What if the bicycle was invented in 1600?
- Thread starter Byzantine fanatic
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marathag
Banned
Leather belt drive on wooden pulleys, and poured babbitt, while patented in the 1840s, was doable far earlier. Iron shafts and ironwood pillow blocks are Medieval.
Do you have a link to anything more on this? "Bike cavalry" is such a bizarre idea and I love it.
I think you're right, and as far as I'm aware, it was one of his more plausible designs. Actually, you could create a really fascinating timeline where DaVinci's drawings actually see some real-life applications within his life.
The more I think about it the more I think metallurgy is at least as serious an issue as the lack of vulcanization. Perhaps you could make something an iron frame with wooden wheels but it is going to be incredibly expensive likely very heavy and therefore will not gain widespread acceptance. As I have thought about this topic I think it nicely illustrates a number of technological advances coming together into a single product (vulcanization of rubber, the Bessemer process for steal, mass produced interchangeable parts). Each of these processes emerged in the 19th century and the bicycle emerged at around the same time. Unless we want to posit some POD for many technologies in the 16th century (or earlier) for the purpose of inventing bicycles I conclude the answer to this question is no.
I’m now craving a tl where the Bike Nomads of the Great Plains pull a Genghis on bikeback
What if not the bicycle proper being invented? but an exercise bike style device. and then Benjamin franklin uses it to generate electricity.
Many of the concerns on this thread are over materials, weight and durability. A light-duty device might be practical within a cathedral or hospital for maintenance and movement of light goods. From there, inventors can poke along and come up with improvements with the materials at hand.
What if not the bicycle proper being invented? but an exercise bike style device. and then Benjamin franklin uses it to generate electricity.
Why generate electricity using human power when you have waterwheels?? Maybe if you have tons of enslaved criminals that you have no other use for, perhaps? But seriously, once people figure out how to generate and use current electricity, existing waterwheels and windmills will be the first generators.
Marginal benefit is insufficient. For example, imagine we are talking about carrying documents around a hospital. Presume a bicycle can go three times faster. This means that what might take a servant 6 minute to walk would now take 2 minutes. The benefit just is not there. This is even more true in the 17th century when the cost of labor is low (hence the prevalence of servants).
To be clear, I do not view it as implausible that Henri IV (or some other monarch) could have had an eccentric metal worker who builds such a device at exceedingly high cost. However, I do not think this would be particularly interesting from a "changing history" perspective.
Last edited:
marathag
Banned
Why?
Old School, with almost no metal
the 'Boneshaker'
with some metal
Early leaf springs were being applied in the wheeled vehicle industry. On high end wagons or carriages.
I image a stone or brick road might limit early models (bumpy), but a dirt road seems fine.
Dirt roads were seldom graded. Usually a series of wheel ruts & crisscrossing foot paths between. Serious attempts began (and many failed) in this era to reproduce Roman style paved roads between cities. Where they succeeded the surface could accommodate lighter carriages and the bicycles. Of course the bicycles of the era would not be up to the high speeds of the modern machines A bit faster than walking pace makes them useful.
I'm thinking more of short distance use, in towns and through some structures and plazas. You might have a narrow bike delivery path alongside a water race. It would accommodate bread delivery, messages, etc. Inventors would try to improve the device continuously. The streets, though, would be better suited for horses and large-wheeled wagons, with which the primitive bicycle would not compete. So, bicycles with confined use can pre-date bicycles on the streets.
