Bike locks

This section describes some types of locks that are closely tied to the velocipede – the bicycle – in the early 20th century.

Even then, there was a surprisingly large amount of widely varied bike locks; many of them were manufactured in Germany and United States. The large selection indicates that pedal-operated vehicles were quite liable to be stolen, and that the lock industry discovered early on the need to protect velocipedes, and thereby discovered a new source of income.

High wheel with small supporting wheel, 1890s

The designation velocipede encompasses a wide range of pedal-operated vehicles over a period of 150 years. Over the years, new designations have cropped up in the course of development. Some examples are pedal cycles, ladies bicycles, men’s bicycles, tandems, tricycles, two-wheelers, mini bikes, mopeds, electric bikes, plastic bikes, mountain bikes and track bicycles.

 

The word bicycle, meaning “two wheel”, came to replace the word velocipede in the 1870s. Velocipede comes from the Latin words velox, swift, and pedem, of the foot. The German word for bicycle, fahrrad, literally means riding wheel.

 

Today’s locks and security solutions

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