velocipede

Velocipede is a historical term for a human-powered land vehicle with two or more wheels that could be propelled by pedaling. In English-language sources the word is mainly used to describe early bicycles built before the advent of the modern chain-driven safety bicycle, and it can also refer in general to 19th-century pedal-powered machines. The term comes from the French velocipède, from Latin velox, meaning swift, combined with a root meaning foot.

The first practical two-wheeled velocipede appeared in 1817 as the Laufmaschine (also known as the draisine), designed by Karl Drais. It had a wooden frame, two wheels of equal size, handlebars for steering, and was propelled by the rider pushing the ground with the feet. It had no pedals.

In the 1860s, French manufacturers such as Pierre Michaux began attaching pedals to the front wheel, creating pedal-powered velocipedes. These early machines, often called boneshakers, had wooden wheels with iron tires and a rough ride. The large front wheel of the ensuing penny-farthing in the 1870s enabled greater speed but made mounting difficult and riding hazardous.

From the 1880s, improvements leading to the modern bicycle emerged, including chain drives to the rear wheel, equal-sized wheels, and eventually rubber tires, culminating in the safety bicycle typified by the Rover in 1885. This design laid the groundwork for contemporary bicycles.

Today, velocipede is largely a historical term, with bicycle or bike being the standard terminology. It remains encountered in historical writing and in some languages as a carryover for early pedal-powered cycles.