New Britain's 'Oldest Bike' Is Found: Cycle Collector Finds 199-Year-Old 'Holy Grail' Inwards Disused Barn

Mr Stockdale is a old interior designer in addition to opened his museum inwards 1989 later on having a lifelong obsession amongst bicycles.

The previous owners had no clue the the bike was of such historic significance, in addition to contacted Mr Stockdale when the edifice was beingness demolished to brand means for a novel development.

It is non known how long the bike has been hidden, but it was discovered during a edifice demolition inwards Beaconsfield.

The bike, which dates dorsum to 1819, was originally made past times Denis Johnson.

Mr Johnson made 320 bikes inwards 1819, later on registering to patent them inwards 1818, but it is idea in that place are exclusively 12 inwards existence today.

This bike is believed to last the oldest equally the bikes were numbered chronologically.

Although Johnson referred to his machine equally a ‘pedestrian curricle’, it was formally referred to equally a ‘velocipede’, in addition to popularly equally a ‘Hobby-horse’, ‘Dandy-horse’, ‘Pedestrian's accelerator’, ‘Swift walker’ in addition to past times a diversity of other names.

In the dying days of 1818, London railroad vehicle maker Denis Johnson released an improved version of the draisine, which he termed the “pedestrian curricle.” It had larger wheels, a simpler steering mechanism, a lighter overall weight of twoscore to l pounds, in addition to an adjustable seat.

Convinced of the majority appeal of this modified High German Laufmaschine, Johnson opened a riding schoolhouse inwards Covent Garden, the Strand in addition to Soho.. There he taught stylish immature men how to cruise along on his curricles, in addition to custom made the contraptions for each buyer, taking their weight in addition to inseam into trouble organisation human relationship to create the most comfortable ride possible.

In May 1819 he introduced a dropped-frame version for ladies to accommodate their long skirts.

For most 6 months the machine had a high profile inwards London in addition to elsewhere, its primary riders beingness the Regency dandies. About 80 prints were produced inwards London, depicting the 'hobby-horse' in addition to its users, non ever inwards a flattering light. Johnson's boy undertook a tour of England inwards the restrain of 1819 to exhibit in addition to publicize the item.

 Nevertheless, past times the summertime of the same twelvemonth the craze was dying out, in addition to a wellness alarm against the continued role of the velocipede was issued past times the London Surgeons.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5294681/Collector-finds-Britains-oldest-bike-disused-barn.html
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/object-of-intrigue-twowheeled-transport-for-regency-dandies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Johnson_(inventor)

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