Bicycle Shop Near Me
Much like a car or truck, the best place to buy a bicycle or have it serviced is at a certified bicycle shop. These shops employ experts in cycling to help guide you on your journey to finding the right bike or repairing your bike in the most efficient manner. For cycling enthusiasts, few places offer the peace of mind and expertise of a bicycle shop.
Are you interested in finding a bicycle shop near you? Simply browse bicycle shop near me on the map below and find a list of bicycle shops located within a close proximity to your current location. Need a bit more information on bicycle shops? Read on for interesting facts, trivia, and more information on the bicycle.
Bicycle Shop Near Me – Find it on the Map
Bicycle Shop Near Me – Bicycle Shop Trivia
When was the first bicycle invented?
You might think that the invention of the bicycle has a fairly simple and uncomplicated past; however, like so many inventions, the bicycle went through many changes and iterations. Consider these facts as you search bicycle shop near me. The very first known version of a wheeled and human powered vehicle was created long before the bicycle was formed and considered a practical form of transportation. Back in 1418, an Italian engineer by the name of Giovanni de la Fontana, created a human powered device that consisted of four wheels and a sturdy loop of rope that was then connected by gears. This is believed to be the earliest take on what we now know as the bicycle. Around 400 years later in 1813, a German inventor named Karl Drais began creating his own version of a four wheeled human powered vehicle. However, he switched gears in 1817, focusing instead on debuting a two wheeled vehicle that was known by several names throughout Europe, included the Draisine, the running machine, and the hobby horse. Eventually Drais’ invention was eventually copied and reproduced by a British coach maker named Denis Johnson who began marketing his “pedestrian curricles” to London’s pleasure seeking aristocrats. Hobby horses enjoyed many years of limited success before they were banned as a danger to pedestrians.
A bike shop is unquestionably the best place to purchase a new bicycle.
True or false: Early bicycles were very expensive to keep and maintain.
Nowadays, bicycles are seen as the every man’s mode of transportation, often finding favor with those seeking a more cost effective and eco-friendly way to get from point A to point B. When bicycles were first introduced, they were a very expensive hobby. Procuring a bike was typically reserved for those in the upper echelon of society. Eventually, mass production made the bicycle a practical investment for the blue collar man who could ride his job to and from work. Women eventually also started riding in great numbers, which prompted a massive change in women’s fashion. With the popularity of the bike came the end to bustle and corsets. Instead, bloomers were in fashion, granting women the mobility she craved while keeping the legs covered. As you search bicycle shop near me, consider just how much the bicycle has changed since its earliest inception.
Bicycle Shop Near Me – Bicycle Shop Facts
Efficient and Practical
Odds are if you’re searching bicycle shop near me, then you are quite aware of just how efficient and practical owning a bicycle is compared to owning a car or other forms of transportation. In fact, many consider the bicycle to be the most efficient vehicle ever devised by humans. A humon on a bicycle is more efficient (in calories expended per kilo) than a train, truck, boat, car, airplane, motorcycle and jet pack. Strangely enough, ducks are still more efficient at swimming than humans are at riding bikes. Maintaining a bike annually is said to cost 20 times less than maintaining and riding in a car for your daily commute. Compared to a vehicle, the average daily 9 mile commute on bike can save the rider close to 11 dollars per day, all while burning an extra 360 calories and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by at least 5 kilos. On average, Americans are said to use their bikes for only every one out of a hundred trips. By comparison, the Dutch use their bikes 30 times out of every one hundred trips. If Americans could simply double their bike use to 2%, they could save more than 3.5 billion liters of gasoline annually. Perhaps we should all be searching for a bicycle repair shop!
The Future of Bicycles
Historically speaking, the bicycle hasn’t changed that drastically since the 1800s, but the future promises many advancements in bicycle technology. As we approach 2020 and beyond, we’re seeing advancements in human powered vehicles. Most HPV’s are known to be low slung recumbents, which are far more aerodynamic than most conventional bicycles. This reduces the amount of drag and increases speed. Recumbents are also far safer and can provide more cargo room and protection from the outside elements. The hybrid of the bicycle and the automobile is known as the Ecocar. It first began to surface on European streets in the 1990s. Invented by Dutch surgeon, Wim Van Wijnen, the Ecocar provided the weather protection of a car, safety, luggage room, easy maintenance, speed and comfort, all at a cost far below that of a traditional vehicle. As the world attempts to embrace a more eco-friendly way of living due to climate change, Ecocars, bicycles and other human powered forms of transportation will only spread in popularity. As you search bicycle shop near me, think about how you will approach the future on bike.
