancipate%20woman%20than%20any%20one%20thing%20in%20the%20world%22&f=false |title= The life and work of Susan B. Anthony: including public addresses, her own letters and many from her contemporaries during fifty years. A story of the evolution of the status of woman, Volume 2 |volume=2 |first= Ida |last= Husted Harper |authorlink=Ida Husted Harper |publisher= The Bowen-Merrill Company |year= 1898 }}</ref> | |||
== References == | |||
<ref name=Willard1895>{{citation |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=CUAfAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false |title= A Wheel Within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle, with Some Reflections by the Way |first=Frances Elizabeth |last= Willard |authorlink=Frances Willard (suffragist) |publisher= ] |year= 1895 |pages=53, 56 }}</ref> | |||
=== Citations === | |||
{{Reflist | |||
|refs = | |||
<ref name="HustedHarper1898">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/storyevolutions00harpgoog?ui=embed |title= The life and work of Susan B. Anthony: including public addresses, her own letters and many from her contemporaries during fifty years. A story of the evolution of the status of woman |volume = 2 |first= Ida |last= Husted Harper |author-link = Ida Husted Harper |publisher = The Bowen-Merrill Company |year= 1898 }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Willard1895">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CUAfAAAAYAAJ |title = A Wheel Within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle, with Some Reflections by the Way |first=Frances Elizabeth |last= Willard |author-link = Frances Willard (suffragist) |publisher= ] |year= 1895 |pages=53, 56 |isbn= 9785874228309 }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Koeppel2007">{{cite magazine |title= Flight of the Pigeon |last= Koeppel |first= Dan |magazine= ] |date= January–February 2007 |volume= 48 |issue= 1 |issn=0006-2073 |publisher= ] |pages= 60–66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=isUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60 |access-date= 28 January 2012 }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Economist2011">{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/node/18584086 |title= Bicycling; A way of life; Faster in town than going by car, bus, tube or on foot |date=20 April 2011 |newspaper=The Economist }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Squatriglia2008">{{cite magazine |title= Honda Sells Its 60 Millionth – Yes, Millionth – Super Cub |first= Chuck |last= Squatriglia |date= 23 May 2008 |url=http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/honda-sells-its.html |magazine= ] |access-date= 31 October 2010 }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="AMA2006">{{cite magazine |title= That's 2.5 billion cc! |magazine=] |location=Westerville, OH | date= May 2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qvUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24 |issn=0277-9358 |page= 24 |access-date= 31 October 2010 |author = American Motorcyclist Association | |||
|author-link = American Motorcyclist Association }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="ABC">{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-02-18/toyota-ponders-recall-of-worlds-best-selling-car/334668 |title = Toyota ponders recall of world's best-selling car |date= 18 February 2010 |publisher= ] News Online }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="FoxBusiness">{{cite news |title= The Best-Selling Cars of All Time |date= 26 January 2012 |author= 24/7 Wall St. |url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2012/01/26/best-selling-cars-all-time/ |publisher= ] |url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101202420/http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2012/01/26/best-selling-cars-all-time/ |archive-date= 1 January 2016 }}</ref> | |||
}} | }} | ||
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*3 "The Stability of the Bicycle", David Jones, "Physics Today", April 1970: pp.34-40 (external link, below) | |||
*4 Townsend (external link, below) | |||
*6 "Cities for Cyclists" (external link, below) | |||
*8 ], John Forester | |||
--> | |||
== |
=== Sources === | ||
; General | |||
* ''All About Bicycling'', Rand McNally. | |||
{{refbegin}} | |||
<!--* ''The New Columbia Encyclopedia'' (This reference is overly broad) --> | |||
* {{cite book |last = Herlihy |first = David V. |year=2004 |title = Bicycle: The History |url=https://archive.org/details/bicyclehistory0000herl_n1m2/page/n3/mode/2up |location = New Haven, CT |publisher = Yale University Press |isbn = 978-0-300-12047-9 }} | |||
* ], ''Richard's Bicycle Book'', Pan, 1975. | |||
* {{cite book |last = Norcliffe |first = Glen |year=2001 |title = The Ride to Modernity: The Bicycle in Canada, 1869–1900 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xviNs2HTIwC |location = Toronto, Ontario |publisher = University of Toronto Press |isbn = 978-0-8020-8205-3 }} | |||
* Caunter C. F. ''The History and Development of Cycles'' Science Museum London 1972. | |||
{{refend}} | |||
* David B. Perry, ''Bike Cult: the Ultimate Guide to Human-powered Vehicles'', Four Walls Eight Windows, 1995. | |||
* Roni Sarig, ''The Everything Bicycle Book'', Adams Media Corporation, 1997 | |||
* {{cite web | title=Randonneurs USA | work=PBP: Paris-Brest-Paris | url=http://www.rusa.org/pbp.html |date=March 31, 2005}} | |||
*US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. "America's Highways 1776-1976", pp. 42–43. Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office. | |||
* ], ''Bicycling Science'', MIT press, ISBN 0-262-73154-1 | |||
* Frank Berto, ''The Dancing Chain: History and Development of the Derailleur Bicycle'', San Francisco: Van der Plas Publications, 2005, ISBN 1-892495-41-4. | |||
* ''The Data Book: 100 Years of Bicycle Component and Accessory Design'', San Francisco: Van der Plas Publications, 2005, ISBN 1-892495-01-5. | |||
* Shonquis Moreno and Ole Wagner, ''Velo: bicycle culture and design''. Edited by Robert Klanten and Sven Ehmann. Berlin: Gestalten, 2010, ISBN 978-3-89955-284-3 | |||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
* |
* {{cite book |last=Glaskin |first=Max |year=2013 |title=Cycling Science: How Rider and Machine Work Together |url=http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo14350452.html |location=Chicago |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-92187-7}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{Sister project links| |
{{Sister project links|auto=1|wikt=bicycle|n=y|q=Cycling|s=1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Bicycle|voy=Cycling}} | ||
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages|EN_Bicycle.ogg|date=7 December 2007}} | |||
{{Commons category|Bicycles}} | |||
* at the ] | |||
* The world's largest bicycle museum | |||
* A range of produced by the ] covering cycling. | |||
* at the ] | |||
{{Human-powered vehicles}} | {{Human-powered vehicles}} | ||
{{Cycling}} | {{Cycling}} | ||
{{Bike equipment}} | {{Bike equipment}} | ||
{{ |
{{Private transport}} | ||
{{Micromobility}} | |||
{{Italian bicycle manufacturers}} | |||
{{French bicycle manufacturers}} | |||
{{British bicycle manufacturers}} | |||
{{German bicycle manufacturers}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 04:43, 30 November 2024
Pedal-driven two-wheel vehicle For the butterfly genus, see Bicyclus. For other uses, see Bicycle (disambiguation). "Bike" redirects here. For other uses, see Bike (disambiguation).
Bicycle | |
---|---|
The most popular bicycle model—and most popular vehicle of any kind in the world—is the Chinese Flying Pigeon, with about 500 million produced. | |
Classification | Vehicle |
Application | Transportation |
Fuel source | Human-power (and/or motor-power) |
Wheels | 2 |
Components | Frame, wheels, tires, saddle, handlebar, pedals, drivetrain |
Inventor | Karl von Drais, Kirkpatrick MacMillan |
Invented | 19th century |
Types | Utility bicycle, mountain bicycle, racing bicycle, touring bicycle, hybrid bicycle, cruiser bicycle, BMX bike, tandem, low rider, tall bike, fixed gear, folding bicycle, amphibious cycle, cargo bike, recumbent, electric bicycle |
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A bicycle rider is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century in Europe. By the early 21st century there were more than 1 billion bicycles. There are many more bicycles than cars. Bicycles are the principal means of transport in many regions. They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for use as children's toys. Bicycles are used for fitness, military and police applications, courier services, bicycle racing, and artistic cycling.
The basic shape and configuration of a typical upright or "safety" bicycle, has changed little since the first chain-driven model was developed around 1885. However, many details have been improved, especially since the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design. These have allowed for a proliferation of specialized designs for many types of cycling. In the 21st century, electric bicycles have become popular.
The bicycle's invention has had an enormous effect on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing modern industrial methods. Several components that played a key role in the development of the automobile were initially invented for use in the bicycle, including ball bearings, pneumatic tires, chain-driven sprockets, and tension-spoked wheels.
Etymology
The word bicycle first appeared in English print in The Daily News in 1868, to describe "Bysicles and trysicles" on the "Champs Elysées and Bois de Boulogne". The word was first used in 1847 in a French publication to describe an unidentified two-wheeled vehicle, possibly a carriage. The design of the bicycle was an advance on the velocipede, although the words were used with some degree of overlap for a time.
Other words for bicycle include "bike", "pushbike", "pedal cycle", or "cycle". In Unicode, the code point for "bicycle" is 0x1F6B2. The entity 🚲
in HTML produces 🚲.
Although bike and cycle are used interchangeably to refer mostly to two types of two-wheelers, the terms still vary across the world. In India, for example, a cycle refers only to a two-wheeler using pedal power whereas the term bike is used to describe a two-wheeler using internal combustion engine or electric motors as a source of motive power instead of motorcycle/motorbike.
History
Main article: History of the bicycleThe "dandy horse", also called Draisienne or Laufmaschine ("running machine"), was the first human means of transport to use only two wheels in tandem and was invented by the German Baron Karl von Drais. It is regarded as the first bicycle and von Drais is seen as the "father of the bicycle", but it did not have pedals. Von Drais introduced it to the public in Mannheim in 1817 and in Paris in 1818. Its rider sat astride a wooden frame supported by two in-line wheels and pushed the vehicle along with his or her feet while steering the front wheel.
The first mechanically propelled, two-wheeled vehicle may have been built by Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish blacksmith, in 1839, although the claim is often disputed. He is also associated with the first recorded instance of a cycling traffic offense, when a Glasgow newspaper in 1842 reported an accident in which an anonymous "gentleman from Dumfries-shire... bestride a velocipede... of ingenious design" knocked over a little girl in Glasgow and was fined five shillings (equivalent to £30 in 2023).
In the early 1860s, Frenchmen Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallement took bicycle design in a new direction by adding a mechanical crank drive with pedals on an enlarged front wheel (the velocipede). This was the first in mass production. Another French inventor named Douglas Grasso had a failed prototype of Pierre Lallement's bicycle several years earlier. Several inventions followed using rear-wheel drive, the best known being the rod-driven velocipede by Scotsman Thomas McCall in 1869. In that same year, bicycle wheels with wire spokes were patented by Eugène Meyer of Paris. The French vélocipède, made of iron and wood, developed into the "penny-farthing" (historically known as an "ordinary bicycle", a retronym, since there was then no other kind). It featured a tubular steel frame on which were mounted wire-spoked wheels with solid rubber tires. These bicycles were difficult to ride due to their high seat and poor weight distribution. In 1868 Rowley Turner, a sales agent of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company (which soon became the Coventry Machinists Company), brought a Michaux cycle to Coventry, England. His uncle, Josiah Turner, and business partner James Starley, used this as a basis for the 'Coventry Model' in what became Britain's first cycle factory.
The dwarf ordinary addressed some of these faults by reducing the front wheel diameter and setting the seat further back. This, in turn, required gearing—effected in a variety of ways—to efficiently use pedal power. Having to both pedal and steer via the front wheel remained a problem. Englishman J.K. Starley (nephew of James Starley), J.H. Lawson, and Shergold solved this problem by introducing the chain drive (originated by the unsuccessful "bicyclette" of Englishman Henry Lawson), connecting the frame-mounted cranks to the rear wheel. These models were known as safety bicycles, dwarf safeties, or upright bicycles for their lower seat height and better weight distribution, although without pneumatic tires the ride of the smaller-wheeled bicycle would be much rougher than that of the larger-wheeled variety. Starley's 1885 Rover, manufactured in Coventry is usually described as the first recognizably modern bicycle. Soon the seat tube was added which created the modern bike's double-triangle diamond frame.
Further innovations increased comfort and ushered in a second bicycle craze, the 1890s Golden Age of Bicycles. In 1888, Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop introduced the first practical pneumatic tire, which soon became universal. Willie Hume demonstrated the supremacy of Dunlop's tyres in 1889, winning the tyre's first-ever races in Ireland and then England. Soon after, the rear freewheel was developed, enabling the rider to coast. This refinement led to the 1890s invention of coaster brakes. Dérailleur gears and hand-operated Bowden cable-pull brakes were also developed during these years, but were only slowly adopted by casual riders.
The Svea Velocipede with vertical pedal arrangement and locking hubs was introduced in 1892 by the Swedish engineers Fredrik Ljungström and Birger Ljungström. It attracted attention at the World Fair and was produced in a few thousand units.
In the 1870s many cycling clubs flourished. They were popular in a time when there were no cars on the market and the principal mode of transportation was horse-drawn vehicles, such the horse and buggy or the horsecar. Among the earliest clubs was The Bicycle Touring Club, which has operated since 1878. By the turn of the century, cycling clubs flourished on both sides of the Atlantic, and touring and racing became widely popular. The Raleigh Bicycle Company was founded in Nottingham, England in 1888. It became the biggest bicycle manufacturing company in the world, making over two million bikes per year.
Bicycles and horse buggies were the two mainstays of private transportation just prior to the automobile, and the grading of smooth roads in the late 19th century was stimulated by the widespread advertising, production, and use of these devices. More than 1 billion bicycles have been manufactured worldwide as of the early 21st century. Bicycles are the most common vehicle of any kind in the world, and the most numerous model of any kind of vehicle, whether human-powered or motor vehicle, is the Chinese Flying Pigeon, with numbers exceeding 500 million. The next most numerous vehicle, the Honda Super Cub motorcycle, has more than 100 million units made, while most produced car, the Toyota Corolla, has reached 44 million and counting.
- Women on bicycles on unpaved road, US, late 19th century
- A penny-farthing or ordinary bicycle photographed in the Škoda Auto museum in the Czech Republic
- The Svea Velocipede by Fredrik Ljungström and Birger Ljungström, exhibited at the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology
- Bicycle in Plymouth, England, at the start of the 20th century
- Brazilian princes (from left) Antônio, Luís, and Pedro on a triple tandem bicycle during their exile, 1891
- Man with a bicycle in Glengarry County, Ontario between 1895 and 1910
- The first bicycle by Baron Karl von Drais
- Drawing from an 1896 newspaper of The London Hansom Cycle
- Wooden draisine (around 1820), the first two-wheeler and as such the archetype of the bicycle
- Michaux's son on a velocipede 1868
- Cyclists' Touring Club sign on display at the National Museum of Scotland
- John Boyd Dunlop on a bicycle c. 1915
- 1886 Rover safety bicycle at the British Motor Museum. The first modern bicycle, it featured a rear-wheel-drive, chain-driven cycle with two similar-sized wheels. Dunlop's pneumatic tire was added to the bicycle in 1888.
Uses
Bicycles are used for transportation, bicycle commuting, and utility cycling. They are also used professionally by mail carriers, paramedics, police, messengers, and general delivery services. Military uses of bicycles include communications, reconnaissance, troop movement, supply of provisions, and patrol, such as in bicycle infantries.
They are also used for recreational purposes, including bicycle touring, mountain biking, physical fitness, and play. Bicycle sports include racing, BMX racing, track racing, criterium, roller racing, sportives and time trials. Major multi-stage professional events are the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España, the Tour de Pologne, and the Volta a Portugal. They are also used for entertainment and pleasure in other ways, such as in organised mass rides, artistic cycling and freestyle BMX.
Technical aspects
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The bicycle has undergone continual adaptation and improvement since its inception. These innovations have continued with the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design, allowing for a proliferation of specialized bicycle types, improved bicycle safety, and riding comfort.
Types
Main article: List of bicycle typesBicycles can be categorized in many different ways: by function, by number of riders, by general construction, by gearing or by means of propulsion. The more common types include utility bicycles, mountain bicycles, racing bicycles, touring bicycles, hybrid bicycles, cruiser bicycles, and BMX bikes. Less common are tandems, low riders, tall bikes, fixed gear, folding models, amphibious bicycles, cargo bikes, recumbents and electric bicycles.
Unicycles, tricycles and quadracycles are not strictly bicycles, as they have respectively one, three and four wheels, but are often referred to informally as "bikes" or "cycles".
Dynamics
Main article: Bicycle and motorcycle dynamicsA bicycle stays upright while moving forward by being steered so as to keep its center of mass over the wheels. This steering is usually provided by the rider, but under certain conditions may be provided by the bicycle itself.
The combined center of mass of a bicycle and its rider must lean into a turn to successfully navigate it. This lean is induced by a method known as countersteering, which can be performed by the rider turning the handlebars directly with the hands or indirectly by leaning the bicycle.
Short-wheelbase or tall bicycles, when braking, can generate enough stopping force at the front wheel to flip longitudinally. The act of purposefully using this force to lift the rear wheel and balance on the front without tipping over is a trick known as a stoppie, endo, or front wheelie.
Performance
Main article: Bicycle performanceThe bicycle is extraordinarily efficient in both biological and mechanical terms. The bicycle is the most efficient human-powered means of transportation in terms of energy a person must expend to travel a given distance. From a mechanical viewpoint, up to 99% of the energy delivered by the rider into the pedals is transmitted to the wheels, although the use of gearing mechanisms may reduce this by 10–15%. In terms of the ratio of cargo weight a bicycle can carry to total weight, it is also an efficient means of cargo transportation.
A human traveling on a bicycle at low to medium speeds of around 16–24 km/h (10–15 mph) uses only the power required to walk. Air drag, which is proportional to the square of speed, requires dramatically higher power outputs as speeds increase. If the rider is sitting upright, the rider's body creates about 75% of the total drag of the bicycle/rider combination. Drag can be reduced by seating the rider in a more aerodynamically streamlined position. Drag can also be reduced by covering the bicycle with an aerodynamic fairing. The fastest recorded unpaced speed on a flat surface is 144.18 km/h (89.59 mph).
In addition, the carbon dioxide generated in the production and transportation of the food required by the bicyclist, per mile traveled, is less than 1⁄10 that generated by energy efficient motorcars.
- A recumbent bicycle
- Balance bicycle for young children
Parts
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Frame
Main article: Bicycle frameThe great majority of modern bicycles have a frame with upright seating that looks much like the first chain-driven bike. These upright bicycles almost always feature the diamond frame, a truss consisting of two triangles: the front triangle and the rear triangle. The front triangle consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube, and seat tube. The head tube contains the headset, the set of bearings that allows the fork to turn smoothly for steering and balance. The top tube connects the head tube to the seat tube at the top, and the down tube connects the head tube to the bottom bracket. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube and paired chain stays and seat stays. The chain stays run parallel to the chain, connecting the bottom bracket to the rear dropout, where the axle for the rear wheel is held. The seat stays connect the top of the seat tube (at or near the same point as the top tube) to the rear fork ends.
Historically, women's bicycle frames had a top tube that connected in the middle of the seat tube instead of the top, resulting in a lower standover height at the expense of compromised structural integrity, since this places a strong bending load in the seat tube, and bicycle frame members are typically weak in bending. This design, referred to as a step-through frame or as an open frame, allows the rider to mount and dismount in a dignified way while wearing a skirt or dress. While some women's bicycles continue to use this frame style, there is also a variation, the mixte, which splits the top tube laterally into two thinner top tubes that bypass the seat tube on each side and connect to the rear fork ends. The ease of stepping through is also appreciated by those with limited flexibility or other joint problems. Because of its persistent image as a "women's" bicycle, step-through frames are not common for larger frames.
Step-throughs were popular partly for practical reasons and partly for social mores of the day. For most of the history of bicycles' popularity women have worn long skirts, and the lower frame accommodated these better than the top-tube. Furthermore, it was considered "unladylike" for women to open their legs to mount and dismount—in more conservative times women who rode bicycles at all were vilified as immoral or immodest. These practices were akin to the older practice of riding horse sidesaddle.
Another style is the recumbent bicycle. These are inherently more aerodynamic than upright versions, as the rider may lean back onto a support and operate pedals that are on about the same level as the seat. The world's fastest bicycle is a recumbent bicycle but this type was banned from competition in 1934 by the Union Cycliste Internationale.
Historically, materials used in bicycles have followed a similar pattern as in aircraft, the goal being high strength and low weight. Since the late 1930s alloy steels have been used for frame and fork tubes in higher quality machines. By the 1980s aluminum welding techniques had improved to the point that aluminum tube could safely be used in place of steel. Since then aluminum alloy frames and other components have become popular due to their light weight, and most mid-range bikes are now principally aluminum alloy of some kind. More expensive bikes use carbon fibre due to its significantly lighter weight and profiling ability, allowing designers to make a bike both stiff and compliant by manipulating the lay-up. Virtually all professional racing bicycles now use carbon fibre frames, as they have the best strength to weight ratio. A typical modern carbon fiber frame can weigh less than 1 kilogram (2.2 lb).
Other exotic frame materials include titanium and advanced alloys. Bamboo, a natural composite material with high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness has been used for bicycles since 1894. Recent versions use bamboo for the primary frame with glued metal connections and parts, priced as exotic models.
- Diagram of a bicycle
- A Triumph with a step-through frame
- A carbon fiber Trek Y-Foil from the late 1990s
Drivetrain and gearing
Main article: Bicycle drivetrain systemsThe drivetrain begins with pedals which rotate the cranks, which are held in axis by the bottom bracket. Most bicycles use a chain to transmit power to the rear wheel. A very small number of bicycles use a shaft drive to transmit power, or special belts. Hydraulic bicycle transmissions have been built, but they are currently inefficient and complex.
Since cyclists' legs are most efficient over a narrow range of pedaling speeds, or cadence, a variable gear ratio helps a cyclist to maintain an optimum pedalling speed while covering varied terrain. Some, mainly utility, bicycles use hub gears with between 3 and 14 ratios, but most use the generally more efficient dérailleur system, by which the chain is moved between different cogs called chainrings and sprockets to select a ratio. A dérailleur system normally has two dérailleurs, or mechs, one at the front to select the chainring and another at the back to select the sprocket. Most bikes have two or three chainrings, and from 5 to 11 sprockets on the back, with the number of theoretical gears calculated by multiplying front by back. In reality, many gears overlap or require the chain to run diagonally, so the number of usable gears is fewer.
An alternative to chaindrive is to use a synchronous belt. These are toothed and work much the same as a chain—popular with commuters and long distance cyclists they require little maintenance. They cannot be shifted across a cassette of sprockets, and are used either as single speed or with a hub gear.
Different gears and ranges of gears are appropriate for different people and styles of cycling. Multi-speed bicycles allow gear selection to suit the circumstances: a cyclist could use a high gear when cycling downhill, a medium gear when cycling on a flat road, and a low gear when cycling uphill. In a lower gear every turn of the pedals leads to fewer rotations of the rear wheel. This allows the energy required to move the same distance to be distributed over more pedal turns, reducing fatigue when riding uphill, with a heavy load, or against strong winds. A higher gear allows a cyclist to make fewer pedal turns to maintain a given speed, but with more effort per turn of the pedals.
With a chain drive transmission, a chainring attached to a crank drives the chain, which in turn rotates the rear wheel via the rear sprocket(s) (cassette or freewheel). There are four gearing options: two-speed hub gear integrated with chain ring, up to 3 chain rings, up to 12 sprockets, hub gear built into rear wheel (3-speed to 14-speed). The most common options are either a rear hub or multiple chain rings combined with multiple sprockets (other combinations of options are possible but less common).
- A bicycle with shaft drive instead of a chain
- A set of rear sprockets (also known as a cassette) and a derailleur
- Hub gear
Steering
The handlebars connect to the stem that connects to the fork that connects to the front wheel, and the whole assembly connects to the bike and rotates about the steering axis via the headset bearings. Three styles of handlebar are common. Upright handlebars, the norm in Europe and elsewhere until the 1970s, curve gently back toward the rider, offering a natural grip and comfortable upright position. Drop handlebars "drop" as they curve forward and down, offering the cyclist best braking power from a more aerodynamic "crouched" position, as well as more upright positions in which the hands grip the brake lever mounts, the forward curves, or the upper flat sections for increasingly upright postures. Mountain bikes generally feature a 'straight handlebar' or 'riser bar' with varying degrees of sweep backward and centimeters rise upwards, as well as wider widths which can provide better handling due to increased leverage against the wheel.
Seating
Saddles also vary with rider preference, from the cushioned ones favored by short-distance riders to narrower saddles which allow more room for leg swings. Comfort depends on riding position. With comfort bikes and hybrids, cyclists sit high over the seat, their weight directed down onto the saddle, such that a wider and more cushioned saddle is preferable. For racing bikes where the rider is bent over, weight is more evenly distributed between the handlebars and saddle, the hips are flexed, and a narrower and harder saddle is more efficient. Differing saddle designs exist for male and female cyclists, accommodating the genders' differing anatomies and sit bone width measurements, although bikes typically are sold with saddles most appropriate for men. Suspension seat posts and seat springs provide comfort by absorbing shock but can add to the overall weight of the bicycle.
A recumbent bicycle has a reclined chair-like seat that some riders find more comfortable than a saddle, especially riders who suffer from certain types of seat, back, neck, shoulder, or wrist pain. Recumbent bicycles may have either under-seat or over-seat steering.
Brakes
Main article: Bicycle brakeBicycle brakes may be rim brakes, in which friction pads are compressed against the wheel rims; hub brakes, where the mechanism is contained within the wheel hub, or disc brakes, where pads act on a rotor attached to the hub. Most road bicycles use rim brakes, but some use disc brakes. Disc brakes are more common for mountain bikes, tandems and recumbent bicycles than on other types of bicycles, due to their increased power, coupled with an increased weight and complexity.
With hand-operated brakes, force is applied to brake levers mounted on the handlebars and transmitted via Bowden cables or hydraulic lines to the friction pads, which apply pressure to the braking surface, causing friction which slows the bicycle down. A rear hub brake may be either hand-operated or pedal-actuated, as in the back pedal coaster brakes which were popular in North America until the 1960s.
Track bicycles do not have brakes, because all riders ride in the same direction around a track which does not necessitate sharp deceleration. Track riders are still able to slow down because all track bicycles are fixed-gear, meaning that there is no freewheel. Without a freewheel, coasting is impossible, so when the rear wheel is moving, the cranks are moving. To slow down, the rider applies resistance to the pedals, acting as a braking system which can be as effective as a conventional rear wheel brake, but not as effective as a front wheel brake.
Suspension
Main article: Bicycle suspensionBicycle suspension refers to the system or systems used to suspend the rider and all or part of the bicycle. This serves two purposes: to keep the wheels in continuous contact with the ground, improving control, and to isolate the rider and luggage from jarring due to rough surfaces, improving comfort.
Bicycle suspensions are used primarily on mountain bicycles, but are also common on hybrid bicycles, as they can help deal with problematic vibration from poor surfaces. Suspension is especially important on recumbent bicycles, since while an upright bicycle rider can stand on the pedals to achieve some of the benefits of suspension, a recumbent rider cannot.
Basic mountain bicycles and hybrids usually have front suspension only, whilst more sophisticated ones also have rear suspension. Road bicycles tend to have no suspension.
Wheels and tires
Main articles: Bicycle wheel and Bicycle tireThe wheel axle fits into fork ends in the frame and fork. A pair of wheels may be called a wheelset, especially in the context of ready-built "off the shelf", performance-oriented wheels.
Tires vary enormously depending on their intended purpose. Road bicycles use tires 18 to 25 millimeters wide, most often completely smooth, or slick, and inflated to high pressure to roll fast on smooth surfaces. Off-road tires are usually between 38 and 64 mm (1.5 and 2.5 in) wide, and have treads for gripping in muddy conditions or metal studs for ice.
Groupset
Groupset generally refers to all of the components that make up a bicycle excluding the bicycle frame, fork, stem, wheels, tires, and rider contact points, such as the saddle and handlebars.
Accessories
Some components, which are often optional accessories on sports bicycles, are standard features on utility bicycles to enhance their usefulness, comfort, safety and visibility. Fenders with spoilers (mudflaps) protect the cyclist and moving parts from spray when riding through wet areas. In some countries (e.g. Germany, UK), fenders are called mudguards. The chainguards protect clothes from oil on the chain while preventing clothing from being caught between the chain and crankset teeth. Kick stands keep bicycles upright when parked, and bike locks deter theft. Front-mounted baskets, front or rear luggage carriers or racks, and panniers mounted above either or both wheels can be used to carry equipment or cargo. Pegs can be fastened to one, or both of the wheel hubs to either help the rider perform certain tricks, or allow a place for extra riders to stand, or rest. Parents sometimes add rear-mounted child seats, an auxiliary saddle fitted to the crossbar, or both to transport children. Bicycles can also be fitted with a hitch to tow a trailer for carrying cargo, a child, or both.
Toe-clips and toestraps and clipless pedals help keep the foot locked in the proper pedal position and enable cyclists to pull and push the pedals. Technical accessories include cyclocomputers for measuring speed, distance, heart rate, GPS data etc. Other accessories include lights, reflectors, mirrors, racks, trailers, bags, water bottles and cages, and bell. Bicycle lights, reflectors, and helmets are required by law in some geographic regions depending on the legal code. It is more common to see bicycles with bottle generators, dynamos, lights, fenders, racks and bells in Europe. Bicyclists also have specialized form fitting and high visibility clothing.
Children's bicycles may be outfitted with cosmetic enhancements such as bike horns, streamers, and spoke beads. Training wheels are sometimes used when learning to ride, but a dedicated balance bike teaches independent riding more effectively.
Bicycle helmets can reduce injury in the event of a collision or accident, and a suitable helmet is legally required of riders in many jurisdictions. Helmets may be classified as an accessory or as an item of clothing.
Bike trainers are used to enable cyclists to cycle while the bike remains stationary. They are frequently used to warm up before races or indoors when riding conditions are unfavorable.
Standards
A number of formal and industry standards exist for bicycle components to help make spare parts exchangeable and to maintain a minimum product safety.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has a special technical committee for cycles, TC149, that has the scope of "Standardization in the field of cycles, their components and accessories with particular reference to terminology, testing methods and requirements for performance and safety, and interchangeability".
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) also has a specific Technical Committee, TC333, that defines European standards for cycles. Their mandate states that EN cycle standards shall harmonize with ISO standards. Some CEN cycle standards were developed before ISO published their standards, leading to strong European influences in this area. European cycle standards tend to describe minimum safety requirements, while ISO standards have historically harmonized parts geometry.
Maintenance and repair
Like all devices with mechanical moving parts, bicycles require a certain amount of regular maintenance and replacement of worn parts. A bicycle is relatively simple compared with a car, so some cyclists choose to do at least part of the maintenance themselves. Some components are easy to handle using relatively simple tools, while other components may require specialist manufacturer-dependent tools.
Many bicycle components are available at several different price/quality points; manufacturers generally try to keep all components on any particular bike at about the same quality level, though at the very cheap end of the market there may be some skimping on less obvious components (e.g. bottom bracket).
- There are several hundred assisted-service Community Bicycle Organizations worldwide. At a Community Bicycle Organization, laypeople bring in bicycles needing repair or maintenance; volunteers teach them how to do the required steps.
- Full service is available from bicycle mechanics at a local bike shop.
- In areas where it is available, some cyclists purchase roadside assistance from companies such as the Better World Club or the American Automobile Association.
Maintenance
The most basic maintenance item is keeping the tires correctly inflated; this can make a noticeable difference as to how the bike feels to ride. Bicycle tires usually have a marking on the sidewall indicating the pressure appropriate for that tire. Bicycles use much higher pressures than cars: car tires are normally in the range of 30 to 40 pounds per square inch (210 to 280 kPa), whereas bicycle tires are normally in the range of 60 to 100 pounds per square inch (410 to 690 kPa).
Another basic maintenance item is regular lubrication of the chain and pivot points for derailleurs and brake components. Most of the bearings on a modern bike are sealed and grease-filled and require little or no attention; such bearings will usually last for 10,000 miles (16,000 km) or more. The crank bearings require periodic maintenance, which involves removing, cleaning and repacking with the correct grease.
The chain and the brake blocks are the components which wear out most quickly, so these need to be checked from time to time, typically every 500 miles (800 km) or so. Most local bike shops will do such checks for free. Note that when a chain becomes badly worn it will also wear out the rear cogs/cassette and eventually the chain ring(s), so replacing a chain when only moderately worn will prolong the life of other components.
Over the longer term, tires do wear out, after 2,000 to 5,000 miles (3,200 to 8,000 km); a rash of punctures is often the most visible sign of a worn tire.
Repair
Very few bicycle components can actually be repaired; replacement of the failing component is the normal practice.
The most common roadside problem is a puncture of the tire's inner tube. A patch kit may be employed to fix the puncture or the tube can be replaced, though the latter solution comes at a greater cost and waste of material. Some brands of tires are much more puncture-resistant than others, often incorporating one or more layers of Kevlar; the downside of such tires is that they may be heavier and/or more difficult to fit and remove.
Tools
Main article: Bicycle toolsThere are specialized bicycle tools for use both in the shop and at the roadside. Many cyclists carry tool kits. These may include a tire patch kit (which, in turn, may contain any combination of a hand pump or CO2 pump, tire levers, spare tubes, self-adhesive patches, or tube-patching material, an adhesive, a piece of sandpaper or a metal grater (for roughening the tube surface to be patched) and sometimes even a block of French chalk), wrenches, hex keys, screwdrivers, and a chain tool. Special, thin wrenches are often required for maintaining various screw-fastened parts, specifically, the frequently lubricated ball-bearing "cones". There are also cycling-specific multi-tools that combine many of these implements into a single compact device. More specialized bicycle components may require more complex tools, including proprietary tools specific for a given manufacturer.
Social and historical aspects
The bicycle has had a considerable effect on human society, in both the cultural and industrial realms.
In daily life
See also: Cycling infrastructure and History of cycling infrastructureAround the turn of the 20th century, bicycles reduced crowding in inner-city tenements by allowing workers to commute from more spacious dwellings in the suburbs. They also reduced dependence on horses. Bicycles allowed people to travel for leisure into the country, since bicycles were three times as energy efficient as walking and three to four times as fast.
In built-up cities around the world, urban planning uses cycling infrastructure like bikeways to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. A number of cities around the world have implemented schemes known as bicycle sharing systems or community bicycle programs. The first of these was the White Bicycle plan in Amsterdam in 1965. It was followed by yellow bicycles in La Rochelle and green bicycles in Cambridge. These initiatives complement public transport systems and offer an alternative to motorized traffic to help reduce congestion and pollution. In Europe, especially in the Netherlands and parts of Germany and Denmark, bicycle commuting is common. In Copenhagen, a cyclists' organization runs a Cycling Embassy that promotes biking for commuting and sightseeing. The United Kingdom has a tax break scheme (IR 176) that allows employees to buy a new bicycle tax free to use for commuting.
In the Netherlands all train stations offer free bicycle parking, or a more secure parking place for a small fee, with the larger stations also offering bicycle repair shops. Cycling is so popular that the parking capacity may be exceeded, while in some places such as Delft the capacity is usually exceeded. In Trondheim in Norway, the Trampe bicycle lift has been developed to encourage cyclists by giving assistance on a steep hill. Buses in many cities have bicycle carriers mounted on the front.
There are towns in some countries where bicycle culture has been an integral part of the landscape for generations, even without much official support. That is the case of Ílhavo, in Portugal.
In cities where bicycles are not integrated into the public transportation system, commuters often use bicycles as elements of a mixed-mode commute, where the bike is used to travel to and from train stations or other forms of rapid transit. Some students who commute several miles drive a car from home to a campus parking lot, then ride a bicycle to class. Folding bicycles are useful in these scenarios, as they are less cumbersome when carried aboard. Los Angeles removed a small amount of seating on some trains to make more room for bicycles and wheel chairs.
Some US companies, notably in the tech sector, are developing both innovative cycle designs and cycle-friendliness in the workplace. Foursquare, whose CEO Dennis Crowley "pedaled to pitch meetings ... was raising money from venture capitalists" on a two-wheeler, chose a new location for its New York headquarters "based on where biking would be easy". Parking in the office was also integral to HQ planning. Mitchell Moss, who runs the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management at New York University, said in 2012: "Biking has become the mode of choice for the educated high tech worker".
Bicycles offer an important mode of transport in many developing countries. Until recently, bicycles have been a staple of everyday life throughout Asian countries. They are the most frequently used method of transport for commuting to work, school, shopping, and life in general. In Europe, bicycles are commonly used. They also offer a degree of exercise to keep individuals healthy.
Bicycles are also celebrated in the visual arts. An example of this is the Bicycle Film Festival, a film festival hosted all around the world.
Poverty alleviation
This section is an excerpt from Bicycle poverty reduction.Bicycle poverty reduction is the concept that access to bicycles and the transportation infrastructure to support them can dramatically reduce poverty. This has been demonstrated in various pilot projects in South Asia and Africa. Experiments done in Africa (Uganda and Tanzania) and Sri Lanka on hundreds of households have shown that a bicycle can increase the income of a poor family by as much as 35%.
Transport, if analyzed for the cost–benefit analysis for rural poverty alleviation, has given one of the best returns in this regard. For example, road investments in India were a staggering 3–10 times more effective than almost all other investments and subsidies in rural economy in the decade of the 1990s. A road can ease transport on a macro level, while bicycle access supports it at the micro level. In that sense, the bicycle can be one of the most effective means to eradicate poverty in poor nations.Female emancipation
See also: Bicycling and feminismThe safety bicycle gave women unprecedented mobility, contributing to their emancipation in Western nations. As bicycles became safer and cheaper, more women had access to the personal freedom that bicycles embodied, and so the bicycle came to symbolize the New Woman of the late 19th century, especially in Britain and the United States. The bicycle craze in the 1890s also led to a movement for so-called rational dress, which helped liberate women from corsets and ankle-length skirts and other restrictive garments, substituting the then-shocking bloomers.
The bicycle was recognized by 19th-century feminists and suffragists as a "freedom machine" for women. American Susan B. Anthony said in a New York World interview on 2 February 1896: "I think it has done more to emancipate woman than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood." In 1895 Frances Willard, the tightly laced president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, wrote A Wheel Within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle, with Some Reflections by the Way, a 75-page illustrated memoir praising "Gladys", her bicycle, for its "gladdening effect" on her health and political optimism. Willard used a cycling metaphor to urge other suffragists to action.
In 1985, Georgena Terry started the first women-specific bicycle company. Her designs featured frame geometry and wheel sizes chosen to better fit women, with shorter top tubes and more suitable reach.
Economic implications
Bicycle manufacturing proved to be a training ground for other industries and led to the development of advanced metalworking techniques, both for the frames themselves and for special components such as ball bearings, washers, and sprockets. These techniques later enabled skilled metalworkers and mechanics to develop the components used in early automobiles and aircraft.
Wilbur and Orville Wright, a pair of businessmen, ran the Wright Cycle Company which designed, manufactured and sold their bicycles during the bike boom of the 1890s.
They also served to teach the industrial models later adopted, including mechanization and mass production (later copied and adopted by Ford and General Motors), vertical integration (also later copied and adopted by Ford), aggressive advertising (as much as 10% of all advertising in U.S. periodicals in 1898 was by bicycle makers), lobbying for better roads (which had the side benefit of acting as advertising, and of improving sales by providing more places to ride), all first practiced by Pope. In addition, bicycle makers adopted the annual model change (later derided as planned obsolescence, and usually credited to General Motors), which proved very successful.
Early bicycles were an example of conspicuous consumption, being adopted by the fashionable elites. In addition, by serving as a platform for accessories, which could ultimately cost more than the bicycle itself, it paved the way for the likes of the Barbie doll.
Bicycles helped create, or enhance, new kinds of businesses, such as bicycle messengers, traveling seamstresses, riding academies, and racing rinks. Their board tracks were later adapted to early motorcycle and automobile racing. There were a variety of new inventions, such as spoke tighteners, and specialized lights, socks and shoes, and even cameras, such as the Eastman Company's Poco. Probably the best known and most widely used of these inventions, adopted well beyond cycling, is Charles Bennett's Bike Web, which came to be called the jock strap.
They also presaged a move away from public transit that would explode with the introduction of the automobile.
J. K. Starley's company became the Rover Cycle Company Ltd. in the late 1890s, and then renamed the Rover Company when it started making cars. Morris Motors Limited (in Oxford) and Škoda also began in the bicycle business, as did the Wright brothers. Alistair Craig, whose company eventually emerged to become the engine manufacturers Ailsa Craig, also started from manufacturing bicycles, in Glasgow in March 1885.
In general, U.S. and European cycle manufacturers used to assemble cycles from their own frames and components made by other companies, although very large companies (such as Raleigh) used to make almost every part of a bicycle (including bottom brackets, axles, etc.) In recent years, those bicycle makers have greatly changed their methods of production. Now, almost none of them produce their own frames.
Many newer or smaller companies only design and market their products; the actual production is done by Asian companies. For example, some 60% of the world's bicycles are now being made in China. Despite this shift in production, as nations such as China and India become more wealthy, their own use of bicycles has declined due to the increasing affordability of cars and motorcycles. One of the major reasons for the proliferation of Chinese-made bicycles in foreign markets is the lower cost of labor in China.
In line with the European financial crisis of that time, in 2011 the number of bicycle sales in Italy (1.75 million) passed the number of new car sales.
Environmental impact
One of the profound economic implications of bicycle use is that it liberates the user from motor fuel consumption. (Ballantine, 1972) The bicycle is an inexpensive, fast, healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transport. Ivan Illich stated that bicycle use extended the usable physical environment for people, while alternatives such as cars and motorways degraded and confined people's environment and mobility. Currently, two billion bicycles are in use around the world. Children, students, professionals, laborers, civil servants and seniors are pedaling around their communities. They all experience the freedom and the natural opportunity for exercise that the bicycle easily provides. Bicycle also has lowest carbon intensity of travel.
Manufacturing
See also: List of bicycle manufacturing companiesThe global bicycle market is $61 billion in 2011. As of 2009, 130 million bicycles were sold every year globally and 66% of them were made in China.
Year | production (M) | sales (M) |
---|---|---|
2000 | 14.531 | 18.945 |
2001 | 13.009 | 17.745 |
2002 | 12.272 | 17.840 |
2003 | 12.828 | 20.206 |
2004 | 13.232 | 20.322 |
2005 | 13.218 | 20.912 |
2006 | 13.320 | 21.033 |
2007 | 13.086 | 21.344 |
2008 | 13.246 | 20.206 |
2009 | 12.178 | 19.582 |
2010 | 12.241 | 20.461 |
2011 | 11.758 | 20.039 |
2012 | 11.537 | 19.719 |
2013 | 11.360 | 19.780 |
2014 | 11.939 | 20.234 |
Country | Production (M) | Parts (M€) | Sales (M) | Avg | Sales (M€) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Italy | 2.729 | 491 | 1.696 | 288 | 488.4 |
Germany | 2.139 | 286 | 4.100 | 528 | 2164.8 |
Poland | .991 | 58 | 1.094 | 380 | 415.7 |
Bulgaria | .950 | 9 | .082 | 119 | 9.8 |
The Netherlands | .850 | 85 | 1.051 | 844 | 887 |
Romania | .820 | 220 | .370 | 125 | 46.3 |
Portugal | .720 | 120 | .340 | 160 | 54.4 |
France | .630 | 170 | 2.978 | 307 | 914.2 |
Hungary | .370 | 10 | .044 | 190 | 8.4 |
Spain | .356 | 10 | 1.089 | 451 | 491.1 |
Czech Republic | .333 | 85 | .333 | 150 | 50 |
Lithuania | .323 | 0 | .050 | 110 | 5.5 |
Slovakia | .210 | 9 | .038 | 196 | 7.4 |
Austria | .138 | 0 | .401 | 450 | 180.5 |
Greece | .108 | 0 | .199 | 233 | 46.4 |
Belgium | .099 | 35 | .567 | 420 | 238.1 |
Sweden | .083 | 0 | .584 | 458 | 267.5 |
Great Britain | .052 | 34 | 3.630 | 345 | 1252.4 |
Finland | .034 | 32 | .300 | 320 | 96 |
Slovenia | .005 | 9 | .240 | 110 | 26.4 |
Croatia | 0 | 0 | .333 | 110 | 36.6 |
Cyprus | 0 | 0 | .033 | 110 | 3.6 |
Denmark | 0 | 0 | .470 | 450 | 211.5 |
Estonia | 0 | 0 | .062 | 190 | 11.8 |
Ireland | 0 | 0 | .091 | 190 | 17.3 |
Latvia | 0 | 0 | .040 | 110 | 4.4 |
Luxembourg | 0 | 0 | .010 | 450 | 4.5 |
Malta | 0 | 0 | .011 | 110 | 1.2 |
EU 28 | 11.939 | 1662 | 20.234 | 392 | 7941.2 |
Legal requirements
Main article: Bicycle lawEarly in its development, as with automobiles, there were restrictions on the operation of bicycles. Along with advertising, and to gain free publicity, Albert A. Pope litigated on behalf of cyclists.
The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of the United Nations considers a bicycle to be a vehicle, and a person controlling a bicycle (whether actually riding or not) is considered an operator or driver. The traffic codes of many countries reflect these definitions and demand that a bicycle satisfy certain legal requirements before it can be used on public roads. In many jurisdictions, it is an offense to use a bicycle that is not in a roadworthy condition.
In some countries, bicycles must have functioning front and rear lights when ridden after dark.
Some countries require child and/or adult cyclists to wear helmets, as this may protect riders from head trauma. Countries which require adult cyclists to wear helmets include Spain, New Zealand and Australia. Mandatory helmet wearing is one of the most controversial topics in the cycling world, with proponents arguing that it reduces head injuries and thus is an acceptable requirement, while opponents argue that by making cycling seem more dangerous and cumbersome, it reduces cyclist numbers on the streets, creating an overall negative health effect (fewer people cycling for their own health, and the remaining cyclists being more exposed through a reversed safety in numbers effect).
Theft
Main article: Bicycle theftBicycles are popular targets for theft, due to their value and ease of resale. The number of bicycles stolen annually is difficult to quantify as a large number of crimes are not reported. Around 50% of the participants in the Montreal International Journal of Sustainable Transportation survey were subjected to a bicycle theft in their lifetime as active cyclists. Most bicycles have serial numbers that can be recorded to verify identity in case of theft.
See also
- Bicycle and motorcycle geometry
- Bicycle drum brake
- Bicycle fender
- Bicycle lighting
- Bicycle parking station
- Bicycle-friendly
- Bicycle-sharing system
- Cyclability
- Cycling advocacy
- Cycling in the Netherlands
- Danish bicycle VIN-system
- List of bicycle types
- List of films about bicycles and cycling
- Outline of bicycles
- Outline of cycling
- rattleCAD (software for bicycle design)
- Skirt guard
- Twike
- Velomobile
- Wooden bicycle
- World Bicycle Day
Notes
- The TC149 ISO bicycle committee, including the TC149/SC1 ("Cycles and major sub-assemblies") subcommittee, has published the following standards:
- ISO 4210 Cycles – Safety requirements for bicycles
- ISO 6692 Cycles – Marking of cycle components
- ISO 6695 Cycles – Pedal axle and crank assembly with square end fitting – Assembly dimensions
- ISO 6696 Cycles – Screw threads used in bottom bracket assemblies
- ISO 6697 Cycles – Hubs and freewheels – Assembly dimensions
- ISO 6698 Cycles – Screw threads used to assemble freewheels on bicycle hubs
- ISO 6699 Cycles – Stem and handlebar bend – Assembly dimensions
- ISO 6701 Cycles – External dimensions of spoke nipples
- ISO 6742 Cycles – Lighting and retro-reflective devices – Photometric and physical requirements
- ISO 8090 Cycles – Terminology (same as BS 6102-4)
- ISO 8098 Cycles – Safety requirements for bicycles for young children
- ISO 8488 Cycles – Screw threads used to assemble head fittings on bicycle forks
- ISO 8562 Cycles – Stem wedge angle
- ISO 10230 Cycles – Splined hub and sprocket – Mating dimensions
- ISO 11243 Cycles – Luggage carriers for bicycles – Concepts, classification and testing
- EN 14764 City and trekking bicycles – Safety requirements and test methods
- EN 14765 Bicycles for young children – Safety requirements and test methods
- EN 14766 Mountain-bicycles – Safety requirements and test methods
- EN 14781 Racing bicycles – Safety requirements and test methods
- EN 14782 Bicycles – Accessories for bicycles – Luggage carriers
- EN 15496 Cycles – Requirements and test methods for cycle locks
References
Citations
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{{cite news}}
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{{cite book}}
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Sources
- General
- Herlihy, David V. (2004). Bicycle: The History. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12047-9.
- Norcliffe, Glen (2001). The Ride to Modernity: The Bicycle in Canada, 1869–1900. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-8205-3.
Further reading
- Glaskin, Max (2013). Cycling Science: How Rider and Machine Work Together. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-92187-7.
External links
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