Home and history
The earliest descendant of the bicycle hales from 1818 where German Baron Karl Von Drais invented  the Draisines also known as the hobby horse. This basic bike had 2 wheels was made from wood and had no form of propulsion other then your feet pushing off from the floor.

The start of the well known Penny Farthing bicycle came about with the Velocipede in the 1860s which had the peddles attached to the front wheel. The pursuit of greater distances with less effort resulted in the addition of larger and larger front wheels resulting in the iconic bicycle, the Penny Farthing.

On into the 1880s and major leaps in bicycle technology come to light with the ‘Safety Bicycle’ designed by John Kemp Starley. This was the first bike with the rear wheel driven via chain and gearing which improved steering by removing the riders legs from the front wheel. Other great leaps in design in the 1800s include the pneumatic tyre and the double triangle or diamond bike frame design.

The 20th century saw the bicycle boom with prices dropping enabling the working class to use them for transportation and pleasure. New innovations included derailleurs, quick release wheels, folding bikes, suspension systems, index gear shifting and the use of stronger, lighter alloys in frame and bike components.

The mid to late century saw bikes become specialized for their use with the introduction of BMX and mountain biking.