Bicycle

Bicycles are vehicles that are propelled by humans. They can move it by pushing the pedals.

Etymology
The word is borrowed from French. Which is a combination of bi- ("bi-" meaning two) + cycle ("cycle"). In French, the more common word is bicyclette.

Invention
In 1817, German baron Baron Karl von Drais created an early form of the bicycle without pedals called the "dandy horse" (Laufmaschine in german) after viewing a unusual number of horse deaths in Europe.

Around 1867, Pierre Michaux invented a similar vehicle called the velocipede (spelled vélocipède in French ) which included an early form of the pedals.

But 1876 is when Englishman Harry John Lawson made a "safety" bicycle in which the seating level is low enough that an average rider can reach the ground with their feet.

Parts
Different types of bicycles have different parts, but they are typically made up of the parts shown in the diagram.

Saddle
The saddle provides seating for the rider.

Wheel
The wheel is rotated by the pedal in order to provide transport for the vehicle. Their sizes vary since they would have to fit the frame.

Pedal
The pedal is the part that the rider uses with their foot to move the bicycle.

Steer
The steering guides which direction is the bicycle moving to. Usually, it is two handlebars connected to a stem.

Brakes
The brakes lowers or halts the speed for preventing certain situations. The three main types are the rim brakes, disc brakes, and drum brakes. They can be activated with either a lever in the handlebars or the pedals if pulled backwards.

Statistics
China is currently the biggest producer of bicycles. According to Conebi, around 12 million bicycles were made in 2014.

Wear-down and Repair
Like many things, bicycles can wear-down after a few years, but most types have a solution. The most common wear-downs are:
 * The metal starts to rust.

Uses
In general usage, they are used to get around places like other forms of transportation. But they have other uses that are in the fields of military, entertainment, tourism, and sports competitions.