Who invented the bicycle, why do we sit on it from the left, what is the oldest race in the world and why do cyclists shave their legs? These and other interesting facts are in our article for the World Day of Cyclists.
According to the International Union of Cyclists, the number of people who at least occasionally use a bicycle exceeds one and a half billion. A bicycle is an important part of modern civilization.
History
The first bike appeared due to climate change. In April 1815, a volcano erupted in Indonesia. Because of this, the climate changed. In the northern hemisphere, the summer was very cold, agricultural crops did not bear fruit and the number of horses decreased. However, it was still necessary to move quickly in 1817and the German professor of engineering and mechanic Baron Karl von Dres presented his invention – two metal wheels without tires, a wooden frame, a steering wheel and a leather saddle. The bicycle did not have pedals at that time – the cyclist had to forcefully push off the surface with his soles.
It is noteworthy that the name of the German was not fixed in the name of this invention, but the famousrailcar – a platform for moving along rail tracks with mechanical traction.
Pedals the bicycle was acquired only in 1842. The pedal mechanism was attached to the rear wheel with thin rods.
The term “bicycle” appeared in 1861 in France. It was invented by the inventor Pierre Michy. The Frenchman wanted to find such a concept that would reflect the principle of action of two-wheeled transport with the simplest mechanical drive.
The first a round-the-world trip on a bicycle was carried out in 1884. It lasted more than three years and was extremely difficult, because it used a bicycle of an old design – with a huge front wheel and a tiny rear one. In addition, the wheels were iron, without tires.
“Bicycle” by Leonardo da Vinci. In 1974, a drawing of a two-wheeled car was found in the archives of the Catholic University of Milan on the reverse side of a sheet with a drawing by da Vinci himself. The idea of placing Leonardo at the origin of such a famous invention was very tempting for the Italians. The drawing was considered authentic and a copy of the scheme spread around the world. However, it soon became clear that it was a forgery. According to one version, Italian monks painted the frame and chain as a joke to the circles that Leonardo actually drew. According to another, the scheme was “supplemented” by Carlo Pedretti, a researcher at the University of California.
What do coins and bicycles have in common? One of the old bicycle models had different wheels – a huge front one and a small rear one. The ratio of their sizes was the same as that of the English penny and farthing coins. Bicycles of this design were called – penny farthing.
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Why do we ride a bicycle on the left? On the right is a chain that prevents landing. The tradition of placing it on this side probably came from horse riding. The fact is that the right to ride horses originally belonged exclusively to the nobility and warriors, that is, people who carried swords and swords. Weapons were mounted on the left side, so it was more convenient to mount a horse on the left side.
Society
A study of two hundred people, conducted by the University of Bristol, found that workers who receive physical activity before work or during a lunch break, perform larger volumes of work and at the same time spend less time on it. Such loads also affect motivation, work quality and increase resistance to stress. Therefore, cycling to work is a very good idea.
For example, in the Netherlands on this transport almost everyone drives. Every Dutch person drives an average of 2.5 km per day. In Amsterdam, you can easily see a minister or member of parliament hurrying to work on a bicycle. The royal family also rides bicycles. The title of the most cycling country can also be given to China. The ratio of bicycles to cars here is as high as 300 to 1.
Sport
In cycling there is lots of funny terms. For example, a “grouse” is a bicycle without a free wheel, and a ram is a classic model of a bicycle steering wheel. In races, there are “liquidators” – they do not allow rivals to go into a large gap – and “postmen”, who avoid active struggle and prefer to conduct the race passively. And the term “dancer” is applied to those who ride a bicycle while standing on the pedals.
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The oldest cycling competition. Liege – Bastogne – Liege, or “The Old Lady”, is a classic one-day race that was first run in 1882. It was organized by L’Expresse newspaper. At first, only amateurs took part in the race. After 12 years, the competition became professional. At the distance, athletes have to contend with long steep climbs, and part of the path is paved with cobblestones.
The most prestigious bicycle race is considered the Tour de France in the world. Its second name is “The Big Loop” because of the route the participants take. The Tour de France has been held since 1903 in the territory of France and the countries bordering it. Initially, the race was held as an advertising project for the newspaper L’Auto (formerly L’Équipe). Therefore, the winner’s T-shirt is yellow, like the pages of a newspaper. It is now the biggest cycling event and the third biggest in the sporting world. It is inferior only to the World Cup in football and the Olympic Games. The team race lasts 21 days and athletes are given another 2 days to rest. The winner of the Tour de France receives a cash prize, which, according to tradition, is divided equally among all team members.
Professional cycling is one of the most traumatic. This assessment was given by several global security research centers at once. The most frequent injuries are wounds and scratches received during a fall, but the cervical spine also suffers due to the need to look forward in a bent position. Serious cycling can negatively affect the condition of the joints, including elbow joints, cause compression neuropathy, muscle pathologies. Not to mention the risk of fractures and head injuries. Therefore, professional sports require special responsibility and control on the part of a qualified coach.
Men in professional cycling shave their legs. As the athletes themselves explain, this is done in order to promote the use of massage and accelerate the process of skin regeneration in case of scratches. But really, the most important aspect of shaving your legs is improving aerodynamics. The air flows better around the smooth skin and allows you to develop a higher speed. In the case of track racing, this has even been proven by measurements.
