Tag: Chain

The bicycle was introduced in the 19th century in Europe by German Inventor Karl von Drais. He is credited with developing the first bicycle. He introduced it to the people in Paris in 1818. It is supposed to originate from the human-powered vehicle called Draisines. Drais invented a walking machine that would help him get around the royal gardens faster. It was known by many names, including the “velocipede,” “dandy horse,” “hobby-horse,” “draisine” and “running machine. It had no pedals and its frame was a wooden beam. It had two same-size in-line wheels with the front one steerable and mounted in a frame which was straddled. In 1839, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish blacksmith, allegedly completed construction of a pedal driven…

Bicycle engineering methods pioneered in the nineteenth century are still used to this day. The double diamond frame is the best example. Pneumatic tyres are another. Close behind is the chain drive system of propulsion. The belt-drive system is an alternative which offers both mechanical and practical differences which may be more suitable for the 21st century pedaler. What is a Belt Drive? The belt drive is a replacement for the traditional chain drive system. A one-piece unit made of synthetic materials, reinforced with carbon fibre with equally spaced teeth, rotates around a ring at the crank and a single sprocket at the rear wheel.  Propulsion comes via rotating the cranks forward as usual. The tension required is picked up…