Bicycle History

Evolution of the Bicycle

The Ordinary bicycle, with its large front wheel, spread around the world.

Ariel	1870
	The first model to define the features of the ordinary bicycle.
	At a bicycle factory in Conventry, England, James Starley along with William Hillman designed the Ariel, an ordinary bicycle prototype that employed ribbon wheels which produced a patent for tension spokes. The Ariel is said to have been named after a so-called "tricksy spirit" appearing in one Shakespeare's works. This bicycle, a first with its all-metal construction, was even lighter than its predecessors, and it was the world's first model to employ a center steering head which is still used today in modern-day bicycles. Thanks to its adjustable crank and a number of other epoch-making new mechanisms, the Ariel racked up record speeds of between 23 and 24 km/h.
Salvo	1876
	The appearance of an easy-to-ride tricycle.
	The first tricycle mass-produced by Coventry Lever, it was equipped with a Lever gear built by James Starley. The three-wheeled Salvo built by Starley, incorporated innovations such as a lighter frame, spoke wheels, and a highly advanced chain drive. It also placed emphasis on performance. In particular, the use of a balance gear or double-drive gear enabled smoother turning on curves because the outer wheel in respect to the curve was able to spin faster than the inner wheel. It was also equipped with a lamp for nighttime rides, and became a popular vehicle because it was more convenient and accessible than a horse carriage.
Kangaroo	1878
	Ordinary bicycle employing the first gear system and having a smaller rear wheel.
	The Kangaroo, with the world's first gear system, added brakes to the ordinary cycle which had become more and more dangerous due to the increasing diameter of the front wheel for riding at faster speeds. Patented by Otto and Wallace, this model had independent right and left chainwheels driven by their own chains, enabling fast speeds even with a smaller front wheel.
Bayliss Thomas	1879
	The Bayliss Thomas was the climax of ordinary bicycle beauty and was the most complete model to date.
	The Bayliss Thomas actively incorporated a variety of new technologies to provide a more comfortable ride and achieve faster speeds. With this model, the once solid steel frame was replaced by hollow tubing including the front fork. This ordinary employed plain bearings in the wheel axles and achieved a weight of only 22 kg with the use of radial spokes, rubber pedals, and other light-weight innovations.

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