๐ Inventions and machines ๐ On land
Bicycles
๐ In short
A bicycle is a vehicle with two wheels, one behind the other. The rider moves it with their feet, pushing the pedals round so the back wheel turns and the bike moves. It's a fun way to travel and good exercise that doesn't pollute the air.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- An average bicycle weighs between 14 and 20 kilograms.
- The modern safety bicycle was made around 1885.
- The โTour de Franceโ is one of the most famous bicycle races in the world.
- There are more bicycles than cars in the world.
๐ Find out more
๐ Parts of a bike
A bike has a metal frame, a seat, handlebars for steering, two pedals, a chain that carries the movement from the pedals to the back wheel, brakes to stop it, and a bell to warn people.
๐ Gears
Many bikes have gears of different sizes. Easy gears help you climb hills, and hard gears make you faster on flat roads.
๐ก The story of the bicycle
The first bicycles had no pedals, and riders pushed them along with their feet on the ground. Then came bikes with a huge front wheel, then the safety bicycle with two equal wheels and a chain, like today's bikes.
๐ฏ Safety first
Always wear a helmet, ride in safe places, watch out for cars, use lights at night, and check your brakes work well.
๐ธ More pictures
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 What should you wear when you ride a bike?
2 What carries the movement from the pedals to the wheel?
3 Which picture shows โBicyclesโ?
๐ Discover more
๐ท Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons
- ้ฝๅฅ from Peking, People's Republic of China ยท CC BY 2.0
- Father of JGKlein, used with permission ยท Public domain
- Gun Powder Ma ยท CC BY-SA 3.0
- Andrew Dressel ยท CC BY-SA 3.0
