Titre : What made the bicycle, and what it has changed in France (1816‐2016) Auteurs : Yves-Claude Lequin, Revue : Technology and Innovation Numéro : Issue 4 Volume : 2 Date : 2017/09/5 DOI : 10.21494/ISTE.OP.2017.0158 ISSN : 2399-8571 Résumé : In 1817, in the wake of Europe’s revolutions, the bicycle was created in Northern Europe, born out of a desire for speed and the effort to "save time". Made first of wood and propelled by the cyclist’s feet, it underwent a century of development before it began to look like the bicycles we use today, on rural or urban roads that have themselves been transformed, for uses that vary widely from one country to another, and by an increasingly diverse range of users. It required learning (balance), mastering (cultural) and accommodation (vertigo). Its evolution often involved conflict, such as that between Proust’s fascination for cycling girls and the anti-feminist vehemence of the traditionalists. Widely adopted in working-class neighborhoods, the bicycle nearly disappeared through competition from motor vehicles during the 1960s, before being reborn today and continuing to transform itself for new purposes… in competition with the car. Éditeur : ISTE OpenScience