A treadle bicycle is a
bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
B ...
powered by a
treadle
A treadle (from oe, tredan, "to tread") is a mechanism operated with a pedal for converting reciprocating motion into rotating motion. Along with cranks, treadmills, and treadwheels, treadles allow human and animal machine power in the a ...
instead of the more common
crank. Treadles were one of the mechanisms inventors tried in order to position the
pedals away from the drive wheel hub before the development of the
bicycle chain
A bicycle chain is a roller chain that transfers power from the pedals to the drive-wheel of a bicycle, thus propelling it. Most bicycle chains are made from plain carbon or alloy steel, but some are nickel-plated to prevent rust, or simpl ...
or instead of it. Treadles have also been used to drive
tricycle
A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) three-wheeled vehicle.
Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for passenger transport) and freight trikes ...
s and
quadracycle
A quadracycle is a four-wheeled human-powered land vehicle. It is also referred to as a quadricycle, quadcycle, pedal car or four-wheeled bicycle amongst other terms.
Quadracycles have been in use since 1853 and have grown into several fami ...
s.
History
Treadles were used before the advent of
highwheelers on
Thomas McCall's velocipede, on highwheelers themselves in an attempt to address safety issues, on alternative configurations of highwheelers, and on the first device called a
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 ("ordinary") and is now the most common type of bicycle. Early bicycles of this style were know ...
by British engineer Henry J. Lawson in 1876. Some inventors even combined treadles and chains on the same bicycle.
Gallery
File:Jaray-Rad mit Schwingpedalen - Verkehrszentrum.JPG, A treadle bicycle from 1925
Image:Mccallvelos.jpg, McCall's first (top) and improved velocipede of 1869, later predated to 1839 and attributed to MacMillan
File:1880velocipede.jpg, Velocipede from 1880
File:1888 Geared Facile Bicycle Coventry Transport Museum.jpg, 1888 Geared Facile Bicycle in the Coventry Transport Museum
File:ElliptiGO Miller Hiwy jeh.jpg, A modern ElliptiGO
ElliptiGO, Inc. is a manufacturer of stand-up and elliptical bicycles headquartered in Solana Beach, California. Elliptical bikes combine the motion of an indoor elliptical trainer with the outdoor mobility of a traditional bicycle.
History
Co ...
seatless treadle bicycle modeled after elliptical trainer
An elliptical trainer or cross-trainer is a stationary exercise machine used to stair climb, walk, or run without causing excessive pressure to the joints, hence decreasing the risk of impact injuries. For this reason, people with some injuri ...
s
See also
*
Outline of cycling
:''This article is an outline about the activity of cycling. For an outline about bicycles themselves, see outline of bicycles.''
:The following ''outline'' is provided as an overview of, as well as a topical guide to cycling:
Cycling, a ...
*
Types of bicycles
References
{{Human-powered vehicles
Bicycles
Cycle types