Here are some fun facts I bet you didn't know about bicycles:
- In 1817, Karl von Drais, a German baron, invented a horseless carriage that would help him get around faster. The two-wheeled, pedal-less device was propelled by pushing your feet against the ground, The machine became known as the “draisine,” and led to the creation of the modern-day bicycle.
- The term “bicycle” was not introduced until the 1860s, when it was coined in France to describe a new kind of two-wheeler with a mechanical drive. Before that they were typically called ‘velocipedes’
- About 100 million bicycles are manufactured worldwide each year more than double the amount of cars.
- The Tour de France is one of the most famous bicycle races in the world. Established in 1903, it is considered to be the biggest test of endurance out of all sports. Held over three weeks, the annually changing route goes through the Pyrenees and Alps before finishing in Paris.
- Cycling three hours or 30 kilometers per week halves your risk of heart disease and strokes.
- To get efficient use of their pedaling, cyclists use a high gear when going downhill, a medium gear on flat surfaces and a low gear when going uphill.
- Want to look ten years younger? Cycle regularly. If you cycle on a daily basis, you’ll be as fit as a person ten years your junior.
- A lot of famous motor engineers, including Henry Ford and the Wright brothers, kicked off their remarkable careers by producing bicycles.
- The fastest anybody has ever gone on a bicycle is 152.2 miles per hour. This record was set by American Olympic Cyclist John Howard in 1985.
- The Netherlands has more bicycle users than any other country with about 99% of the population owning and travelling by bicycle.
- On a bicycle you can travel 3 times faster than you can walk, for the same amount of energy.
Live your life like it's golden,
Kabi
