Mozaffari 1

Chrissa Mozaffari

Mrs. Olaya

Physics Period 4

4 May, 2009

La Storia di la Bicicletta

A bicycle, or a bike, is well known to people throughout the world. It uses benefit

multitudes and its invention paved the way for future innovations.

According to the Oxford American College Dictionary, a bicycle is a “vehicle composed

of two wheels held in a frame, one behind the other, propelled by pedals and steered with

handlebars attached to the front wheel.” The idea of such a vehicle was first imagined by

Leonardo da Vinci. His 1490s drawing of a bicycle with a chain was very much ahead of its

time.

A little less than four hundred years later, in the 1810s (post war), the first bicycle was

invented. The Laufmaschinewas unveiled in Mannheim in 1817 and in Paris in 1818. German

Baron Karl von Drais’s Laufmaschineis regarded as the archetype of the modern bicycle. This

first bike was sat upon much like a modern bike, but was propelled by the rider’s feet walking on

the floor. There were no pedals on this first bike. In 1820, the dandy horse was next presented

to the world. However, it wasn’t until forty years later that the next major step in bicycle

development was implemented.

Inearly 1860, M. Pierre Michaux and M. Pierre Lallement of France added a pedal to the

bicycle. Their bicycle is the image that comes to many people’s mindswhen an old bike is

imagined. Their bicycle was comprised of a large front wheel with pedals attached directly to

the hub and a very small rear wheel. Named after the largest and the smallest British coins of the

time, this French bike became known as the penny-farthing.

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In 1885, three men ushered the next bicycle into the spotlight. JK Starley, JH Lawson,

and a Mr. Shergold worked together to create the first chain driven bicycle, the dwarf saftie,

named for its lowered height from the penny farthing and thus decrease in the possibility of

falling.

After this bicycle model, additions were quickly coming. In 1888, pneumatic tires were

exchanged in place of wooden tires and in 1889 coster brakes were added to the bike.

Throughout the years, the bicycle was remodeled multiple times until it evolved into the bicycles

we ride today.

Bicycles were introduced into a world where travel took place in the form of horses and

walking. Single riders would ridehorses while many families possessed cart horses and carts.

Those unfortunate enough to not own a horse had to walk. The new bicycles offered an

alternative to walking and horse dependency. While the first bicycles were not very effective for

anything other than moving objects, as bicycles evolved, their efficiency increased dramatically.

Today’s bicycles are the most efficient, self powered machine available. Up to 99% of the

energy put into the bicycle is transmitted to the wheels. At speeds of ten to fifteen miles per

hour, the amount of energy used to propel the bike forward is equal to the energy expelled while

walking. That is about three times as efficient as walking.

Today’s bicycles take many forms. There are utility bicycles, mountain bikes, racing

bicycles, touring bicycles, hybrid bicycles, cruiser bicycles, and BMX bicycles, just to name a

few. The easy use of the bicycle makes these many models useful around the world. In many

regions, the bicycle is the principal means of transportation. In Europe, the main mode of

transportation is the bicycle. In countries throughout Europe, there are even Bike Sharing

programs implemented throughout the country.

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Apart from transportation, bicycles have many other uses. They are often used as

recreation objects, children’s toys, and adult fitness tools. While these uses are the most

common uses to American, bicycles are also used in the military, the police, for courier services,

commuting, mail delivery, and paramedic transportation.

Most bicycles, no matter what they are used for are comprised of the same materials.

Frames are made from celluloid, aluminum alloys, carbon fiber, titanium, steel alloys, and in

some circumstances, even bamboo. These materials are quite a large step up from the primary

materials of heavy cast iron and wood. The seats of many bicycles are made of foam and a

covering such as leather or polyester. Rubber is also used in tires, replacing original wood tires

and cushioning the ride.

While these vehicles seem to be very simply made, they have had a large impact on

history. Bicycles were the first object to be made using mass production, a concept soon copied

by Ford and his Model T’s. Bicycle companies were also the first to use the annual model

change, something often credited to General Motors. Inventors such as the Wright Brothers and

companies such as Rover’s Company, Morris Motor Company, and Ailsa Craig all started in the

bicycle business. While it seems that the bicycle’s largest impart was on future businesses and

inventions, bikes also had a large impact on daily life.

Bicycles led to many things. As bicycles became more popular, advertizing skyrocketed,

something car companies would later copy. At the same time, narrow wheels aided in the

lobbying for smoother, better roads. The jobs created by the bicycle are unbelievable. Bicycle

messengers and traveling seamstresses soon had a relatively cheap, maintenance free mode of

transportation. New businesses also sprung up such as riding academies, racing rinks, and

bicycle accessories stores.

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Bicycles also aided Women’s Emancipation in the 19thCentury. The diamond framed

safety bike gave greater freedom and mobility to woman in western countries. As this came

about, the bicycle came to symbolize the New Women in America and Britain and the bicycle

became known as the Freedom Machine. Even Susan B. Anthony is quoted as saying, “I think

[the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women more than anything else in the world.” The

Bicycle Craze was also instrumental in freeing women from restrictive garments such as corsets

and ankle length skirts and replacing them with bloomers.

Now on to the, as you might say, mechanics of the bicycle. The bicycle is a very cost

effective machine. The work expended from the bicycle is much greater than the work put in.

The amount of energy used to walk can propel a bicycle at ten to fifteen miles per hour. While

the mechanical advantage would be very helpful in describing the machine, the mechanical

advantage varies on the structure of the bike, the gear the rider is in, the size of the bicycle, the

size of the wheel, the length of the rider’s legs, and the terrain. In an attempt to explain the

bicycle’s mechanical advantage, I found the greatest ideal mechanical advantage and the least

ideal mechanical advantage. When the front gear is smallest and the front gear is at its largest,

the ideal mechanical advantage is greatest, as .7903225806. The lowest ideal mechanical

advantage occurs when the rear gear is smallest and the front gear is largest and is equal to

.1585449554.

The bicycle is an amazing machine that has had much impact on the world and the people

in it. It has influenced main companies, emancipated women, created jobs, and paved the way

for important discoveries. It is used worldwide and has multiple functions that are useful to

everyone. The bicycle is still widely used despite its long life.
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Verses

2 Chronicles 26:15 (NIRV)- In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns

that skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of

walls. They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones.
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Deuteronomy 17:14 (MSG)- In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns

that skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of

walls. They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones.

Psalm 9:14-16 (MSG)- In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns that

skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of walls.

They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones.

Deuteronomy 20:20 (NIRV)- But you can cut down trees that you know aren't fruit trees.

You can build war machines out of their wood. You can use them until you capture the city you

are fighting against.

2 Kings 25:1 (NIRV)- Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. He marched out against

Jerusalem. All of his armies went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It

was on the tenth day of the tenth month. Nebuchadnezzar set up camp outside the city. He

brought in war machines all around it.

Ezekiel 21:22 (NIRV)- "His right hand will pull out the arrow for Jerusalem. There he

will get huge logs ready to knock down its gates. He will give the command to kill its people. He

will sound the battle cry. He will build a ramp up to the city wall. He will bring in his war

machines.”

Works Cited

Morris, Neil. Children’s First Encyclopedia. New York, New York: Backpack Books and

Parragon, 2004

Zitzewitz, Elliott, Haase, Harper, Herzog, Nelson, Nelson, Schuler, Zorn. Physics: Principles and

Problems. :The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, 2005

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Scholastic Children’s Encyclopedia. New York, New York: Scholastic Inc. 2004

The Oxford American College Dictionary. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press Inc

Bible Gateway. 1996. Bible Gateway. 4-21-09. www.biblegateway.com

Bicycle. April 22, 2009. Wikipedia. 4-21-09. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle

Frames and Materials. Exploratorium in San Francisco. 4-21-09.

www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/frames1.html