4 ms·
Although wood was available, the precision metal tools and skills required to fabricate light-weight spoked wheels were not widely available Precision machini
by hyperpallium2 6y ago
Although wood was available, the precision metal tools and skills required to fabricate light-weight spoked wheels were not widely available
Precision machining was possible, e.g. Antikythera mechanism, but so rare that only one instance has been found.
So maybe... the ancient bicycle existed - we just haven't found it!
BTW: TFA includes several pre-chain bicycles, but every so often I marvel at bicycle chains. I couldn't make one from scratch. The precision machining and the steel itself were impossible to manufacture just a few scant centuries ago.
- magicalhippo 6y ago> the precision metal tools I was wondering about how those came about not long ago, and stumbled over this[1] nice video, "Origins of Precision". [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNRnrn5DE58 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNRnrn5DE58
- dredmorbius 6y agoExcellent video. See also Simon Winchester's The Perfectionists https://www.worldcat.org/title/perfectionists-how-precision-engineers-created-the-modern-world/oclc/1164643369&referer=space_alien_cat https://www.worldcat.org/title/perfectionists-how-precision-...