The Two Wheeled Vehicle
Over the decades, bicycles have proved to be great innovations to the transportation world. They are considered simple, yet very useful machines for practically any person of any age. Whether it’s considered a toy for a young child, a mean of transportation for the common employee or college student, or a piece of equipment for the competitive biker, bicycles have always been an inexpensive alternative to its four wheeled, motorized predecessors.
Bicycles have come a long way since the first ones were attempted by Baron Karl von Drais in the early 1800’s. Both their performance and their manufactured parts have only improved over the years, making them lighter, faster, easier to handle, more durable and longer lasting. Bicycles are interesting technological products. They are somewhat similar to cars, both containing wheels and both getting the person(s) to their specified destination a lot faster than just walking. One difference though, comes to the exposed parts of a bike. All the parts and pieces are there, attached to the rest of the frame for the user to see how the machine functions. Also, bicycles do not contain any kind of motor to make it work. The only real motor that is required for the machine to work is user themselves. A bicycle requires the person to use their legs to pedal, causing the rest of the bicycle to function as a whole and begin transporting the biker.
The first attempted form of the bicycle came in 1816. It was invented by Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun from Karlsruhe, Germany. Drais’s invention was called the draisienne, which contained a wood frame and two wheels and was propelled by the rider paddling their feet against the ground for movement (“bicycle”, 2007). It wasn’t the most successful prototype, a matter of fact, Baron’s invention was quite awkward and inelegant.
Then in 1839, a blacksmith named Kirkpatrick Macmillan from Dumfriesshire, Scotland came up with very improved version of...