The History of Bicycles

One thing that makes bicycles so special is that they represent not only the evolution of technology, but also the evolution of human skill. While much technology is created to make life simpler and easier, few inventions have managed to achieve that while simultaneously requiring it’s users to exercise their bodies and sharpen their senses of balance and coordination.

To truly appreciate this wonderful invention, let’s take a look back at how bicycles came to be. We’ll be covering the very first bicycle designs in history found so far all the way up to the modern era to give the most complete summary possible. Let’s get started.

Original Designs

The very first bicycles did not exist until a few hundred years ago, but there are several sketches found during the Renaissance period that resemble a device that looks like a bicycle.

Bicycles of Today

The earliest sketch on record comes from 1534 in Italy and is attributed to Gian Giacomo Caprotti, apprentice to the famous Leonardo da Vinci. However, physics professor and museum curator Hans-Erhard Lessing has decried these sketches as a hoax since 1998, but some learned people still hold onto their validity to this day, ultimately making it hard to determine what’s true.