The Bicycle – a Life Long Partner
A bicycle is a human supercharged vehicle that has a frame affiliated with two wheels and that is
driven by a pedal. introduced during the 19th centuries bicycles are known to outdo the
total number of motor vehicles by a ratio of 2 to 1. Bicycles being the main method of carry in many corners of the globe, the bicycle is also majorly used for other recreational activities and for the purpose of fitness and even in the case of law enforcement activities such as petrolling an area.
History of Bicycles
Since the inception of the chain-driven model in around 1885, the key design and the shape of a
typical bicycle has remained relatively unchanged. But, other advances such as using computers to pattern
and check the stability have been made to the bicycle from its manufacturing process. These methods have greatly aided the spawn of
specialized bicycles for particular purposes such as racing, utility and law enforcement uses. In addition, many of the parts that played a
major role in the development of motorcars for instance, ball bearings, pneumatic tires and spoke tensioned wheels were initially intended for
the bicycle.
Features of a Bicycle
When citing to bicycles, the dynamics of the bicycle should be viewed first. Bicycle needs its centre of gravity in order to be in its space. So it attains this by moving forward
using the steering which provides some balance to the rider. In addition in order to successfully navigate a turn, the combined or full center of mass
of both the bicycle and the rider must lean into the turn. Counter-steering is a task that is used in this regard.
Through both biological and mechanical view points, the bicycle is an highly
efficient machine. When
comparing the energy an individual must spend to travel a given distance, the bicycle is stated to be the most efficiently
working self supercharged method of transportation. The bicycle wheels carry nearly 99% of the energy because the rider exerts energy to pedals. But in
bicycles that have gear mechanisms, the energy needed will be decreased However the air drag faced by the rider will
always remain a problem. At higher speeds, significantly greater power outputs are needed to overcome the air drag. When a rider is sitting in an upright position, the
body of the rider accounts for nearly 75% of the total drag practiced by the bicycle and rider combined. The only way to reduce the air drag is to importantly reduce the position to supine or prone that is in line with aerodynamics.
The main parts of the bicycle include the frame, steering mechanisms, seating, drivetrain, suspension, wheels and brakes. Some
bicycles use optional mechanics to get advantage for the dynamics of the bicycle. Using gears a rider can produce a higher power output with a relatively low
power input and thus, increasing the efficiency of the bicycle.
