velocipedes

Velocipede is a historical term used to describe early pedal-powered, non-motorized bicycles and related four- and two-wheeled devices developed in the 19th century. The word comes from Latin velocitas (speed) and Greek pedis (foot), and in its broad use it covers several generations of propulsion mechanisms that preceded the modern bicycle.

The first pedaled velocipedes appeared in the 1860s in France. French makers such as Pierre Michaux and his company produced mass-made machines with pedals attached to the front wheel and a wooden frame. Other inventors, including Pierre Lallement, contributed to early pedal arrangements. These early machines were known for their heavy wooden frames, iron rims, and, in many cases, rigid, bone-shaker-like construction.

A popular early form was the boneshaker, which featured a solid wooden or metal frame and small, iron-rimmed wheels. The ride was jarring on ordinary streets, but the design demonstrated that pedal propulsion could be integrated with wheel-driven locomotion. By the 1870s, another development—the high-wheeled velocipede, or penny-farthing—gained prominence. It used a very large front wheel to achieve greater speed, but its design made mounting and stopping hazardous, leading to frequent falls. In Britain these were often called the ordinary.

In the 1880s, the safety bicycle emerged, introducing a chain drive to the rear wheel and two nearly equal-sized wheels. Pioneered in part by John Kemp Starley, the Rover safety bicycle provided a more stable and practical platform and is widely regarded as a precursor to the modern bicycle.

Today, the term velocipede is primarily of historical interest, used to describe these early, pedal-powered vehicles and their various forms, before the standardization of the modern bicycle.