Facts on Old England Tricycles

Tricycles have undergone design changes over the years.

Tricycles were very popular in Britain from the 1870s to 1890s, especially among the upper class. They were more expensive than bicycles and considered as "a genteel vehicle," appropriate for teens or women.

History

The tricycle was invented in Germany in 1680 for a paraplegic named Stephan Farffler. It had gears and hand cranks. It was not until 1819 that England finally learned about the three-wheeled vehicle. Denis Johnson was the first British patent holder of tricycles.

First Generation

In 1876, James Starley's Coventry Lever Tricycle ignited the tricycling craze in Britain. It was a lever-driven vehicle with two small wheels on the right and one large wheel on the left. All the tricycles produced between 1876 and 1884 were similar to this model.

Second Generation

The second generation of English tricycles was short-lived. They first appeared in 1885 and were all gone by 1892. The tricycles built in this period had two pedals, two large rear wheels and one smaller front wheel bisecting their track.

Third Generation

These tricycles were a modernized version of the second generation tricycles. The fundamental structure remained the same, but all the wheels were of equal size.

Tricycles Today

Many British manufacturers stopped producing tricycles by the 1990s. The British nowadays mainly use tricycles for recreation rather than real transportation.

References

• Retro Pedal Car: A Brief History of Tricycles