Historical cycle development Based upon the principle of balanced travel.

. Began from the ideas of le Comte de Sivrac of Paris in 1791. It was called the celerifere. He placed wheels on a rocking horse, was foot propelled. Renamed to velocipede (dandy-horse) for marketing purposes. German, Baron Karl von Drais von Sauerbron in 1816 placed a steerable front wheel, armrest, a padded seat and a primitive rear wheel brake. Foot propelled He called it draisienne. In 1821, Lewis Compertz, designed rack & pinion system (a cog meshing with a toothed rack) so the arms could be used to assist the feet pushing along the ground. It was not close to perfect, but was a temporary improvement to the problem. Kirkpatrick Macmillan developed pedal power in 1839. It used a pair of hanging stirrup pedals, attached to long arms that connected to cranks on the rear wheel. Similar to locomotive drive Gearing was determined by the size of the reel wheel. However, it weighed 30 kg, reducing its mobility. Overall, faster and more power onto the ground In 1861, Ernest and Pierre Michaux proposed the idea of fitting cranks, with pedals on the ends, to the front wheel so that it could be pedalled. In 1867 Michaux opened a factory to produce these velocipede or boneshaker. It was the beginning of another form of transport with riding schools and competitions developed. In 1874, James Starley developed the side-saddle with one pedal for the ladies. Starley also invented the spoke, radiating at an angle from the wheel hub. Since the speed of the bicycle was slow compared to other forms of travel, it was the major factor in new designs. The only advantage before gears were increasing wheel diameter. Sizes went up to 1.52 m in diameter. This would give you the largest distance for one rotation. They were called Old ordinary or Penny Farthing. However, it was very unstable and was dangerous, as breaking hard would throw the rider forward. Descending down a hill would cause the pedals to spin wildly. Footrests were later installed. They cost an average worker six month's pay, which was not very cheap, hand made. James Starley in 1880 designed the chain-driven bike, but the Rover safety bicycle was not developed until 1885. It brought about crucial design elements of the bicycle: geared chain drive, wheels of equal size, direct steering, inclined forks, & diamond-shaped frame. Harry J. Lawson patented Crocodile safety bicycle in 1876 with rear wheel drive. In 1888 at Belfast, John Boyd Dunlop invented the pneumatic cycle tyre. Prior to this, they used solid rubber tyres. This made the ride more comfortable, thus, can travel faster. This also cut down on manufacturing methods as it improved.

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In the 1880s and 90s saw the mass production of bicycles. They were being assembled using 300 separate components, manufactured by specialist firms. The cycle industry literally paved the way for the automobile industry by creating paved roads for bicycles. 1900s saw the modifications to frame angles and use of different alloys to reduce weight. 1960s saw the use of high strength, lightweight aluminium alloy frames as well as new gearing systems.

Recumbent bicycles SWB Short wheelbase. Pedals are in front of the front wheel. Manoeuvrable at low speeds. However, tend to be bumpier as distance between the two wheels is small. LWB Long wheelbase. Pedals are behind the front wheel. Superb performance, excellent stability and comfort. Harder to balance and cant take fast corners. Recumbent tricycles High centre of gravity, tend to roll over. Delta One wheel at front, two at back Tadpole Two wheels at front, on at back. Low in aerodynamics Car development Ford Model T (1908-1927): first mass-produced car on production line. 4 cylinders, 2.9 litre unit with one-piece block. Top: 64 km/h. Austin 7 (1922-1939): Small, 696cc then 747cc engine. 70-80 km/h. Volkswagen Beetle (1938-1980): Peoples car of Hitler. Reliable but noisy, aircooled motor. Most popular car sold. Citroen DS19 (1955-1975): Released 1955, aerodynamic, hydro-pneumatic suspension BMC Mini (1959-2000): Designed by Alec Issigonis placed motor across the car. Very compact gearbox/motor unit. Motor mounted transversely. The 1100 1800 used Hydrolastic systems for superior handling. Mercedes-Benz A Class (1998-): sandwich floor and transverse engine. High, so it rolled over. Had to be fixed immediately through suspension and tyres. Hybrid cars: Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. Engines drive an alternator, which charges batteries. Electricity drives electric motor. Less pollution and runs engine when need to. Reverse motor to become generator when braking (regenerative braking). Fuel-efficient.

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Train Development Steam train 19th century alternative to horse and cart http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blbicycle.htm

All notes based on: P.L. Copeland, Engineering Studies, The Definitive Guide, Anno Domini, Allawah NSW 2001

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