> > From: Tom Dalton <tom_s_dalton@yahoo.com>
>
> > "This thread reminds me of something I've been meaning to post to the list.
>> Unfortunately I'm not posting any useful information here, and this isn't
>> really a specific question. What I am wondering is this: How many of the
>> simple mechanical elements of other types of equipment were first used on
>> bikes. I don't know about any of these things for certain, and these are
>> just examples, but how about, ball bearings, roller chains, tensioned
>> spokes, pneumatic tires, drawn steel tubing, "Bowden" cables. Are there
>> others even more basic like the set screw, the threaded lockring etc?
>> Given when bikes developed in the "mechanical age" even things (processes)
>> like rolled threads may first have been used in building bikes. Does anyone
>> have any actual facts to back up my speculation? I'm hoping this will
>> promote some discussion of "old bikes" since we are sometimes accused of
> > ignoring this subject."
An anonymous AOLer guessed:
>Since the industrial revolution was well under way in Britain prior to the
>appearance of the bicycle, I would guess that certainly ball bearings, chain
>drives (but not roller chains), and drawn tubing were well known prior to the
>development of the bicycle. The pneumatic tire and tensioned spokes are an
>interesting question as I would think they would have first been developed
>either for bicycles or automobiles. Since bicycles preceded automobiles (but
>not by much) and certainly there would have been a need to improve over solid
>rubber tires, I would guess the pneumatic tire would have been first
>developed for bikes.
Pretty good for guesswork. Dr Dunlop is generally given credit for
the pneumatic tyre, for his son's tricycle.
>Same for tensioned spokes.
These are commonly attributed to Starley, but it's possible that they
were previously used in water wheels.
>Rolled threads strike me as
>something that would have superceeded cut threads only when the requirements
>of mass production created the need. Thus, I would guess there development is
>not related to the bicycle. Butted tubing is another interesting question one
>that could probably be answered by going to the Reynolds website.
Butted tubing was introduced around 1900, before the birth of the
aircraft industry.
>I would
>guess it was originally developed for bicycles, but a good argument could be
>made that butted tubing was originally developed for aircraft.
No it couldn't.
Sheldon "Facts, Not Guesses" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
+-------------------------------------------------+
| There is something fascinating about science. |
| One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture |
| out of such a trifling investment of fact. |
| --Mark Twain |
+-------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772, 617-244-1040, FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com
Useful articles about bicycles and cycling
http://sheldonbrown.com