All about bicycles, electric-assisted bikes, technology and safety in the press

In our daily work as we deal with bicycle safety, technology and user manuals we come across lots of safety risks. The most frequent ones are published in articles of the leading German special-interest magazines TOUR – Europas Rennrad-Magazin Nr. 1, BIKE – Das Mountainbike Magazin Europas Nr. 1 and E-Bike – Das Pedelec-Magazin to make this information important for the sector accessible to a wider public.

For many years now the Eurobike Show Daily accompanying the annual international Eurobike Show has given us the opportunity to publish our perspective on major developments in the cycle industry in full-page articles.

We also speak regularly in independent lectures about all topics relating to bicycle technology and bicycle market. In addition, we are regularly cited by further special-interest magazines or trade journals as well as more and more by radio and television and in their media reports, which shows us that we are completely right with our information. The section NEWS informs you about the latest news from our specialist fields. The reports and publications of this section are listed chronologically or according to topics of interest.

Südwest Presse Ulm 2012/02/24
Reading time 0:40 minutes

The tradition of the island

Reader’s question: Why is the chain of all bicycles on the right side? - The simplest answer is: Because this has always been the case. But that is not an explanation. Here it is: The bicycle was not only invented and developed in Germany, but also in France and England. It’s in the country which has never known anything else than left-hand traffic that the drive and the chainwheel connected to the sprocket at the rear wheel with the chain was developed.

As most of the people mount a horse from the left side – in former times an important means of transport - and as draught animals of carts were led by people walking on their left side, one was used to walk on the left of them and to mount the bicycle from the left. Drive and chain were consequently built to the right side to prevent oneself from getting soiled or injured.

"And later on this was not questioned anymore", says the Ludwigsburg bicycle expert Dirk Zedler. The chain remained on the right side. But: In the museum of his loss adjusting office there is one bicycle with the chain on the left and bicycles with chains on both sides. But these are exotic models. 

Author: lk

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