A Brief History of Bikes: From Wooden Wheels to Electric Power

The bicycle is one of the most popular human-powered vehicles ever created, and its story stretches back more than 200 years. What started as a strange wooden contraption without pedals has evolved into the sleek road bikes, rugged mountain bikes, and high-tech electric bicycles we ride today. The history of how we got here is packed with wild designs, unexpected inventors, and innovations that changed the way people move around the world.

The history of the bicycle begins in 1817 with a German inventor named Karl von Drais. He created a two-wheeled, human-powered vehicle called the "Laufmaschine" (running machine), which quickly became known as the dandy horse or hobby horse.

This early bicycle had a wooden frame, wooden wheels, and no pedals. Riders sat on a leather saddle and pushed themselves along with their feet, like a giant kick scooter. It was designed as an alternative to the horse-drawn carriage, and it actually worked pretty well on smooth roads.

The dandy horse was a hit among wealthy Europeans for a short time, but local governments started banning it from sidewalks after too many pedestrian collisions. Still, it planted the seed for everything that came after.

The next big leap came in the 1860s when French inventors Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallement attached pedals directly to the front wheel of a two-wheeled vehicle. This creation, often called the velocipede or "boneshaker," earned its nickname honestly. The combination of a rigid wooden or metal frame and iron-banded wheels made for an incredibly rough ride on cobblestone streets.

Despite the spine-rattling experience, the boneshaker caught on. Bicycle clubs started forming across Europe, and people began to see cycling as both transportation and recreation. The late 1860s saw a surge in interest that would set the stage for some truly wild bicycle design experiments.

If you've ever seen an old-timey bicycle with a giant front wheel and a tiny rear wheel, you've seen a penny farthing (also called a high wheeler). This distinctive bicycle design dominated the 1870s and 1880s.

Why the enormous front wheel? Simple: a bigger wheel means more ground covered per pedal rotation. Since the pedals were attached directly to the front wheel, making it larger was the only way to go faster. Some penny farthings had front wheels over five feet in diameter.

The downside? These things were dangerous. The rider sat high above the ground, and hitting a rock or pothole could send you flying headfirst over the handlebars—a move called "taking a header." The penny farthing was exciting, but it definitely wasn't for everyone.

The modern bicycle as we know it really started with the safety bicycle, which appeared in the 1880s. British inventor John Kemp Starley is widely credited with popularizing this design with his 1885 Rover Safety Bicycle.

The safety bicycle introduced some game-changing features:

• Two wheels of equal size

• A chain drive connecting the pedals to the rear wheel

• A diamond-shaped frame made of steel tubing

• A much lower center of gravity

For the first time, cycling was accessible and relatively safe for everyone, including women, who had been largely excluded from the penny farthing era. The safety bicycle sparked a massive cycling boom in the United States and Europe during the late 1800s, changing transportation, recreation, and even social norms.

The safety bicycle got even better when John Boyd Dunlop introduced the pneumatic tire in 1888. Replacing solid rubber tires with air-filled ones made for a dramatically smoother ride and better traction.

Other innovations from the late 1800s and early 1900s that shaped the modern bicycle:

• Ball bearings – Reduced friction in wheel hubs and the bottom bracket

• Derailleur gears – Allowed riders to shift between multiple gear ratios

• Freewheel mechanism – Let riders coast without pedaling

• Improved braking systems – Made stopping safer and more reliable

By the early 1900s, the basic bicycle design was largely set. The machines looked and functioned remarkably similar to what you'd find in a bike shop today.

The bicycle world exploded with specialization in the second half of the 20th century.

In the 1970s, riders in Marin County, California, started modifying cruiser bikes with wider tires and better brakes to ride down mountain trails. The mountain bike was born, and it would become one of the most popular bicycle categories in the world.

Meanwhile, road cycling continued to evolve with lighter materials and better components. Metal frames gave way to aluminum and eventually carbon fiber, shaving pounds off race bikes. Rear derailleur systems became more precise, and bicycle frames were engineered with aerodynamics and rider comfort in mind.

Other specialized bikes emerged during this period, too:

• The hybrid bicycle for riders who wanted versatility

• The cargo bike for hauling gear and groceries

• The assault bike for gym-goers looking for a full-body workout

The most recent major chapter in bicycle history belongs to the electric bike. While the concept of adding an electric motor to a bicycle dates back to the 1890s, it wasn't until the development of lightweight lithium-ion batteries in the late 1990s and 2000s that electric bicycles became practical for everyday use.

Modern e-bikes use a small electric motor to assist pedaling, making hills easier and extending the range of what riders can comfortably cover. They've opened up cycling to people who might not otherwise ride due to fitness levels, age, or challenging terrain. Today, e-bikes are one of the fastest-growing segments of the cycling market worldwide.

From the wooden wheels of the dandy horse to the lithium-ion batteries powering today's e-bikes, the bicycle has come a long way in just over 200 years. What started as a quirky alternative to the horse-drawn carriage has become a global icon of transportation, fitness, and fun. And honestly, the fact that the basic concept (two wheels, human power, and forward momentum) has stayed the same for over a century says a lot about how good the idea was in the first place.

At 1UP USA, we're passionate about cycling in all its forms. Whether you ride a carbon fiber road bike, a fully loaded mountain bike, or a modern electric bicycle, getting your ride to the trail safely matters. That's why we build our bike racks right here in the USA from quality aluminum, with every single part replaceable by you. No cheap plastic, no corners cut. You invested in a great bike; Make sure you're transporting it on a rack that's built to the same standard.

Check out our full lineup of bike racks and find the perfect fit for your vehicle and riding style!