FOR THE BICYCLE ENTHUSIASTS

IN THE 1880’S, THE SAFETY BICYCLE REPLACED THE

PENNY-FARTHING AS THE MOST POPULAR BIKE.

YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS WHY THE NEW BIKE

WAS CALLED A SAFETY BIKE JUST BY LOOKING AT IT.

THE FRONT WHEEL WAS NOWHERE NEAR AS

DANGEROUSLY HUGE.

THE REASON FOR THIS WAS THE DEVELOPMENT

OF THE CHAIN DRIVE. NOW THE BACK WHEEL COULD

PROVIDE POWER AND THE FRONT WHEEL COULD STEER.

BIKES HAVE CHANGED LITTLE OVER THE COURSE OF

THE LAST CENTURY ALTHOUGH BICYCLES ARE

NO LONGER CALLED "SAFETY-BICYCLES"

TODAY, SOME OF THE ONLY BICYCLES THAT DON'T

FOLLOW THE DIAMOND-FRAME, SAFETY-BIKE MODEL

ARE RECUMBENT BICYCLES THAT ALLOW THEIR

RIDERS TO RECLINE.

OF COURSE HAND BRAKES, GEARS, AND OTHER

LITTLE ADD-ONS WERE EVENTUALLY DEVELOPED.

ALL OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS LED TO THE BIGGEST

"BIKE BOOM" ON RECORD IN THE 1890’S

YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT ROADS WEREN'T

PAVED UNTIL CARS CAME AROUND? NOPE! ROADS

BEGAN TO BE PAVED BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS

RIDING SAFETY BICYCLES!

FIRST ORGANIZED DURING THIS BIKE BOOM IN 1903,

THE TOUR DE FRANCE HAS BEEN HELD EVERY YEAR

SINCE THEN EXCEPT FOR PAUSES DURING THE

WORLD WARS.