"No need to reinvent the wheel!" - surely you have heard or uttered this phrase more than once. When they say so, they usually mean that you do not need to re-invent what already exists. But, strangely enough, many people know very little about the invention of the bicycle. Who, where, when and how created this vehicle?
Who invented the bike first?
There is a version that the first bicycle was invented by Leonardo da Vinci. However, it is controversial. Also, the version that this vehicle was invented by the peasant Artamonov did not find one hundred percent confirmation.
It is believed that the bicycle was not invented immediately. Its improvement has gone through several stages.
In 1817, German professor Karl von Dres invented a construction that resembled a scooter. This device consisted of two wheels and was called by its author a “walking machine”. Somewhat later, compatriots Drez named this scooter in honor of the inventor trolley. In 1818, Baron von Drez patented his creation.
When the scooter was carried out in the UK, this design was nicknamed the "dandy hors". In 1839-1840 in a small town in the south of Scotland, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a blacksmith by profession, improved this walking machine by adding a saddle and pedals to it. This device was a lot like a modern bike. It was necessary to push the pedals to rotate the rear wheel, while the front wheel could be turned using the steering wheel.
For unknown reasons, the invention of the blacksmith Macmillan remained in the shadows, and it was soon forgotten.
In 1862, the French master Pierre Lalman decided to add pedals to the “dandy horse” (at the same time, Pierre was not aware of the invention of Kirkpatrick Macmillan). And in 1863, Lalman realized his idea. Many people consider his product to be the first bicycle in the world, and Pierre himself, respectively, the first inventor of this type of transport.
When and where did the first bicycle invented?
The year of the invention of the first bicycle can be considered as 1817, when the “walking machine” was created, and 1840, and 1862. However, there is another important date related to the invention of the bicycle, namely, 1866, when the Lalman bicycle was patented.
Since then, this vehicle has been improved every year. The materials of which the bicycle was made, and its design, as well as the ratios and diameters of the sizes of the wheels changed. Nevertheless, the modern bike is slightly different from the Lalman design.
So, if we assume that the very first bicycle was invented by Pierre Lalman, then France will be the birthplace of this vehicle. However, the Germans believe that the bicycle was invented in Germany. In part, this is also true. If the invention of Baron Karl von Dres was not there, it would not have occurred to Lalman to improve it.
But do not forget about Scotland. The prototype of the bicycle, which was designed by Kirkpatrick Macmillan, did not differ significantly from Lalman's invention.
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