The Velocipede
Contents
- Surveys early velocipede history from Niepce's letters of 1818 through patented designs, comparing the effort of walking versus riding a wheeled machine.
- Describes a succession of patented velocipede mechanisms and treadle-driven carriages from the 1820s through the 1860s, illustrated with diagrams.
- Reproduces correspondence from Claude Niepce discussing early velocipede designs, tracing the machine's origins to its French and English inventors.
- Examines how the two-wheeled velocipede evolved toward the modern bicycle, discussing balance, steering, treadle action, and comparative speed and effort.
- Describes the tricycle as safer for timid riders and reviews the contemporary velocipede market, with sizing guidance and advice on learning to ride.
- Provides practical sizing tables, tips on maintaining balance, and encouragement to beginners based on the rapid progress most riders achieve.
- Step-by-step instruction for mounting and riding, covering balance recovery, pedal use, and the different configurations of ladies' and gentlemen's tricycles.
- Concludes with observations on the cost of velocipedes as a barrier to adoption and enthusiastic first-hand accounts of rapid progress by new riders.