MTB in History & Society

  1. History of mountain biking

  • The Development of Bicycles

  • Advances in science and technology due to the Industrial Revolution (1760 – ~1840) led to the first bicycle
    • The “Draisienne” was invented in Germany in 1817 
  • The first bike as we know it was invented in England in 1885
  • Bicycles were first used by the wealthy before becoming a form of mass transit for the working classes
  • In the late 1800’s the bicycle was explored for military in off-road conditions
  • In 1897 the ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ rode 1900 miles across the United States (mccormick 2012)
  • Throughout the 19th and 20th century bicycle use grew across the globe for transport, sport, and recreation