200th Anniversary of the Draisine Bicycle

History records various examples of vehicles that are powered by human strength so the discovery of bicycle cannot be tied to the name of a particular inventor. The German baron Karl von Drais is mentioned as the first bicycle driver who in 1817 made a bicycle called draisine. Crisis and the lack of food at the beginning of the 19th century prompted him to find a replacement for the horse that would be used for transportation so he invented Laufmaschine („running machine“) which was later called draisine.

During the following years there were various attempts to develop bicycles such as bicycle with pedals on the front large wheel, then introduction of steering wheel and moving seats to a better position, all in order to make bikes safer and easier to handle. The first real progress has been made with the introduction of chain drive and pneumatic tire.

The simple bike construction didn’t change significantly from the basic concept but the technological improvement brought implementation of better quality materials. Today, bikes are the most commonly used vehicles in the world. Bike construction depends on what they are intended for, bikes for recreation are practical and comfortable while sports bikes are used in competitions and are made from lighter and more durable materials. (Željka Šaravanja)

The Croatian Post Ltd. Mostar has issued commemorative postage stamp in a sheet of 9 stamps, postmark and First Day Cover (FDC).