A Brief History of Bicycle Engineering

This video explores some of the challenges in designing early bicycles and how concepts such as wheel circumferences, gear ratios, and torque were used to solve problems.
I feel that the engineering of bicycles is a great way to connect some basic mathematical ideas into mechanical problem solving. Playing with properties of circles and ratios as a way to make a bike move faster builds a context to bring these geometric ideas into something physical and creative.
The story also shows how creativity and engineering don't follow a linear path. Seeing novel solutions, failed experiments, and missed opportunities give us a great framework to inspire us and guide us through new problems.

Пікірлер: 105

  • @jhtprojects4431
    @jhtprojects44318 ай бұрын

    Excellent explanation. Thank you. Someone wrote "If your bike has a derailleur, then you can thank randonneurs." Those early cyclotourists and brevet riders lobbied for Years to convince the regulators to allow derailleurs in racing. The Technical Trials of the 1930s gradually developed lighter, better performing, more reliable components. One thing in the video: the sound of a coasting hub is at the point where the rider is pedaling.

  • @BHALT0S
    @BHALT0S8 ай бұрын

    i once read, the bicycle is amazing, in that the engine, the passenger and the driver as one person all contribute to its motion.

  • @Coastal_Cruzer

    @Coastal_Cruzer

    7 ай бұрын

    Yep

  • @xopurp
    @xopurp6 ай бұрын

    it’s insane this doesn’t have at least a million views, extremelyyyy well done !!!

  • @dontfearthereaper2887
    @dontfearthereaper28877 ай бұрын

    Greatest transportation machine ever invented

  • @jun-yuncharliegreen8743
    @jun-yuncharliegreen8743 Жыл бұрын

    Really good video! Needs more views for sure

  • @meansums5405
    @meansums540517 күн бұрын

    I still think this is the greatest invention of all time.

  • @madeinfoxtrap5539
    @madeinfoxtrap55392 ай бұрын

    Great video ! Recumbent bicycles Were considered Cheating and were Outlawed by the Tour de France After a recumbent Rider beat all others On upright bicycles

  • @Sam-mv6rp
    @Sam-mv6rp8 ай бұрын

    Internal hub gears pre date the derailer as a viable multi gear system by a good 20 years if i think correctly

  • @drill_fiend1097

    @drill_fiend1097

    5 ай бұрын

    It's making a comeback with belt drives.

  • @tarazzzs
    @tarazzzs9 ай бұрын

    Cool educational video with cool animations, loving it.

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @hemanthrvn4661
    @hemanthrvn46619 ай бұрын

    Beautiful illustrations..really great work

  • @potsato
    @potsato8 ай бұрын

    Underrated video! Should’ve gotten a million more views

  • @dontfearthereaper2887

    @dontfearthereaper2887

    7 ай бұрын

    is underrated, just like bicycles are, cause the world is addicted to oil

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    thanks!

  • @polyrhythmia
    @polyrhythmia8 ай бұрын

    Bikers of the world: Unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains! I see the bicycle as being a stride amplifier.

  • @stopthephilosophicalzombie9017
    @stopthephilosophicalzombie90172 ай бұрын

    Beautiful animation.

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    2 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @bikee1394
    @bikee13948 ай бұрын

    Dude forgot include internal hub gears.. famous 30 years prior derailleurs

  • @nocaster5120

    @nocaster5120

    Ай бұрын

    Cool where's your video explaining bicycles

  • @BaiZhijie
    @BaiZhijie9 ай бұрын

    This video is a great breakdown of the engineering concepts behind bikes! Great work!

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much!

  • @fatbikearcticnomad2122
    @fatbikearcticnomad21229 ай бұрын

    Wow, awesome video of bicycle history!

  • @vojtechpilar5809
    @vojtechpilar58097 ай бұрын

    This video is fantastic and easily deserves millions of views.

  • @MysticFluff1
    @MysticFluff19 ай бұрын

    Amazing video, I will certainly show this to my students, thank you

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks! Please tell them I say hi.

  • @getting_better
    @getting_better7 ай бұрын

    Cool animations! Great explanations! Amazing video!

  • @franadia5508
    @franadia55087 ай бұрын

    One of the best videos I've ever seen

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you - really appreciate that.

  • @adamsvoboda7717
    @adamsvoboda7717 Жыл бұрын

    Very interesting, thank you

  • @gur262
    @gur2628 ай бұрын

    This visualizes various concepts way better than most cycling channels ever did. Maybe a video on engineering lost/ignored could be nice. Bikeracing never accepted recumbents or aerodynamic fairings. Whether the geometry, especially Highspeed downhill, is ideal is also questionable given the rules squeezing racebikes into certain dimensions. Motorcycle racing once featured dustbin fairings for great aero. I assume thats more related to less power making topspeed a more important component, but if they were in fashion in racing they might be for normal motorcycles making them more efficient. When i look at cars I don't think the 4 seat arrangement comes from a place of logic either but rather as evolution from horse drawn carriages. I know a certain width is necessary to not fall over but outside of racing context seating people behind one another seems better. Just that at the point aerodynamics started to really matter, speeds got high, the layout we know was too established. Or so i assume.

  • @LukasSiemoneit
    @LukasSiemoneit2 ай бұрын

    Thank you for this excellent video!

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    2 ай бұрын

    You're very welcome!

  • @SuperFinGuy
    @SuperFinGuy12 күн бұрын

    3:14 you could use a middle gear so it can turn the last gear in the right direction. No chain drive needed.

  • @scottstevens7253
    @scottstevens72538 ай бұрын

    Great stuff, thanks

  • @asadabdulqaabir4006
    @asadabdulqaabir40067 ай бұрын

    What? I can't believe that aerodynamic butt cones are not a thing today.

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    I know, Someone should start a GoFundMe to bring back the butt cone.

  • @Surroundex2
    @Surroundex28 ай бұрын

    Great work

  • @JayLato
    @JayLato7 ай бұрын

    Amazing production

  • @joefields719
    @joefields719 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks teach!

  • @hunt-showdown
    @hunt-showdown11 ай бұрын

    learned so much! thanks

  • @ola_vii
    @ola_vii7 ай бұрын

    Good vibes video and nice animation. Perhaps Gentulio Campagnolo should have had a credital mention when speaking about the history of bicycling inventions related to gears.

  • @danielreitermusic
    @danielreitermusic8 ай бұрын

    Cool animations! A couple small nits though - the ancient greek weapon 'polybolos' had an endless chain drive as far back as 250BC. Also, I think bicycle makers in the day of the penny-farthing had definitely conceived of using a chain drive. Many of the women's tricycle designs in that same era had chain drives for example. If you look at old photos the chains look pretty big and heavy though. I'm guessing that it just wasn't as practical back then with the chain technology of the time - and combined with the lack of pneumatic tires a large wheel was just a practical, simple, and affordable option.

  • @JavierBonillaC
    @JavierBonillaC7 ай бұрын

    Fascinating!

  • @williamwelmans8648
    @williamwelmans86488 ай бұрын

    Excellent video.!

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @BigBeezyBtown
    @BigBeezyBtown8 ай бұрын

    This was awesome. Thank you

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much!

  • @jasonz7788
    @jasonz77887 ай бұрын

    Great video thank you

  • @marc.silden
    @marc.silden9 ай бұрын

    Perfect!

  • @Superwazop
    @Superwazop7 ай бұрын

    Incredible

  • @EMTBAFV
    @EMTBAFV8 ай бұрын

    Jean Loubeyre of Paris. He indisputably patented a 2 speed derailleur device called 'La Polyceler' in 1895 (French Patent and shimano took over being 100 years old now derailleur was invented well before 1937

  • @Leviajohnson
    @Leviajohnson7 ай бұрын

    Oh this is excellent

  • @macsnafu
    @macsnafu9 ай бұрын

    I think butt cones need to make a comeback, if only for the photo ops.

  • @reference2592
    @reference25929 ай бұрын

    Fantastic

  • @micgalovic
    @micgalovic7 ай бұрын

    Good animations

  • @jamesmatheson9624
    @jamesmatheson9624Ай бұрын

    Because I have limited knowledge of bikes I can't do this project maybe you can Gears were meant to be put on a wheel for you to exercise your arms same as a leg arm Exerciser So when you move the wheel with your arms you start at a light weight and after a certain number of turns you increase the gears strength so your arms moves a heavier weight This is how people get muscles They lift small weights and then heavy weights The advantage of wheel with gears is you don't need the weights and can put on muscles anywhere Let me know if you understand Thanks for the video

  • @kato_dsrdr
    @kato_dsrdr6 ай бұрын

    Wait, so the bike chain was invented by da vinci? Damn.

  • @tranhai8895
    @tranhai88952 ай бұрын

    Is the electronic groupset/shifter the new standard for Tour De France road bikes?

  • @evangelistbricescott7182
    @evangelistbricescott71827 ай бұрын

    The ending 😂😂😂

  • @dodginglions5163
    @dodginglions51638 ай бұрын

    The butt cone should be reintroduced.

  • @Wasketa
    @Wasketa7 ай бұрын

    Very impressive, now the future for bicycles are the gearboxes

  • @vinniepeterss
    @vinniepeterssАй бұрын

    whoa

  • @Lucius1958
    @Lucius19589 ай бұрын

    Rather surprising that you showed Leonardo's chain sketch without even mentioning the bicycle drawing attributed to Salai...

  • @EMTBAFV
    @EMTBAFV8 ай бұрын

    Bike radar has the storey and a 2 gear rear wheel system amd rear derailleur like an old front mech was used in 1869

  • @mtbalpinecounty
    @mtbalpinecounty8 ай бұрын

    💪

  • @vinniepeterss
    @vinniepeterssАй бұрын

    ❤❤❤❤

  • @bikerider4326
    @bikerider43266 ай бұрын

    1817 the Swiftwalker created by Karl Von Drais is the very first bike. 🤔

  • @fuerLutzi
    @fuerLutzi5 ай бұрын

    What about the bearings? I heard ballbearings were invented for bicycles. True?

  • @frankhooper7871
    @frankhooper78717 ай бұрын

    Interesting and informative - but surprised no mention was made of hub gears, developed in the early 1900s.

  • @Cheesicle_

    @Cheesicle_

    7 ай бұрын

    hub gears?

  • @danielchesley9802
    @danielchesley98027 ай бұрын

    It's 3:38am for me right now why am I watching this??

  • @Happy_HIbiscus
    @Happy_HIbiscus7 ай бұрын

    😊😊😊😊

  • @chillchilli2671
    @chillchilli26716 ай бұрын

    Back then, derailleurs were considered cheating. 1970: front suspension was considered cheating. 1980: having rear suspension was considered cheating 2018: having a electric motor was considered cheating. I'm thinking the pinion gearbox is definitely gonna be considered cheating

  • @QuixoteX
    @QuixoteX Жыл бұрын

    So... what about that butt cone?

  • @izysly6924

    @izysly6924

    11 ай бұрын

    Now you are just talking dirty. (Do it again)

  • @lese39
    @lese397 ай бұрын

    I refuse to believe people though first in doubling the wheel size than to do a chain, gear or belt drive. When presented with the problem of "it's hard to steer the wheel you're pedaling" the immediate solution is to move the pedaling to the other wheel.

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    I hear you. The most obvious solution is easy to see with the benefit of hindsight.

  • @sweetalert480
    @sweetalert4807 ай бұрын

    how about tire?

  • @cheesechomp3r554
    @cheesechomp3r5546 ай бұрын

    Why is the resolution 1x1?

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    5 ай бұрын

    The aspect ratio is square because I first posed this to my TikTok account, and a 1:1 aspect was a good compromise between the default horizontal aspect of KZread and the vertical of TikTok.

  • @GbpsGbps-vn3jy
    @GbpsGbps-vn3jy7 ай бұрын

    And yet we have hi-tech derailleur systems that occasionally drop our chains \o/

  • @the.communist
    @the.communist8 ай бұрын

    Didnt campy invent the derailleur?

  • @RobertoFischer
    @RobertoFischer7 ай бұрын

    You skipped the multi-speed rear wheel hub entirely..... Your history cannot be right.

  • @thebikeman

    @thebikeman

    Ай бұрын

    You skipped the word “brief” in the title.

  • @jacobjames1171
    @jacobjames11718 ай бұрын

    4:10 early masher

  • @kendurham5684
    @kendurham56843 ай бұрын

    Engineering 101 for preschoolers

  • @jaykay3407
    @jaykay340711 ай бұрын

    There's a 900yr old temple in India with a bicycle carved in granite, on it. I dont think your time line is correct somehow.

  • @Diwasho

    @Diwasho

    10 ай бұрын

    Yes, there certainly was an even earlier version of the bicycle that didn't have pedals, you had to walk on the ground like the Flintstones while riding it. It was invented by the same person who invented the meat grinder.

  • @bikee1394

    @bikee1394

    8 ай бұрын

    yeah ofc everyone knows india invented everything first on the planet

  • @jaykay3407

    @jaykay3407

    8 ай бұрын

    @@bikee1394 just not sanitation 😄

  • @DavidGS66
    @DavidGS668 ай бұрын

    The biggest problem is theft, 1/2 due to cyclists themselves underestimating the risk by not using a Ulock & registering.

  • @lebowskiduderino89
    @lebowskiduderino898 ай бұрын

    I got drunk one day and tried to ride a penny farthing. I fell down and broke my coccyx, cocxyx? Coxyxc? Ha ha! I always wanted to write the word coccyx, coxyx, cocoyxx? In a comment! Am I the first person to write the word coccyx? In a comment? Let me know in the comments!!!!

  • @10000spidersinatrenchcoat

    @10000spidersinatrenchcoat

    7 ай бұрын

    Did you have to wear the butt cone? 😂

  • @markusseppala6547
    @markusseppala65477 ай бұрын

    A bit too much repeating the same facts but cool video.

  • @bigtsperspective5831
    @bigtsperspective58318 ай бұрын

    Probably should study a little bit more. There’s proof of bicycles for hundreds of years before the pf . Solid European perspective

  • @bambukouk
    @bambukouk8 ай бұрын

    lot of nonsense about higher CogG being "harder to balance" actually the reverse is the case - the higher the CofG the easier it is to balance I know it not only from the theory, but also from practice 😜

  • @reasonformath

    @reasonformath

    7 ай бұрын

    With a higher center of gravity, smaller shifts in weight have a bigger impact. I ride a unicycle, and the short ones are easier to balance than the tall ones since a small movement in the arms is less apt to throw you off balance.

  • @bambukouk

    @bambukouk

    7 ай бұрын

    @@reasonformath I have no personal experience of unicycling, but I am sure the same applies. As you say "...With a higher centre of gravity, smaller shifts in weight have a bigger impact..." i.e. it requires less effort to keep bike balanced - kzread.info5C6cid5RBk8?si=v3IB2rtnwmVISp0L 🤪 I know how much more difficult it is to do the same on lowracer recumbent... 👍