A Pinoy Biker’s Philippine Rural Adventures

From: Brian Burridge
Did you know that the first “bicycle” was invented in 1818? It was a two wheeler, moved by pushing with the feet while sitting. Then in 1839, the first pedals were added, but the wheels were still made out of wood or iron, which made for a very uncomfortable ride. In the 1870s, spokes, steering, brakes and chains were added. Finally in 1888 rubber tires were added, and 40,000 bikes were sold in 1890. Five years later, over a million bicycles were being produced.

From: HomeBitWorks:
The bicycle was first introduced to British roads in 1888, but the rider had to ring a bell continuously to warn others of their approach.

From: Pause to Play:
Frenchman de Sivrac built the first bicycle-type vehicle in 1690 – a ‘hobbyhorse’. Pedals were added in 1839 by a Scottish blacksmith, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, who is credited with inventing the modern bicycle.”

From: BikeWebsite.com:
If you lined up all the mountain bikes in America, tire-to-tire, and then rode a bike along that line, it would take you 36 weeks, (riding 40 hours per week, 15 miles per hour) to get to the end of the line.

The longest tandem or “bicycle built for two” ever made was actually for thirty-five. It is almost 67 feet long and weighs about as much as a Volkswagen.

The smallest bicycle that an adult can ride has wheels made from silver dollars.

Steve McPeak built and rode a unicycle that was ten stories tall. The greatest skill was not in riding the machine, but in building it so that the chains would not fall off the sprockets.

At St. Helen’s School in Newbury, Ohio, unicycling is a mandatory subject. The students are allowed to ride their unicycles in the halls between classes. Collisions are surprisingly few.