The history of the bicycle dates back to the 19th century, when, in 1817, Baron Karl Drais, a German inventor, created the Draisine, as a forerunner to this type of vehicle. The Draisine was essentially a platform where the rider sat and used their feet on the ground to propel them forwards; a vertical axis linked to the front wheel allowed the vehicle to be steered. This machine could reach speed of 20 km/h on descents, and for that reason was also known as the velocipede, meaning “fast feet”. In 1861, the Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his son Ernest adapted a Draisine by adding a dual crank and a set of pedals, creating the first functional prototype of the bicycle. This innovation had considerable impact on the popularisation of the bicycle and their company was the first to mass produce pedal-powered velocipedes.
In around 1879, the Englishman H. J. Lawson applied chain drive to the rear wheel, linking the pedals to a small toothed sprocket. This multiplying transmission led, in 1885, to what was called the Rover Safety Bicycle, a light structure with wheels of the same diameter, chain drive, gears, direct-action pedals and an inclined fork. In 1888, John Boyd Dunlop invented the inflatable tyre, facilitating more comfortable travel.
In Portugal, the first bicycles arrived in the second half of the 19th century and are likely to have been Bicycles Michaux. By the end of the century, it is estimated that there were around eight thousand velocipedists in the country and the number of imported bicycles was already considerable, despite the prohibitive customs charges applied, not to mention the stamp duty and mandatory municipal licence.
For decades, many professions used the bicycle as a means of transport. In the late 19th century, the Coimbra fire brigade considered the introduction of bicycles to conduct the fire-fighters’ patrol when monitoring fires outside the city. The postal service also adopted the bicycle at an early stage. Messengers used them to deliver telegrams and express correspondence, while cycling postal workers ensured daily distribution of letters and packages. Also in the Armed Forces, the Portuguese army started to use the bicycle on an experimental basis in the late 19th century, and the soldiers who rode them came to be known as velocipedistas.
The first known use of bicycles in combat situations by the Portuguese army occurred during the First World War. In the Portuguese Navy, bicycles were used by almost all land units and also by some naval units. Soldiers of the National Republican Guard travelled by bicycle on their patrols of villages and towns, carrying their rifles next to the frame. Forest wardens also used this means of transport to get around.
In many professions, the bicycle was also very useful for distributing goods. Bakers used wicker baskets strapped to the back of the bike, while milkmen used them to carry their aluminium milk urns from door to door. Coal and fish were other items delivered straight to the home in this manner. In addition, there were also ice cream vendors and even chestnut roasters, who also sold their wares from bicycles.
With the appearance of the bicycle in rural areas, it became common for workers to travel to the vineyards on their heavy pasteleiras (slow bicycles), carrying with them the tools of their trade: hoe, pruning hook, handsaw and grafting shears. They would also carry a small keg of wine, and a packed lunch.
Knife sharpeners, a profession that still exists in some regions of Portugal, used the bicycle not just as a means of transport, but also as a support for the emery, activated by a cog connected to the bicycle wheel. They would also carry the tools needed to sharpen scissors and knives, as well as to repair umbrellas and parasols. This profession originated in a small place in Galicia, Spain, where to announce their arrival, knife sharpeners would play the panpipes, the characteristic sound of which still lingers in our imaginations.
The history of the bicycle reflects continual human innovation, which over the centuries has transformed this simple vehicle into an essential tool of transport and freedom.
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