Many of us have been familiar with bicycles since childhood. They are used to go to work and carry loads, set records and travel around the world. You can meet a cyclist 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 relatively recent invention is a good illustration of the technological progress of the last centuries and, to some extent, one of the engines of this progress. Outwardly simple, the bicycle has collected 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 are amazed by its elegant simplicity, behind which, if we look closely, we can see the fruits of the labor of many people. This book gives a short but vivid account of the history of the bicycle, its evolution, its impact on society, and the basic elements of its design.
The history of the bicycle is a story about the most advanced achievements of technology, about a revolution in minds and a change in the appearance of cities.
