Today’s blog came from mostly from Wikipedia and “The Noblest Invention”.
Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number about one billion worldwide (compared with 806 million cars and trucks). They are the principal means of transportation in many regions.
The bicycle is extraordinarily efficient in both biological and mechanical terms. The bicycle is the most efficient self-powered means of transportation in terms of energy a person must expend to travel a given distance. In terms of the ratio of cargo weight a bicycle can carry to total weight, it is also a most efficient means of cargo transportation.
From a recreation standpoint, a bicycle moves at the ideal pace to see the world: fast enough to outrace boredom but slow enough to absorb detail. On a bike you become part of the environment, rather than hurtling through it. You can dawdle or blur your eyes with speed, and either way be confident that you’re moving at a human pace.
Today's bicycles can be pretty sophisticated. Shown on the left is the carbon fiber Trek Madone, typical of high-end bikes such as raced in the Tour de France. On the right is my bicycle, a combination of titanium and carbon fiber. My titanium bike will provide a more comfortable ride than most bikes on the market.
“It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Learn to ride a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.” -- Mark Twain “To ride a bicycle properly is very like a love affair.” – H. G. Wells
“I thought of it (the General Theory of Relativity) while riding my bicycle.” – Albert Einstein
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