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Bicycles didn’t always look like the one you ride today with two wheels, pedals, a seat and handlebars.

In the early days, bicycles were sometimes called “boneshakers” because they were a “bone-shaking” experience to ride — like always driving on a gravel road, according to the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World at Brown University.

One of the first bicycles invented in 1818 — sometimes called a “running machine” — and had two wheels and was steerable. But instead of pedaling, it was propelled by walking or running.

Later, a bicycle invented in 1860 had three wheels and included pedals but no breaks, making it dangerous and difficult for riders to come to a stop.

It wasn’t until the 1880s, when the “safety bicycle” was invented, that bicycles started to resemble a modern bike. The bicycle went from being a dangerous toy to a useful tool to get from one place to another.

This was when chains were added, which improved safety and allowed the rider to go faster and steer more easily.

Bicycles also came in all shapes with different sized wheels by the 19th century. A bicycle known as the quadracycle had a seat — often made for more than one person to ride at a time — between two large wheels operated by pedals or hand cranks.

In 1970, the penny-farthing was invented. The penny-farthing was a bicycle with small back wheel and a large front wheel, up to 60 inches tall, with a seat for the rider near the top. This design improved the speed of bicycles and made for a smoother ride with its hollow steel frame and rubber tires.

It was also what lead to the invention of the unicycle — a single-wheeled bicycle operated with pedals that requires excellent balance.

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Today, bicycles continue to be designed more efficiently and for different uses. There are at least 11 types of bicycles. Here are a few:

Road bikes have a lightweight frame with thin tires and are often used for daily use, long-distance rides and racing.

These bikes feature excellent breaks, thicker tires and “shock-absorbing features” to handle bumps and ruts in the road, rocks and dirt trails.

These can be folded up small enough to fit in a bag.

Primarily used for racers and athletes training for professional races, these bikes have a single, fixed gear that takes a lot of leg strength.

With its smaller frame and wheels, BMX bikes are best for racing around dirt tracks and performing tricks and jumps.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com

K-12 education reporter, The Gazette

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