these fascinating facts about cycling? y g

> One of the first bicycles was invented in the early 19th century and made entirely out of wood.

Called the hobby horse, it was considered an alternative mode of transport to horseback. It had no gears or pedals so the rider had to push the bicycle forward with his feet.

> Around 100 million bicycles are produced every year and it is estimated there are over a billion in the world. Nearly half of those are said to be in China.

> Bicycles can balance themselves. Studies show that a bicycle can stay upright and move without a rider pushing it forward as long as it is travelling at 13km per hour or faster.

> In 20012, German Diddi Senft set a newn Guinness World Record by building the argest bicycle with a wheel diameter of 3.3m. It was 7.8m long, 3.7m high and weighed about 150kg.

> The Tour de France is the most famous and popular cycling race in the world, and began in 1903. More than 12 million spectators are said to have watched the three-week race in 2012. This year’s race comprised 21 stages covering a total of 3,540km. > Bicycles are the reason we have paved roads because, unlike other vehicles, it is difficult to ride them over cobblestones. Road improvements were first lobbied for by cycling organisations in the United States and Britain. > Who says you can only seat two on a tandem bicycle? One tandem bicycle was designed to seat 35 cyclists. The longest measured about 42m but could only seat 20 riders.