Urfahrrad

Urfahrrad is a term used in German-language bicycle history to refer to the earliest bicycle-like devices that preceded the modern bicycle. It is not a formal technical category but a historical shorthand for early prototypes and pre-modern designs that laid the groundwork for pedal-powered two-wheelers. The term typically encompasses machines from the early 19th century through the late 19th century, before the advent of the modern, chain-driven safety bicycle.

The development begins with the Laufmaschine or Draisine, devised by Karl von Drais in 1817. This two-wheeled vehicle was propelled by the rider pushing the ground with the feet and steering the front wheel, lacking pedals and a drivetrain. In the following decades, various pedal-powered concepts emerged, most notably the mid-19th-century velocipede, which introduced pedals on the front wheel and a wooden frame with iron tires, earning the nickname boneshaker for its rough ride. In the 1870s, the penny-farthing or high-wheeler design gained popularity, featuring a very large front wheel and a small rear wheel, but it was difficult to mount and risky to ride. By the 1880s, the safety bicycle appeared, introducing chain drive to the rear wheel and equidistant wheel sizes, which became the template for most modern bicycles.

Urfahrrad as a category helps historians trace how ideas of balance, propulsion, and control evolved into the mass-produced bicycles that became ubiquitous in the 20th century. The term emphasizes the transitional nature of these machines rather than a single canonical model.