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Penny-farthing
The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler or ordinary, is an early type of bicycle. It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds, owing to it travelling a large distance for every rotation of the wheel. These bicycles had solid Natural rubber, rubber tires and as a consequence the only Shock absorber, shock absorption was in the saddle. The penny-farthing became obsolete in the late 1880s with the development of modern bicycles, which provided similar speed, via a chain drive, chain-driven gear train, and comfort, from the use of pneumatic tires. These later bikes were marketed as "safety bicycles" because of the greater ease of mounting and dismounting, the reduced danger of falling, and the reduced height to fall, in comparison to penny-farthings. The name came from the British penny (British pre-decimal coin), penny and farthing (British coin), farthing coins, the penny being much larger than the farthing, so that ...
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Safety Bicycle
A safety bicycle (or simply a safety) is a type of bicycle that became very popular beginning in the late 1880s as an alternative to the penny-farthing (also known as an "ordinary" or "high wheeler") and is now the most common type of bicycle. Early bicycles of this style were known as safety bicycles because they were noted for, and marketed as, being safer than the high wheelers they were replacing. Even though modern bicycles use a similar design, the term is rarely used today and is considered obsolete outside circles familiar with high wheelers. Definition The term 'safety bicycle' was used in the 1880s for any alternative to the penny-farthing. The front and rear wheel were not necessarily the same size. Later historians began to use the term in a more restricted way for the design that was a direct ancestor to most modern bicycles. "Diamond frame" is also sometimes used as a term for safety bicycles, even though this technically only refers to a certain type of safety bic ...
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Velocipede
A velocipede () is a human-powered land vehicle with one or more wheels. The most common type of velocipede today is the bicycle. The term was probably first coined by Karl von Drais in French as ''vélocipède'' for the French translation of his advertising leaflet for his version of the ''Laufmaschine'', also now called a 'dandy horse', which he had developed in 1817. It is ultimately derived from the Latin ''velox'', ''veloc-'' 'swift' + ''pes'', ''ped-'' 'foot'.''Oxford Dictionary of English'', 'velocipede' The term 'velocipede' is today mainly used as a collective term for the different forerunners of the monowheel, the unicycle, the bicycle, the dicycle, the tricycle and the quadracycle developed between 1817 and 1880. Velocipede refers especially to the forerunner of the modern bicycle that was propelled, like a modern tricycle, by cranks, i.e. bicycle pedal, pedals, attached to the front axle before the invention of geared bicycle chain, chains and belt-driven bicycle ...
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James Starley
James Starley (21 April 1830 – 17 June 1881) was an English inventor and father of the bicycle industry. He was one of the most innovative and successful builders of bicycles and tricycles. His inventions include the differential gear, the perfection of the bicycle chain drive, and the penny-farthing. Childhood Starley was born in 1830 at Albourne, West Sussex,The Bicycle, UK, 4 November 1953, p8 the son of Daniel Starley, a farmer. He began working on the farm at nine, showing early talent as an inventor by making a rat trap from an umbrella rip and a branch of a willow tree. He ran away from home as a teenager and went to Lewisham, in south London. There he worked as an under-gardener, in his spare time mending watches and creating devices such as a mechanism to allow a duck to get through a hole in a fence, closing a door behind it if a rat tried to follow. Adult life Starley's employer, John Penn, bought a rare and expensive sewing machine. Starley mended it when it broke ...
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Bicycle Handlebar
A bicycle handlebar is the steering control for bicycles. It is the equivalent of a tiller for vehicles and vessels, as it is most often directly mechanically linked to a pivoting front wheel via a Stem (bike), stem which in turn attaches it to the Bicycle fork, fork. Besides steering, handlebars also often support a portion of the rider's weight, depending on their riding position, and provide a convenient mounting place for Bicycle brake, brake levers, Shifter (bicycle part), shift levers, cyclocomputers, Bicycle bell, bells, etc. History The dandy horse, or draisienne, invented by Karl Drais and the first vehicle with two wheels arranged in tandem, was controlled by a bar connected to the front steering mechanism and held by the riders' two hands. The first handlebars were solid bars of steel or wood, depending on the manufacturer. Curved, moustache-shaped, drop handlebars became popular in the 1920s. Whatton bars were developed in attempt to improve the safety of penny-farth ...
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Chain Drive
Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles. It is also used in a wide variety of machines besides vehicles. Most often, the power is conveyed by a roller chain, known as the drive chain or transmission chain, passing over a sprocket, with the teeth of the gear meshing with the holes in the links of the chain. The gear is turned, and this pulls the chain putting mechanical force into the system. Another type of drive chain is the Morse chain, invented by the Morse Chain Company of Ithaca, New York, United States. This has inverted teeth. Sometimes the power is output by simply rotating the chain, which can be used to lift or drag objects. In other situations, a second gear is placed and the power is recovered by attaching shafts or hubs to this gear. Though drive chains are often simple oval loops, they can also go around corners by placing ...
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Bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a bicycle frame, frame, one behind the other. A 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 Mode of transport, means of transport in many regions. They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for use as Toy, children's toys. Bicycles are used for Physical fitness, fitness, Military bicycle, military and Police bicycle, police applications, Bicycle messenger, courier services, Cycle sport, bicycle racing, and artistic cycling. The basic shape and configuration of a typical Safety bicycle, upright or "safety" bicycle, has changed lit ...
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Bicycle Tire
A bicycle tire is a tire that fits on the Bicycle wheel, wheel of a bicycle or similar vehicle. These tires may also be used on tricycles, wheelchairs, and handcycles, frequently for Wheelchair racing, racing. Bicycle tires provide an important source of Bicycle suspension, suspension, generate the lateral forces necessary for Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics#Balance, balancing and Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics#Turning, turning, and generate the longitudinal forces necessary for Vehicle propulsion, propulsion and Bicycle brake systems, braking. Although the use of a pneumatic tire greatly reduces rolling resistance compared to the use of a rigid wheel or solid tire, the tires are still typically the second largest source, after Drag (physics), wind resistance (air drag), of power consumption on a level road. The modern detachable pneumatic bicycle tire contributed to the popularity and eventual dominance of the safety bicycle. Bicycle tires are also used on unicycles, tricyc ...
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Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centuries. Founded in the early Middle Ages, its city status was formally recognised in a charter of 1345. The city is governed by Coventry City Council, and the West Midlands Combined Authority. Historic counties of England, Formerly part of Warwickshire until 1451, and again from 1842 to 1974, Coventry had a population of 345,324 at the 2021 census, making it the tenth largest city in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom. It is the second largest city in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, after Birmingham, from which it is separated by an area of Green belt (United Kingdom), green belt known as the Meriden Gap; it is the third largest in the wider Midlands after Birmingham and Leicester. The city is part of a larger ...
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Wire Wheel
Wire wheels, wire-spoked wheels, tension-spoked wheels, or "suspension" wheels are wheels whose rims connect to their hubs by wire spokes. Although these wires are considerably stiffer than a similar diameter wire rope, they function mechanically the same as tensioned flexible wires, keeping the rim true while supporting applied loads. The term ''suspension wheel'' should not be confused with vehicle suspension. Wire wheels are used on most bicycles and are still used on many motorcycles. They were invented by aeronautical engineer George Cayley in 1808. Although Cayley first proposed wire wheels, he did not apply for a patent. The first patent for wire wheels was issued to Theodore Jones of London, England on October 11, 1826. Eugène Meyer of Paris, France was the first person to receive, in 1869, a patent for wire wheels on bicycles. Bicycle wheels were not strong enough for cars until the development of tangentially spoked wheels. They rapidly became well establis ...
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Eugène Meyer (inventor)
Eugène Meyer was a French mechanic credited with making important contributions to the development of the bicycle. He received a French patent for wire wheels in 1868 and is now believed to be the person primarily responsible for making the penny-farthing feasible and widely known. Biography Meyer was born in Alsace and lived in Paris. He raced his own bicycles in order to promote them and placed 10th in the 1869 Paris-Rouen race. James Moore rode a Meyer high wheeler at the Midland Counties Championship in Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ... in August 1870, and thereby introduced the design to England. Meyer died in Brunoy en Essonne at the age of 63. References External links Review of ''Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History'' with great ima ...
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Wire Wheel
Wire wheels, wire-spoked wheels, tension-spoked wheels, or "suspension" wheels are wheels whose rims connect to their hubs by wire spokes. Although these wires are considerably stiffer than a similar diameter wire rope, they function mechanically the same as tensioned flexible wires, keeping the rim true while supporting applied loads. The term ''suspension wheel'' should not be confused with vehicle suspension. Wire wheels are used on most bicycles and are still used on many motorcycles. They were invented by aeronautical engineer George Cayley in 1808. Although Cayley first proposed wire wheels, he did not apply for a patent. The first patent for wire wheels was issued to Theodore Jones of London, England on October 11, 1826. Eugène Meyer of Paris, France was the first person to receive, in 1869, a patent for wire wheels on bicycles. Bicycle wheels were not strong enough for cars until the development of tangentially spoked wheels. They rapidly became well establis ...
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Ordinary Bicycle01
Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (album) (2011), by Every Little Thing * "Ordinary" (Alex Warren song) (2025) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016) * "Ordinary" (Wayne Brady song) (2008) * "Ordinary", song by Train from ''Alive at Last'' (2004) Religion * Ordinary (Catholic Church), a supervisor, typically a bishop, in charge of a territory comparable to a diocese, or a major superior of a religious institute * Ordinary (church officer), an officer of a church or civic authority who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute laws * Ordinary (liturgy), a set of texts in Roman Catholic and other Western Christian liturgies that are generally invariable * Ordinary Time, the parts of the Roman Catholic liturgical year that are outside Advent, Christmastide, Lent, and Eastertide. * Ordinary (lecture), a type of lecture given in universities of the Middle Ages Other * An archaic ...
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