Question 1: German inventor Karl Drais is known as the ‘father of the bicycle’ for creating a steerable, two-wheeled contraption in which year?
- 1717
- 1817
- 1917
Correct Answer: 1817
Fact: Known variously as the laufmaschine, the draisine, or swift walker, Karl Drais unveiled his invention in 1817 and patented it in France, under the name vélocipède, in 1818. Unlike modern bikes, it did not have pedals. Pedals attached to the front wheel were first introduced in the early 1860s in Paris, and the name velocipede was soon replaced by bicycle.
Question 2: What is a bicycle ridden by more than one person called?
- Hybrid
- Recumbent
- Tandem
Correct Answer: Tandem
Fact: The tandem, or twin bicycle, was the creation of Danish inventor Mikael Pedersen in 1898. Tandem variations for three people are called triples; for four, they are called quads, and quints are ridden by five people.
Question 3: What is the name of the ultra-distance cycling event across the US?
- Tour de America
- Race Across America
- US Road Race
Correct Answer: Race Across America
Fact: The Race Across America, also known as RAAM, was first held in 1982 under the name of Great American Bike Race. The West-to-East Coast race is a nonstop ride of approximately 3,000 miles. This year’s event starts in Oceanside, California, and ends in Atlantic City, New Jersey.