The History of the Bicycle. Fast Legs

Many of us have been familiar with the bicycle since childhood. We use it to commute to work and carry loads, set records and make round-the-world trips. A cyclist can be seen almost everywhere. In some countries, there are more bicycles than people. It is so familiar that we rarely think about how and when it was invented. Meanwhile, this is a relatively recent invention – a good illustration of the technological progress of recent centuries and, to some extent, one of the engines of that progress. Externally simple, the bicycle incorporates the most advanced technical achievements – from vulcanized rubber and ball bearings to carbon fiber and computer modeling of aerodynamics. Every time we look at a bicycle, we admire its elegant simplicity, behind which, if you take a closer look, lies the fruit of the labor of a huge number of people. This book provides a brief but vivid account of the history of the bicycle, its evolution, impact on society, and the main elements of its design. The history of the bicycle is a story of the most advanced technical achievements, a revolution in minds, and a change in the appearance of cities.