Do you know the seven major technological innovations that have changed the development of road bicycles?

It has been two hundred years since the invention and use of bicycles. During these two hundred years, humans have been constantly trying to develop bicycles and made many modifications and improvements to them, which have undergone tremendous changes over the years, making them completely A "modern machine". Today, the editor will take you to learn about the inventions and innovations at the major stages in the historical development of road bicycles.

1. Safety bicycle

Back in the late 1800s, if you wanted to own a bicycle, it was impossible, it would be a symbol of aristocratic status. The bicycles at that time were front-wheel drive, with pedals added directly to the huge front wheel and driven by inertia. According to reports, with such a bicycle, a normal rider can maintain a maximum speed of 40km/h, which is very dangerous. Fundamentally, no bike has been safe before this one.

To solve this problem, safety bicycles were introduced. Using two wheels that are closer together means the rider's feet can reach the ground, which makes parking and getting in and out of the car easier. An improvement on British engineer Henry J. Lawson's original model, which used pedals to transmit power from the pedals to the wheels, this was soon replaced by a chain, which is still used today.

2. Pneumatic tires

The first tires we know of on bicycles used strong rubber bands tied around the edges of small rims. In 1887, John Boyd Dunlop made the world's first set of pneumatic tires for his son's bicycle to help relieve headaches he suffered while riding. Later, the Dunlop Tire Company was established and found ways to prevent punctures, such as adding a hard canvas layer to the rubber. But these are not removable.

It wasn't until 1891 that Édouard Michelin developed a tire that could be fixed to the rim with a clip and then removed to repair a puncture. Adhesive on the hoses followed, which later evolved into the elbow and tube combination you can find on 99% of bikes today.

3. Quick release system

The quick release system is another invention pioneered by Tullio Campagnolo. As we mentioned before, before rear derailleur systems were widely available, to change gears you had to remove the rear wheel and then replace it.

At that time, due to the cold weather during the race, Campagnolo's driver was unable to remove the screws that fixed the rear wheel, making it difficult to remove the wheel, thus wasting precious time during the race. This frustration was the genesis of the invention of the quick release lever in 1927.

The advent of the quick release system means that the process of removing and replacing wheels has been greatly simplified. Quick releases are crucial to Campagnolo's Cambio Corsa derailleur system, where the derailleur tightens and loosens the chain between the sprockets. It played a certain role in the movement.

4. Helmet

In the 1970s, when helmets first appeared, riders at that time mostly used helmets made of leather. Although such helmets could provide riders with a certain amount of protection during riding, this protection was only for scratches. Generally speaking, it does not have much protective effect on the impact caused by a crash.

With the popularity of cycling, MSR and Bell companies in the United States were the first to get involved in the design of modern bicycle helmets. They developed based on motorcycle helmets and racing helmets. The main material of the helmets was polystyrene foam, and hard materials were used. High-quality polycarbonate plastic as the casing.

In 1975, BeLL Biker first developed a bicycle helmet that complied with CPSC standards. This was the first bicycle helmet in the world to use ABS plastic as the shell and polystyrene foam (EPS) material inside, which also made it the The industry benchmark. Later, the use of updated shell materials PVC and higher-priced materials polycarbonate greatly reduced the weight of the helmet. In the past decade, most bicycle helmets have had a similar style to the Biker.

In the early 1990s, Bell spun off its helmet business. With the development of helmet shell manufacturing technology, the appearance of helmets has changed dramatically. Helmets with more vents and more streamlined shapes are constantly being developed. And this design is still used on many helmets today.

5. Locking pedals

Although the first-ever lockless pedals were technically made by Charles Hanson in 1895, in the 1970s the Italian company Cino Cinelli made the M71's locking pedals, However, this pedal can only manually pull the switch to unlock the lock. It wasn't until 1984 that LOOK decided to use a binding system similar to that used in downhill skiing and designed the first self-locking pedals.

The Look PP65 road bicycle pedal can be unlocked by twisting the lock shoe outwards. At the same time, to lock it, you only need to step on the lock plate into the pedal. In 1985, Bernard Hinault rode LOOK This pedal won the Tour de France. Since then, LOOK has become famous in the field of road bike pedals. Although there are other designs from companies like Time or Speedplay, the principle of the rider pressing down to engage the cleat and then rotating the heel outward to release it is still used in cycling pedals to this day.

6. Carbon fiber frame

As an emerging material, the emergence of carbon fiber composite materials has also changed the development of road bicycles. Carbon fiber not only has the inherent characteristics of carbon materials, but also has the soft processability of textile fibers. Its specific gravity is less than 1/4 of steel, but its strength is very strong.

In 1999, Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France on Trek’s OCLV carbon fiber bike. It was the first carbon fiber bike to win the Tour. This proves that the characteristics of carbon fiber can help players achieve better results and create newer records.

Carbon fiber has the characteristics of light weight and high strength, and can achieve special shape structures without sacrificing basic characteristics. This means that the vast majority of high-end top bicycles will be made of carbon fiber, including their frames, rims, cranks, and derailleurs. Cage, handlebars, seatpost, saddle rails, most of the components are probably made of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber bikes surpass metal bikes at least on a professional level.

Today, the use of carbon fiber is very common in high-end bicycles, although steel and alloys still occupy an absolute place.

7. Electronic shifting

In the 1990s, Charles Idoux led the Mavic team early on to develop an electronic shifting system and named it Zap. However, attempts to use SunTour's BEAST and Mavic's Zap electronic shifting were ultimately unsuccessful due to various problems that made it difficult to use. Zap's fate is extremely bumpy...

Nonetheless, cyclist Chris Boardman did win the 1994 Tour de France using Mavic's electronic shifting. Moreover, Zap Mavic System also won the "Innovation Award" in the United States.

Until the emergence of Shimano's Di2 electronic shifting system changed everything. Its fine control, powerful functions, accurate and clear shifting speeds reached a certain level. Although some people have some doubts about electronic shifting, the birth of SHIMANO Di2 will definitely be a major innovation in the development of road bicycles.

Subsequently, various manufacturers Campagnolo launched EPS, SRAM launched eTap and other electronic shifting. Although the prices were very expensive at the beginning, they failed to change the industry's confidence in electronic shifting. It’s rare to see a mechanical groupset at the sport’s top level these days, and it’s increasingly difficult to buy a contemporary flagship bike with mechanical shifting.