velos

Velos is the plural form of the French noun vélo, meaning bicycle. The term vélo is a shortened form of vélocipède, a 19th‑century word coined from Latin velox “swift” and pede “foot.” In French‑speaking countries such as France and Belgium, vélos is the ordinary everyday term for a bicycle. In English, velos may be used informally to refer to bicycles or to cycling culture, especially in discussion of bike‑friendly cities and sports.

History and development: The concept of a pedal‑powered vehicle emerged in the early 19th century with the velocipede, and early models included the so‑called boneshaker with wooden wheels and iron tires. In the 1860s and 1870s, pedal‑powered machines with metal frames and larger front wheels appeared in France and Britain. The 1880s brought the safety bicycle, featuring a chain drive to the rear wheel and equal‑sized wheels, which established the modern bicycle form.

Types and usage: Modern vélos comprise road, mountain, hybrid/urban, cargo, and electric bicycles. In many parts of the world they form a primary means of transportation, recreation, and sport. The word remains embedded in infrastructure and culture, as seen in terms such as vélodrome (a track for cycling) and in everyday speech about getting on one’s velo or velos.

Across regions, the term reflects both linguistic variation and changing attitudes toward mobility and sustainability.