BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES. 



a lamp fastened either to the head or the hub ; 

 a bell attached to the handle-bar ; a small bag 

 fastened along the perch just below the saddle, 

 for carrying baggage when touring ; a luggage- 

 carrier, consisting of a strong wire frame and 

 shawl-strap ingeniously fastened to the handle- 

 bar and the head ; a bugle ; a whistle ; and a 

 cyclometer for measuring the distance covered. 



One distinctively American feature of the 

 bicycle is the interchangeability of parts, all 

 being made by machinery, and so made as 

 nearly as possible with absolute accuracy. 



History. Baron von Drais constructed in 

 1816 a machine consisting of two wheels, one 

 before the other, connected by a bar. The for- 

 ward wheel was axled in a fork swiveled to 

 the fore-end of the bar, and bearing 

 handles to guide the machine. The 

 rider sat astride the bar, propelled 

 the contrivance by striking his feet 

 on the ground, and directed it by 

 means of the handles, by turning 

 the direction of the fore -wheel. 

 This machine was called the Drai- 

 siue. In 1818 the Draisine, with 

 some improvements, was introduced 

 into England, and the next year into 

 New York, Philadelphia, Boston, 

 and other places in this country, 

 and for a time it was very popular. 

 Treadles- were shortly afterward 

 added to velocipedes of more than 

 two wheels, and in 1863 a French- 

 man applied cranks to the fore- 

 wheel of the Draisine or " cele"ri- 

 fre," having previously observed 

 that at a certain rate of speed equi- 

 librium could be maintained with 

 it, by deflecting its course according 

 to its inclination. In 1866 Pierre 

 Lallement came to America, and, in 

 partnership with an American, took out a pa- 

 tent for this improved Draisine, or velocipede. 

 For two years no notice was taken of it, but in 

 1868 it suddenly became popular. Merchants, 

 mechanics, students, all classes of people, even 

 ladies, began to use it. Riding-schools and de- 

 pots of supply were opened in all the large 

 towns. The furor culminated in 1869, and two 

 years later the "bone-shaker," as it was popu- 

 larly called, was a thing of the past. 



The " bone-shaker " was the parent of the 

 modern bicycle. It had two wheels of nearly 

 equal size, made of wood with iron tires; the 

 saddle being placed midway between the 

 wheels. An Englishman enlarged the size of 

 the fore-wheel, and brought the saddle more 

 directly over it, and decreased the size of 

 the rear-wheel proportionally. Another Eng- 

 lishman invented the suspension - wheel, and 

 an American suggested the rubber tire. All 

 these improvements were made in 1868. The 

 first bicycle was imported from England into 

 this country in 1876, and was exhibited at 

 the Centennial Exposition. In 1877 the first 

 company for importing bicycles was estab- 



lished, and in 1878 the first American com- 

 pany for their manufacture was organized. 

 There are now half a dozen manufacturers, 

 twice as many importers, and hundreds of 

 dealers in all parts of the country. The num- 

 ber of machines annually sold is regularly in- 

 creasing, and in 1884 was estimated to be 

 about six thousand. The number in use in the 

 United States is not far from thirty thousand, 

 exclusive of boys' machines; the number in 

 use in Great Britain is between two and three 

 hundred thousand. A great drawback to their 

 use here is the poor condition of the roads, and 

 the main body of riders is confined to the large 

 towns and sections of the country where the 

 roads are naturally good. 



THE DRAISINE. 



Mechanics. The center of gravity of a bi- 

 cycle is above the point 'of support, hence it 

 is in unstable equilibrium. Equilibrium of an 

 unstable body may be maintained when the 

 center of gravity is in motion one way, by 

 moving the point of support the same way, or 

 by moving the center of gravity the opposite 

 way. Suppose, for instance, the machine to 

 incline a little to the rider's left, the center of 

 gravity moves from the perpendicular, and the 

 line of direction is outside to the left of the 

 point of support. Now let the rider throw his 

 weight upon the right handle or pedal, both 

 being to the right of the point of support it is 

 evident that he shifts the center of gravity 

 to the right, thereby restoring equilibrium ; or 

 let him pull on the left handle or push on the 

 right one, and the plane of evolution evidently 

 changes accordingly, the wheel is deflected to 

 the left, bringing the point of support under 

 the center of gravity, thereby restoring equi- 

 librium. By these two methods of balancing, 

 availed of consciously or unconsciously, to- 

 gether or separately, maintaining a compensa- 

 tory oscillation of the center of gravity over 



