Draisine ca 1835 3602-84

Draisine ca 1835
The most startling feature of this very early bicycle is that it has no pedals or cranks and the rider gained propulsion by merely pushing his feet along the ground. It was invented by the German-born Baron von Drais (1785-1851) and was patented in France in 1817. Von Drais called his invention the ‘running machine’ but to the French public it became known as a Draisine. It was a breakthrough in personal transport and became enormously popular, with special riding schools established to teach the art of cycling.
The idea was a great success and quickly spread to the United States of America, Germany and Britain, where it was soon dubbed the ‘hobby horse’ or ‘dandy horse’. The English hobby horses were an improvement on the Draisine. They were made of iron instead of timber, featured an adjustable seat and a cushioned arm rest and had a different arrangement for the handles.
Very few original Draisines exist; our machine still has her original body but saddle, wheels and fork are later items. She once belonged to the collection of the Belgian Musée du Cycle in Falmignoul. Front wheel diameter is ca 80 cm, rear wheel diameter ca 75 cm, handlebar height 110 cm.