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Bicycles

The bicycle was the first mode of human transportation to take advantage of the two-wheel principle. The earliest bicycles were invented prior to the invention of the automobile, and bicycles along with horse buggies were the two mainstays of private transportation during this time.

As an invention, the bicycle catalyzed a number of crucial, long-lasting impacts. It helped phase out the use of horses for transportation, and it improved mobility and accessibility by allowing people to move faster and further while expending less energy.

This new freedom was also important for women, who did not have many options of transportation available to them prior. 19th century feminists sometimes referred to the bicycle as a “freedom machine” for the new possibilities and the sense of liberation it afforded women.

Bicycles also served to create or enhance new kinds of industry. An industry in and of itself, bicycling also allowed for jobs such as the bicycle messenger, traveling seamstresses, and other jobs not previously available to come into existence.

Though initially available only to the upper classes, bicycles since World War II have been a vital form of transportation for those who can’t afford a car. In many ways, this continues in the present. Today’s city landscape is much more dense and populated than cityscapes of the previous century, and in many cases, a bike is all you need to make an entire city accessible.

Bicycles are also used recreationally, allowing people new access to mountains and other landscape. Here, too, bike technology has advanced a long way, and today’s mountain bikes can tackle almost any terrain.

As a hobby, sport and utility, bicycling has evolved a great deal from its early days. With the advent of modern technologies and computer-aided design, there now exist a multitude of specialized bicycle types.

Finally, several different sports have evolved from cycling, from straightforward bike racing to off road endurance challenges. Cycling is a sport that continues to gain relevance and popularity worldwide.

 

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