You are here:About>Sports>Bicycling> The Bike Life> Pierre and Ernest Michaux - Inventors of the Modern Bicycle
About.comBicycling

Bikes - An Illustrated History

From David Fiedler,
Your Guide to Bicycling.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

The Boneshaker - Invented by Michaux and Lallement

Pierre Lallement's 1866 patent for an early boneshaker bike.
Pierre Lallement's 1866 patent for an early boneshaker bike.
United States Patent Office

Many historians credit Pierre and Ernest Michaux as being the true inventors of the modern bicycle. This father and son duo operated a company that made carriages in Paris when they first assembled a two-wheeled vélocipède around 1867. This bike was was propelled like a tricycle, with its cranks and pedals connected to the front wheel.

The design soon came to the U.S. when a Michaux employee named Pierre Lallement who also claimed credit for the idea, saying he developed the prototype in 1863, set out for America. He filed for the first bicycle patent with the U.S. patent office in 1866.

The vélocipède ("fast foot") was also known as the "boneshaker" thanks to its rough ride, caused by its stiff iron frame and wooden wheels wrapped in an iron rim.

  1. The Earliest Bicycle - 1790
  2. When Pedals Were Added - A Big Improvement
  3. The Boneshaker - Invented by Michaux and Lallement
  4. The High Wheeler Bike - Penny Farthing
  5. Safety Bicycle - A Major Advancement in Design
  6. History of Bicycle Racing
  7. Bicycles in Commerce and War
  8. Technological Innovations in Bikes in the 20th Century

<< Previous | Next >>

 All Topics | Email Article | Print this Page | |
Advertising Info | News & Events | Work at About | SiteMap | Reprints | HelpOur Story | Be a Guide
User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy©2008 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.