Bicycle Thieves

The History of Bicycles

The Bicycle Thieves showed how people have desires for physical material, they need them to be honest. So I wanted to go over the development of these adamant objects, that seemed to be just as necessary as the breaths we take in life for this man in the movie.

In 1817 Baron Von Drais invented a walking machine that helped him get around his garden. It had two same size in line wheels, the front steerable, mounted in a frame which you straddled. It was maneuvered by using your feet. He called this the Draisienne or hobby horse. It was crafted out of wood, it was a fad. Next came the Velocipede or Bone-shaker in 1865. It had two wheels with the pedals on the front wheel, made of wood, then later with metal tires, it was also a fad. In 1870 came the first all metal bike. With petals on the front, solid rubber tires, it had one giant wheel in the front and one small one on the rear. It was called the High Wheel Bicycle. It was the first to be referred to as a "bicycle".

People fell off a lot, this bike was not very stable. The experimentation of tricycles came next, followed by better tire safety, shock absorbing spokes, a more comfortable ride, etc. The invention of the bicycle lead to a practical investment for the working man. It gave him a means of transportation, a more flexible schedule and pleasure in a very busy hard working life, if he had one.