Many of us have been familiar with bicycles since childhood. We commute to work, haul goods, set records, and travel around the world on them. You can see cyclists practically everywhere. In some countries, there are more bicycles than people. It's so commonplace that we rarely think about how and when it was invented. Yet, this relatively recent invention is a good illustration of the technological progress of recent centuries and, to some extent, one of the drivers of this progress. While seemingly simple, the bicycle embodies the most advanced technological advances—from vulcanized rubber and ball bearings to carbon fiber and computer-aided aerodynamic modeling.
Every time we look at a bicycle, we admire its elegant simplicity, which, if you look closely, reveals the fruits of the labor of countless people. This book offers a brief but vivid account of the bicycle's history, its evolution, its impact on society, and the fundamental elements of its design.
The history of the bicycle is a story of the most advanced technological achievements, a revolution in minds and a change in the appearance of cities.
