Bicycle
hideA bicycle, bike, or cycle is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist or a bicyclist.
Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number about one billion worldwide, twice as many as automobiles. They are the principal means of transportation in many regions. They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for such uses as children's toys, adult fitness, military and police applications, courier services, and competitive sports.
The basic shape and configuration of a typical bicycle has changed little since the first chain-driven model was developed around 1885. Many details have been improved, especially since the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design. These have allowed for a proliferation of specialized designs for particular types of cycling.
The invention of the bicycle has had an enormous impact on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing modern industrial usage. Several components that eventually played a key role in the development of the automobile were originally invented for the bicycle - e.g., ball bearings, pneumatic tires, chain-driven sprockets, spoke-tensioned wheels, etc.
For more information about Bicycle, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with bicycle
Biking 2.0: MIT's big wheel in Copenhagen (w/ Video)
Dec 16, 2009 |
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Yesterday, Dec. 15, at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, MIT researchers debuted the Copenhagen Wheel -- a revolutionary new bicycle wheel that not only boosts power, but can keep track of friends, ...
High tech for bicycles
Oct 21, 2009 |
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Carbon fiber composite materials (CFRPs) not only make cars and airplanes lightweight but also benefit the light weight constructions for valuable bicycle concepts. At the Composites Europe trade show in Stuttgart, ...
Gyrowheel to keep new bike riders upright (w/ Video)
Oct 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new device called the Gyrowheel could soon revolutionize the way children learn to ride bicycles, and they will be able to learn on their own, without training wheels, and in as little as ...
Can PUMA Really Transform Urban Transportation?
Apr 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- With a June 1 deadline for settling its differences with creditors and unions looming for GM, the American automaker unveiled a joint project with Segway.
Exercise intensity and duration linked to improved outcomes for heart failure patients
Mar 30, 2009 |
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The level of exercise is linked with the reduction of hospitalization and death in patients with chronic heart failure, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
Spin cycle: a new kind of washer (Video)
Feb 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In many developing countries, electricity is unreliable or unavailable and water must be carried by hand, so conventional modern washing machines are not an option. Washing clothes can take ...
The auto change bicycle
Jan 13, 2009 |
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Researchers in Taiwan are designing a computer for pedal cyclists that tells them when to change gear to optimize the power they develop while maintaining comfort. The system is described in the latest issue of the International Jo ...
State bicycle survey reveals danger concerns, cycling perceptions
Dec 15, 2008 |
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Bicyclists in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are more concerned with being involved in vehicle crashes compared to bicyclists in other Texas cities, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Transportation ...
Engineers design self-stabilizing electric bicycle
Nov 04, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- As every five-year-old knows, balancing on a bicycle is not as easy as it looks. But, as engineers know, getting a bicycle to balance by itself – without a human riding it – is even more difficult.
No-nose bicycle saddles improve penile sensation and erectile function in bicycling police officers
Aug 08, 2008 |
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An innovative study appearing in the August issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine examined, for the first time, if noseless bicycle saddles would be an effective intervention for alleviating deleterious health effects, erecti ...
