Bikes were invented because a volcano killed all the horses

c. 1905

A stuntman rides a bicycle through a loop-the-loop.

Image: Corbis

In 1818, Baron Karl von Drais of Baden, Germany patented the design for a two-wheeled Laufmaschine, or “running machine.” It consisted of two in-line wheels beneath a seat and handlebars, and was propelled by the rider pushing off the ground with his feet.

Also called the “Draisine,” the device was created not out of fancy but necessity — Drais was looking for a substitute for the horses that had starved to death in the recent volcanic winter, caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. Read more...