General Cycling Discussion - Question on Principle of Bicycling

I'm curious to know who discovered the principle that when you keep two connected wheels in motion they don't fall ? When was that?

When most of us learn bicycling, we are not able to balance the bike initially. So how did the first person who rode the bike discover it? Was this person same as the inventor of the bike?

Is it something elementary that I'm missing here?

Thanks

I don't know the answer, but will be glad if somebody supplies it here!

It always seems very strange to me that a bicycle remains upright, especially when I'm riding on it. :eek:

It was me!! (Naw, just kidding, I'm not quite that old...not far from it, though!!)

Interesting thread...I have pondered such questions myself...such as who was the guy who decided that grinding up dried out grass seed would make flower??

Some of the first bicycles were actually two small wheels under a plank frame, with no pedals or chain. The rider just pushed himself along with his feet. Probably one of those dare-devil riders discovered that you could get the contraption going and pick both feet up and not fall down, but I don't ever recall hearing what his name was!

Interesting thread...I have pondered such questions myself...such as who was the guy who decided that grinding up dried out grass seed would make flower??


Probably a Gal !!

Don't know if this answers all your questions, but it's an interesting article.
Bicycle inventor (http://www.uh.edu/admin/engines/epi1083.htm)

Maybe it was one of us in a past life or something... What did Pete Clark do with his time before Bike Forums? :D

Chris

Originally posted by bipedal
I'm curious to know who discovered the principle that when you keep two connected wheels in motion they don't fall ? When was that?
This is not the last word, of course...

Baron Karl Von Drais, Mater of the Forests in the Dutchy of Baden (in what is now Central Germany), invented a two-wheeled device
similar to a bicycle, only without pedals, and wooden wheels. This was in 1817.

The rider was positioned low enough to use his feet much like one would using a scooter, pushing along the ground. It was called a "running machine."

P.S. In my excitement to answer this question, I neglected to read Dirtgrinder's (alias, Johnny Bravo's) post. Very good, J.B.!

:D

here's something else to wonder about...

cars keep getting faster and faster. the other day, i was reading in one of my car magazines (alas, i am still a slave to that part of society) that some tuner company somewhere has managed to produce a dodge viper that will run 0 to 60 mph in like 2.3 seconds. no joke!! so, my question is when are they going to put that engineering prowess to use? i guess that disc brakes were a good application, but what's next?

maybe, since i am studying to be a mechanical engineer, that should be my life's work...to build a better bike. but that is kinda' like trying to build a better mousetrap, right??

Servus!

I have been waiting for this one. Baron Karl made his wondeful machine right in the city I live in.

Karlsruhe, Germany.