The Hobby Horse

The dream of a horse-less vehicle inspired many would-be inventors and during the 18th century various human-powered carriages were built, but the first two-wheeled version was a ‘running machine’ created in Germany in 1817 by Baron Karl von Drais, Master of the Woods and Forests of the Grand Duke of Baden. Through trial and error - and one suspects many bruises - Drais was the first person to discover that a machine with two wheels in line could achieve balance once it reached sufficient speed. He named his invention the velocipede which loosely translated from French means ‘swift of foot’, as the rider straddled the machine and propelled it with the feet. In Britain it also was called ‘The Hobby Horse’. Early ridicule about his invention was dispelled by von Drais showing that on his machine he could exceed the speed of human runners, and through his ability to balance when going down inclines and steer at speed.

An early account of the invention was published in Britain in February 1819 in an article entitled, The Pedestrian’s Hobby Horse: 'Under the direction of Baron Drais, some years since, a carriage was constructed to go without horses; but as it required two servants to work it, and was a very complicated piece of workmanship, besides being heavy and expensive, the baron, after having brought it to some degree of perfection, relinquished the design altogether in favour of the machine here presented, and now introduced into this country by Mr. Johnson of 75, Long-Acre; it is a most simple, cheap, and light machine, and is likely to become useful and generally employed in England, as well as in Germany and France; particularly in the country, in gentlemen's pleasure-grounds and parks. By medical men on the Continent it is esteemed a discovery of much importance, as it affords the best exercise for the benefit of health. The swiftness with which a person, well-practiced, can travel, is almost beyond belief; eight, nine, and even ten miles may be passed over within the hour, on good and level ground. The inventor, Baron von Drais, travelled last summer, previously to his last improvement, from Manheim to the Swiss relay-house, and back again, a distance of four hours' journey by the posts, in one short hour; and he has lately, with the improved machine, ascended the steep hill from Gernsbach to Baden, which generally requires two hours, in about an hour, and convinced a number of scientific amateurs assembled on the occasion, of the great swiftness of this very interesting species of carriage. The principle of this invention is taken from the art of skating, and consists in the simple idea of a seat upon two wheels, propelled by the feet acting upon the ground. The riding-seat, or saddle, is fixed on a perch upon two double-shod wheels, running after each other, so that they can go upon the footways, which in summer are almost always good. To preserve the balance, a small board, covered and stuffed, is placed before, on which the arms are laid, and in front of which is the little guiding-pole, which is held in the hand to direct the route. These machines will answer very well for messengers and other purposes, and even for long journeys: they do not weigh fifty pounds, and may be made with travelling pockets, &c. in a very handsome and durable form. The price, as we are informed, is from £8 to £10. Pedestrian wagers against time have of late been much the hobby of the English people, and this new invention will give new scope for sport of that sort.'[1]

When this article appeared velocipedes were already popular among the fashionable set: ‘They are quite the rage in England at present, and are thought so much of, that a great number of gentlemen prefer them to any other exercise.’[2] The majority that were ridden were manufactured by Denis Johnson, a watchmaker in London, who created an improved version that included several parts made of metal which created a lighter velocipede than the continental version. He patented his version under the name, ‘a pedestrian curricle’ and manufactured and sold at least 320 in early 1819, including a dropped-frame version to accommodate ladies’ long dresses. He also opened riding schools in the Strand and Soho. As the velocipede became fashionable among the wealthy fashionable ‘dandies’ the machine also was nick-named the ‘dandy-charger’, and was mocked in print and cartoons. 

The Duke of Argyll and the Earl of Eglington are reputed to have owned hobby-horses but few others appear to have been brought to Scotland. One was seen in Glasgow in April 1819: ‘A person appeared in the principal streets last night, mounted on one the newly invented machines, to the great gratification of the female loungers, in Saltmarket Street.’[4] The following month there was great excitement in Glasgow due to a rumour that a velocipede again would be ridden in the city and hundreds turned out to marvel. Sadly, as a number of newspapers reported: ‘They were hoaxed for no Dandy Horse appeared.’[5] A report of a velocipede seen in Edinburgh in June of that same year indicates that not all riders had completely mastered controlling the machine as it sped downhill: ‘Last week a dandy charger, or velocipede, ran off with its rider on Leith Walk, and coming violently into contact with a basket of eggs, overturned the rider, and sent him, with the contents of the basket, a-rolling on the causeway. Upon recovering himself, the rider, to escape the fury of the egg woman, threw her a few shillings, remounted his charger, and galloped off.’[6]

Interest in velocipedes as a mode of travel swiftly waned in Britain, partly as a result of the authorities in London banning the use of velocipedes in the city’s crowded streets. One owner was fined 21 shillings for riding his velocipede along the pavement in Leather Lane. His plea that he could not pay the fine as he had spent all his money in the purchase of his expensive velocipede did not impress the magistrate who told him if he did not pay his machine would be impounded. Also rumours spread of an unfortunate side effect of riding the machine: ‘An alarming number of cases of Hernia have, within the last two months, offered themselves at London’s hospitals; all occurring among poor mechanics, who had indulged themselves in the Sunday use of a velocipede. ln consequence of this most mischievous property, the amusement is much in decline.’[7] Thus by 1826 it was reported: ‘The velocipede, like the kaleidoscope, already almost forgotten in England, though only few years ago both were so much the rage.’[8] The wealthy returned to horseback and horse-drawn vehicles. Perhaps to mock the apparently ill-fated substitute ‘hobby-horse’ one racehorse was named ‘Velocipede’ in 1825 and over its twenty five years became regarded as one of the best British horses of the era.

In 1821 a British inventor, Mr Kent gave various displays around the country of an Aquatic Velocipede and ‘a prodigious crowd’ assembled on the banks of the Clyde to watch him ride it. ‘He was somewhat assisted by the river being partially swollen by the rains. Several porters were stationed at the different entrances to Glasgow Green with subscription boxes. It is computed that above 30,000 people were present. The machine consists of three oval tin cases united by iron rods to support a sort of saddle, upon which Mr Kent sits, at such height as is suitable for using his feet to give the requisite impulse.’[9]

While the velocipede vanished from Britain by the late 1820s a few survived. In April 1850 Queen Victoria wrote in her diary: ‘A fine morning & quite hot. Albert tried to ride on & guide, a machine, called a velocipede, which is moved by making steps, as if walking. It is very good exercise.’[10] 

Surprisingly, over the following four decades or so no one was able to work out how the Drais two-wheel velocipede could be powered by the rider. As explored in the chapter on tricycles a number of three- and four-wheel machines propelled by one or two riders did appear, but it was not until 1868 that the first human-powered velocipede, and thus the forerunner of the bicycle, made its appearance.

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