Interesting Facts Worth Knowing About Bikes

The first bicycle was invented in 1817 by Karl von Drais, a German baron. He invented a horseless carriage, two-wheeled, pedal-less device which can be propelled by the rider by pushing his or her feet against the ground. This machine was first known as the “draisine,” and inspired the modern-day bicycle.

Aside from the above well-known facts about bicycle that all cyclists probably know about, there are some other fun info worth knowing about bikes. These include the following:

1. The term “bicycle” was introduced only in the 1860s. It was coined in France to describe a new kind of two-wheel riding device with a mechanical drive.

2. The brothers who built the first flying airplane, Orville and Wilbur Wright, operated a small bike repair shop in Dayton, Ohio. They used their workshop to build the 1903 Wright Flyer.

3. Bicycles were first brought to China in the late 1800s. Today, there are over a half billion bicycles in China.

4. Americans use their bicycles for less than one percent of all urban trips. Europeans, on the other hand, bike in cities a lot more often. In Italy, 5 percent of all trips are made on bikes, 30 percent in the Netherlands, and seven out of eight Dutch people over age 15 have a bicycle.

5. The Tour de France, one of the most famous bicycle races in the world, was established in 1903. It is regarded as one of the biggest test of endurance out of all sports.

Info source: ivanhoecycles.com.au