The account of cycling includes many innovations that failed to achieve pop or commercial-grade succeeder . The reasons for failure are many and various . But sometimes , even the wackiest - reckon designs incorporated interesting idea . Here ’s a choice of those conception — most of which have at least one redeeming feature .
This excerpt was accommodate by Tony Hadland and Hans - Erhard Lessing , the authors ofBicycle Design : An Illustrated History , now available from The MIT Press .
A folding small-wheeler for the military (1909)
The Dutch manufacturer Fongers supplied bikes to the Netherlands ’ United States Army and proudly have soldier on its adverts and posters . Its epitome for a military humble - wheeled leaflet was more succinct than its contender , but the wheels were too little for rough terrain . However , for metropolis usage , small wheel cultivate well — and this was an early precursor of the belittled - wheeled folders such asDahonandBromptonthat are commonplace today .
Aerodynamic racing machine (1913)
call the Vélo Torpille ( Torpedo Bike ) , this Zeppelin - like aerodynamic fairing was designed by applied scientist Étienne Bunau - Varilla . In 1913 , it enable Gallic race driver Marcel Berthet to set a new world record by finish 5 kilometers on Paris ’s Vel ’ d’Hiv track in 5 minutes and 39.3 seconds , an mediocre speed of about 33 mi per minute . The race - govern eubstance immediately banned the design for giving an “ unfair vantage . ”
Lever-drive recumbent bicycle (1923)
Recombinant bicycles eventually caught clench , but not before some odd designs were trot out . In 1923 , Austrian - born Zeppelin applied scientist Paul Jaray rethought the cycle for less atmosphere resistance and easier pedaling . His “ J - bike ” had a accumbent riding side for reduced airwave pull . It also boast swinging pedal lever with three pairs of footrest for varying the leveraging , acting like a gearbox without cogs . Two thousand simple machine were sold before a lethal accident stopped sales .
Bicycle with weather protection (1959)
Introduced at a prison term when Brits were deserting their bikes for the comfort of the car , the Elswick - Hopper Scoo - ped was inspired by 1950s Italian motor ice yacht . Designer Maurice Moss pitched the machine at masses who did n’t normally tantalise bike for fear of getting their wearing apparel wet and dirty . The shabu reenforce polyester cladding was fitted to a established steel frame and incorporated scooter - alike branch guards . But the public was n’t convinced — and only three - XII Scoo - peds were made .
Bicycle-scooter hybrid for the urbanite (1978)
Cycling metropolis dwellers do n’t necessarily need to race around spiffed up like spandex warrior when they ’re just going shopping . This paradigm for the Fahrroller , patented by German Georg Ruffer , permits you to shoot where cycling is forbidden — like the pavement — while also wearing fashionable threads . As an added incentive , the platform can carry a crate of beer or a buddy . Whilecargo bike for metropolis task are popular , Ruffer ’s bike - scooter hybrid invention never got past the planning stages . But it did n’t cash in one’s chips altogether , either : French designer Philippe Starck adopteda similar approachfor Bordeaux ’s Modern public wheel renting scheme .
The lightweight plastic bicycle (1982)
The Itera was design at considerable disbursal by a squad at Volvo . specify as a low - maintenance machine for commuters , the plastic bike had a unisex physical body made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene , with wheels shape from glass - filled polyamide . That ’s an impressive use of material , but it turn out that floppy plastic is n’t the beneficial for motorcycle conception : The Itera frame ’s lack of rigidity sapped rider vigour and the handlebars tended to snap . After launching to a huge publicity push , 30,000 of the ill-fated cycles were sold before Volvo ditch the blueprint . It has n’t stopped othersfrom dream of a bike made of space age plastics .
A front-cranked shapeshifter (1984)
Australian company Acrow construct a hundred prototypes of this commuter - friendly semi - accumbent design patent by Paul Cockburn . The transmission ( comprising two - swiftness gear , screwball and pedals ) was build into the front bicycle . This allow the rear part to be well trade for a shopping basket on two wheels , create a capacious shopping trike . The long sloping seat did away with the need for line up the saddle peak – the rider just sit nigher or further from the pedals , to suit leg duration .
Adapted fromBicycle Design : An Illustrated History . Tony Hadland is the author of Raleigh : Past and Presence of an Iconic Bicycle Brand and other book . Hans - Erhard Lessing is a former prof of physics at the University of Ulm and past curator at the Technoseum Mannheim and ZKM Karlsruhe .
Image credits : 1 . ingathering of RHC Groninger Archieven ) 2 . Arnfried Schmitz 3 . Graziella Pellicci 4 . Nigel Land 5 . Wolfgang Siol 5.Lars Samelsson 6 . Jeremy Garnet . All courtesy of The MIT Press .
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