Bicycle innovations (was:Re: [CR]Bowden brakes)

(Example: Framebuilders:Cecil Behringer)

In-Reply-To: <a05111701b9302f53cd56@[10.0.1.2]>
References: <20020614181937.70206.qmail@web10902.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 20:12:10 -0700
To: Tom Dalton <tom_s_dalton@yahoo.com>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Brandon Ives" <monkeylad@mac.com>
Subject: Bicycle innovations (was:Re: [CR]Bowden brakes)


With a quick perusal of "Collecting and Restoring Antique Bicycles" by G. Donald Adams come through with some more answers to the questions asked. "In 1864, James Starley developed and important innovation, the tangent spoke wheel." (P. 41) It doesn't say anything about wire spokes being specifically invented for bicycles, so unless someone can give more specific reference I'll still say they came before. The real thing bikes have given to the world was the pneumatic tire. "(. . .) Irish veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop in 1888 created a hollow tire which is filled with air under pressure." (P. 141) In the next paragraph they discuss how Dunlop was influenced by Robert Thomson who created a pneumatic tire in 1845. Dunlop was the first person to see the future in an air cushioned tire and started to push them in the cycling world. Everyone can see where its taken us in 114 years. http://www.reynoldsusa.com/history/history.html lists a nice Reynolds history and seems to say they they came up with butted tubing for use with bicycles in 1895. There are plenty of other items that were invented for bicycles but these are the only ones that I know of that have uses outside of bicycles.

enjoy,
Brandon"monkeyman"Ives
Loving history in
Santa Barbara, Calif.