Bicycle Report

Mozaffari 1 Chrissa Mozaffari Mrs. Olaya Physics Period 4 4 May, 2009 La Storia di la Bicicletta A bicycle, or a bike, is well known to people throughout the world. It uses benefit multitudes and its invention paved the way for future innovations. According to the Oxford American College Dictionary, a bicycle is a “vehicle composed of two wheels held in a frame, one behind the other, propelled by pedals and steered with handlebars attached to the front wheel.” The idea of such a vehicle was first imagined by Leonardo da Vinci. His 1490s drawing of a bicycle with a chain was very much ahead of its time. A little less than four hundred years later, in the 1810s (post war), the first bicycle was invented. The Laufmaschinewas unveiled in Mannheim in 1817 and in Paris in 1818. German Baron Karl von Drais’s Laufmaschineis regarded as the archetype of the modern bicycle. This first bike was sat upon much like a modern bike, but was propelled by the rider’s feet walking on the floor. There were no pedals on this first bike. In 1820, the dandy horse was next presented to the world. However, it wasn’t until forty years later that the next major step in bicycle development was implemented. Inearly 1860, M. Pierre Michaux and M. Pierre Lallement of France added a pedal to the bicycle. Their bicycle is the image that comes to many people’s mindswhen an old bike is imagined. Their bicycle was comprised of a large front wheel with pedals attached directly to the hub and a very small rear wheel. Named after the largest and the smallest British coins of the time, this French bike became known as the penny-farthing.

Mozaffari 2 In 1885, three men ushered the next bicycle into the spotlight. JK Starley, JH Lawson, and a Mr. Shergold worked together to create the first chain driven bicycle, the dwarf saftie, named for its lowered height from the penny farthing and thus decrease in the possibility of falling. After this bicycle model, additions were quickly coming. In 1888, pneumatic tires were exchanged in place of wooden tires and in 1889 coster brakes were added to the bike. Throughout the years, the bicycle was remodeled multiple times until it evolved into the bicycles we ride today. Bicycles were introduced into a world where travel took place in the form of horses and walking. Single riders would ridehorses while many families possessed cart horses and carts. Those unfortunate enough to not own a horse had to walk. The new bicycles offered an alternative to walking and horse dependency. While the first bicycles were not very effective for anything other than moving objects, as bicycles evolved, their efficiency increased dramatically. Today’s bicycles are the most efficient, self powered machine available. Up to 99% of the energy put into the bicycle is transmitted to the wheels. At speeds of ten to fifteen miles per hour, the amount of energy used to propel the bike forward is equal to the energy expelled while walking. That is about three times as efficient as walking. Today’s bicycles take many forms. There are utility bicycles, mountain bikes, racing bicycles, touring bicycles, hybrid bicycles, cruiser bicycles, and BMX bicycles, just to name a few. The easy use of the bicycle makes these many models useful around the world. In many regions, the bicycle is the principal means of transportation. In Europe, the main mode of transportation is the bicycle. In countries throughout Europe, there are even Bike Sharing programs implemented throughout the country.

Mozaffari 3 Apart from transportation, bicycles have many other uses. They are often used as recreation objects, children’s toys, and adult fitness tools. While these uses are the most common uses to American, bicycles are also used in the military, the police, for courier services, commuting, mail delivery, and paramedic transportation. Most bicycles, no matter what they are used for are comprised of the same materials. Frames are made from celluloid, aluminum alloys, carbon fiber, titanium, steel alloys, and in some circumstances, even bamboo. These materials are quite a large step up from the primary materials of heavy cast iron and wood. The seats of many bicycles are made of foam and a covering such as leather or polyester. Rubber is also used in tires, replacing original wood tires and cushioning the ride. While these vehicles seem to be very simply made, they have had a large impact on history. Bicycles were the first object to be made using mass production, a concept soon copied by Ford and his Model T’s. Bicycle companies were also the first to use the annual model change, something often credited to General Motors. Inventors such as the Wright Brothers and companies such as Rover’s Company, Morris Motor Company, and Ailsa Craig all started in the bicycle business. While it seems that the bicycle’s largest impart was on future businesses and inventions, bikes also had a large impact on daily life. Bicycles led to many things. As bicycles became more popular, advertizing skyrocketed, something car companies would later copy. At the same time, narrow wheels aided in the lobbying for smoother, better roads. The jobs created by the bicycle are unbelievable. Bicycle messengers and traveling seamstresses soon had a relatively cheap, maintenance free mode of transportation. New businesses also sprung up such as riding academies, racing rinks, and bicycle accessories stores.

Mozaffari 4 Bicycles also aided Women’s Emancipation in the 19thCentury. The diamond framed safety bike gave greater freedom and mobility to woman in western countries. As this came about, the bicycle came to symbolize the New Women in America and Britain and the bicycle became known as the Freedom Machine. Even Susan B. Anthony is quoted as saying, “I think [the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women more than anything else in the world.” The Bicycle Craze was also instrumental in freeing women from restrictive garments such as corsets and ankle length skirts and replacing them with bloomers. Now on to the, as you might say, mechanics of the bicycle. The bicycle is a very cost effective machine. The work expended from the bicycle is much greater than the work put in. The amount of energy used to walk can propel a bicycle at ten to fifteen miles per hour. While the mechanical advantage would be very helpful in describing the machine, the mechanical advantage varies on the structure of the bike, the gear the rider is in, the size of the bicycle, the size of the wheel, the length of the rider’s legs, and the terrain. In an attempt to explain the bicycle’s mechanical advantage, I found the greatest ideal mechanical advantage and the least ideal mechanical advantage. When the front gear is smallest and the front gear is at its largest, the ideal mechanical advantage is greatest, as .7903225806. The lowest ideal mechanical advantage occurs when the rear gear is smallest and the front gear is largest and is equal to .1585449554. The bicycle is an amazing machine that has had much impact on the world and the people in it. It has influenced main companies, emancipated women, created jobs, and paved the way for important discoveries. It is used worldwide and has multiple functions that are useful to everyone. The bicycle is still widely used despite its long life.

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Verses 2 Chronicles 26:15 (NIRV)- In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns that skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of walls. They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones.

Mozaffari 6 Deuteronomy 17:14 (MSG)- In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns that skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of walls. They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones. Psalm 9:14-16 (MSG)- In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns that skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of walls. They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones. Deuteronomy 20:20 (NIRV)- But you can cut down trees that you know aren't fruit trees. You can build war machines out of their wood. You can use them until you capture the city you are fighting against. 2 Kings 25:1 (NIRV)- Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. He marched out against Jerusalem. All of his armies went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. Nebuchadnezzar set up camp outside the city. He brought in war machines all around it. Ezekiel 21:22 (NIRV)- "His right hand will pull out the arrow for Jerusalem. There he will get huge logs ready to knock down its gates. He will give the command to kill its people. He will sound the battle cry. He will build a ramp up to the city wall. He will bring in his war machines.”

Works Cited Morris, Neil. Children’s First Encyclopedia. New York, New York: Backpack Books and Parragon, 2004 Zitzewitz, Elliott, Haase, Harper, Herzog, Nelson, Nelson, Schuler, Zorn. Physics: Principles and Problems. :The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, 2005

Mozaffari 7 Scholastic Children’s Encyclopedia. New York, New York: Scholastic Inc. 2004 The Oxford American College Dictionary. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press Inc Bible Gateway. 1996. Bible Gateway. 4-21-09. www.biblegateway.com Bicycle. April 22, 2009. Wikipedia. 4-21-09. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle Frames and Materials. Exploratorium in San Francisco. 4-21-09. www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/frames1.html