The high-bicycle is the logical extension of…
1875 CE
Frenchman Eugène Meyer is now regarded as the father of the high bicycle by the ICHC in place of James Starley.
Meyer invented the wire-spoke tension wheel in 1869 and will produce a classic high bicycle design until the 1880s.
James Starley in Coventry added the tangent spokes and the mounting step to his famous bicycle named "Ariel."
He is regarded as the father of the British cycling industry.
Ball bearings, solid rubber tires and hollow-section steel frames became standard, reducing weight and making the ride much smoother.
Depending on the rider's leg length, the front wheel could now have a diameter up to sixty inches (one and a half meters).
Images
Ordinary bicycle, Skoda Museum, Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic. Photo by Agnieszka Kwiecień (Nova), 2003.
