Inventors Of The Bicycle
Today’s bicycle is a result of the work of several prominent inventors, but here you can find its origins. Who made initial designs, who made significant additions, and whose inventions brought it to the masses?
Who invented the Bicycle?
After several thousand years of horseback riding, public transportation was changed forever with the invention of these few engineers. Find out how their designs came to life during the mid to late 19th century. Read more about who invented the bicycle.
Pierre Michaux
The works of this famous French inventor forever changed the way we live and travel today. Here you can find out how he came up with the idea to attach pedals to the simple “riding horse” devices that were in use during the 1850s. During his career, he continued to improve his bicycle designs, which culminated in his invention of a motorized bicycle with a steam engine.
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Pierre Lallement
Pierre Lallement is an influential French inventor who managed to revolutionize the history of bicycles by being the first man to attach pedals to the simple two-wheeled velocipede design. This discovery enabled the creation of the first modern bicycles.
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Thomas McCall
During the first few years after the first pedal-powered bicycles were created in France, inventors from all around the world tackled the problem of their power transfer. The first man who managed to achieve rear-wheel drive on a bicycle was a Scottish Cartwright Thomas McCall.
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Olivier Brothers
Olivier Brothers were instrumental in being the first businessmen who correctly identified the potential of bicycles. They organized the first mass production of bicycles in France, which started a transportation craze that soon managed to reach all four corners of the world.
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Kirkpatrick Macmillan
Kirkpatrick Macmillan was a Spanish blacksmith and Cartwright who attempted to find fame as an inventor of the first rear wheel-powered bicycle. However modern historians strongly dispute his claim and the claims of his family.
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James Starley
James Starley is without a doubt one of the most important businessmen and inventors in the entire history of bicycles. His exploits greatly popularized bicycles in England, which became home to transportation innovation of late 20th century Europe.
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John Kemp Starley
John Kemp Starley was a nephew of James Starley who managed to start the bicycle revolution in England. However, John Kemp Starley managed to distinguish himself as the man who revolutionized bicycles completely and made them viable for all worldwide markets.
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John Boyd Dunlop
John Boyd Dunlop’s 1887 invention of the first commercially viable pneumatic (pressurized) rubber tire managed to dramatically boost the popularity of bicycles, and quickly enabled the rise of the car industry. Learn more about his life and inventions here.
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