Bikes as we know them are not just some fun practical way to get around, no bikes are a in-expensive way to travel. Bikes are becoming more and more of an cultural obscurity. In today’s time of cheap cars, scooters, and even the new segways the future of the bike is looking more and more bleak. This is a rather unpropitious turn of events, the bicycle was one of the first modern breakthroughs in transportation! We owe many of the ways we travel today to the invention of the bicycle.

Now don’t get me wrong just because bikes are losing some steam does not mean that bikes are still not out there. Bikes are starting to raise in popularity again, just in different areas. So how did bikes go from nothing to the modern road, mountain, and comfort bikes of today? Well lets begin with how bikes started. Bicycles started during the 19th century during a time when inventors everywhere were constructing self-powered machines. One of these inventions made in 1839 by Kirkpatrick Macmillan took a design of a invention called a “draisines” and added a handle to the front wheel to allow for control over the device. This was the first modern step towards the bicycle. Years later it was discovered that if the front wheel was increased in diameter one could attach pedals to it to allow for easier self propelled movement. However in 1885 a man by the name of, J.K. Starley helped to fix some of the “boneshaker’s” key problems. He once again changed the diameter of the front wheel but this time had it reduced. Along with this he also attached a chain to the wheel allowing the pedals to be placed further back so that the rider could sit back along the frame more. This helped make the bike more balanced and easier to ride on.

As years passed more inventions occurred to the bicycle, things such as physics were taken into account. Finally the trend to use the modern bicycle, “bikes” began to catch on. Urban centers all around the globe started to use bikes as a way of cheap transportation, these bikes were among some of the first “comfort bikes.” These trends became really clear in the late 50s when a bike was a common site in the culture of the era. Besides the comfort bikes in the 50s for the first time the modern road bike was seen. People started to cruise the nation on the back seat of these speedy, lightweight bikes. One of the last key stages of the bike came around in the 80s, the mountain bike now allowed bikers to go “off-roading.” This took the concept of the bike to a whole new level we now had unique possibilities for all types of bikes. Comfort bikes for just riding, road bikes for long distance riding, and now mountain bikes for intense off-roading. Yes the bicycle has came a long way from it’s humble beginnings.  Lets hope the in the future their will be even more breakthroughs for the bike as we know it.