Given 17th century clocks and carts, did the technology exist for bicycles in the 1600s? How could that have changed history?
What if the bicycle was invented in 1600?
- Thread starter Byzantine fanatic
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I think there are two inter-related problems. First you have solid wheels until the invention of vulcanization of rubber (mid 19th century) and pneumatic tires (late 19th century). Solid tires only work on very smooth surfaces which you did not have until the mid 19th century (Paris for example).
Yeah it's the solid wheels thing.
Carts at least had some ability to spread a bit and they were still quite bumpy.
Could hydraulics be a thing without rubber?
Carts at least had some ability to spread a bit and they were still quite bumpy.
Could hydraulics be a thing without rubber?
You also need a fairly lightweight wheel to be able to get started easily under human power. So you need reasonsbly lightweight forms of steel, the idea of building a tangent-spoked wheel (allowing for much smaller spokes), and pneumatic tires (again rubber is the issue here but just one of the issues).
But I think one of the biggest issues is still the horse. Until mass manufacturing, a complicated machine like a bicycle will still be comparable in price to a horse, and has no real advantage to a horse.
But I think one of the biggest issues is still the horse. Until mass manufacturing, a complicated machine like a bicycle will still be comparable in price to a horse, and has no real advantage to a horse.
The seals was why I asked. Just in case there was a way to replicate them without rubber.
Petroleum based polymers could work but obviously that is an even more advanced technology.
Apparently the Mesoamericans have been stabilizing rubber since at least 1600 BC. Perhaps in a TL where many more crops are domesticated in the Americas leading to a much more widespread inflorescence of civilization across North America (such as the one that @metalinvader665 suggested where wild rice was the foundation of an agricultural package and this led to the domestication of moose and other cervids) the fact of not having a transport animal comparable to the horse combined with rubber and some integrating developments in metallurgy could lead to a bicycle invention by one of the New World's civilizations. Maybe the need to make parts for the new invention could even lead to an industrialization.
I find this unlikely. First, you need vulcanized rubber which requires some degree of chemical knowledge (heating rubber in the presence of sulfur). The deeper issue is that the lack of draft animals meant that wheels were never particularly useful in Meso-America. In other words, they did not have the concept of a wheel as a way to gain mechanical advantage. Therefore, the idea that they would suddenly invent this wheeled device to get around (in addition to vulcanizing rubber, machining parts etc) seems implausible without some type of ASB change.
Let me clarify, I wasn't saying that the Mesoamericans would be the ones to invent the bicycle, I was saying that this hypothetical civilization occupying the St. Lawrence and Mississippi basins growing domesticated wild rice and in possession of domesticated moose would be. In an environment like that riverine transportation is going to be the main mode of transport, but there would still need to be "last-mile" transport from the rivers to farms, cities, etc. so there should be plenty of opportunity to invent wheeled carts with moose (or perhaps teams of white-tail bucks, assuming deer domestication) drawing them. These people would import rubber from Mesoamerica.
Actually, your biggest single problem is bears / bearing races
Bicycles actually used cutting edge tech (metallurgy) of the mid1800s.
Plus, if you don't want a pennyfarthing style machine (and that huge wheel is an especial problem if you don't have wire spokes, which again needs decent metallurgy), then you need reduction gearing. If you're go with bike chains, well then you need literally hundreds of interchangeable parts produced to fine tolerances.
Some kind of hobbyhorse thing you push with your feet would be possible, but is a trivial advantage over walking.
Bicycles actually used cutting edge tech (metallurgy) of the mid1800s.
Plus, if you don't want a pennyfarthing style machine (and that huge wheel is an especial problem if you don't have wire spokes, which again needs decent metallurgy), then you need reduction gearing. If you're go with bike chains, well then you need literally hundreds of interchangeable parts produced to fine tolerances.
Some kind of hobbyhorse thing you push with your feet would be possible, but is a trivial advantage over walking.
Kaze
Banned
During the Victorian period there was talk of making a bicycle cavalry - but it ended there with just the talk about it.
The bike was only used in both world wars as a messenger service.
As for making a battlefield cavalry charge... there would several results:
1. utter laughter by the enemy.
2. a total disaster by the bike cavalry - expect the death of the whole unit.
3. a success - expect military tech to change
4. all of the above.
The bike was only used in both world wars as a messenger service.
As for making a battlefield cavalry charge... there would several results:
1. utter laughter by the enemy.
2. a total disaster by the bike cavalry - expect the death of the whole unit.
3. a success - expect military tech to change
4. all of the above.
Bicycle cavalry isn't a terrible idea if you're only using it for scouting and "mounted" infantry/dragoons. Charges are completely out of the question
The Canadians went ashore with bicycles at D-Day, on the thinking they were going to whistle across country and they couldn’t ditch them quickly enough.
Do you have a link to anything more on this? "Bike cavalry" is such a bizarre idea and I love it.
marathag
Banned
the Penny Farthing typically cost over $90, a 'Safety' bike over $70.
A Horse would cost at least that, plus the saddle($20+) and then care and feeding
Some advertising was for 'The Horse that doesn't Eat'