logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2022
33m 17s

The Safety Bicycle

ROMAN MARS
About this episode
Jody Rosen joins us to talk about the evolution of the bicycle, how it became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1800s, then a symbol of protest, and a lightning rod for political controversy. And we’ll find out what’s next for the bike, in a world built for cars. 
Up next
Jul 7
The Score
We keep score of everything these days. But what happens when the numbers start changing what we actually care about? Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting ... Show More
26m 8s
Jul 3
100 Objects #7: The Otis Pamphlet
Before the Declaration of Independence was even a twinkle in the founding fathers' eyes, there was James Otis. Journalist Jack Hitt returns to tell the wild, tragic story of America’s forgotten proto-founding father and his inflammatory 1764 pamphlet. A story that is, in many way ... Show More
37m 26s
Jun 30
Transatlantic Fiber-Optic Expialidocious
Before the internet went global, one undersea gamble made it possible. Jane Ruffino’s story, "Say Goodbye to the Undersea Cable That Made the Global Internet Possible," appears in the May-June issue of Wired magazine. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 9 ... Show More
31m 56s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2018
TechStuff Takes Off The Training Wheels
From the earliest two-wheeled, human-powered vehicles to today's racing bicycles, we look at how the humble bike was invented and how it evolved over the decades. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor ... Show More
42m 57s
Jun 2023
History of the Bicycle
Christy VanArragon and Bruce Gulland tell the history of one of the most important inventions in history - the bicycle! Download our app for Android at http://bit.ly/spotlight-android Download our app for iOS at http://bit.ly/spotlight-apple Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spo ... Show More
14m 11s
Apr 2019
Bicycle
The bicycle was to prove transformative. Cheaper than a horse, it freed women and young working class people to roam free. And the bike was the testing ground for countless improvements in manufacturing that would later lead to Henry Ford’s production lines. Tim Harford considers ... Show More
8m 59s
Jun 2022
BICYCLES: Are They the Future of Transportation?
Jody Rosen is a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine and a bike nut who has just published a rousing (and sometimes arousing) book called “Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle.” Today, he takes us on a rollicking ride through the two-wheeled revol ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 2022
Tim Talks Bicycles with Patented
Invented in the mid-1800s, bicycles have had enduring popularity. Across cultures, they have been embraced, promising freedom and mobility at a lower price point. Tim joins Dallas Campbell on Patented: History of Inventions, to discuss the history of the bicycle, from the inventi ... Show More
38m 37s
Feb 2025
Elementary | Buying a Bike
<p>Riding a bike is probably the most convenient mode of transport in China. So far on ChinesePod you&#39;ve used Mandarin to rent a bike and even fix a flat tire. In today&#39;s podcast we buy a bike, and bell, and lock... but don&#39;t forget to buy a helmet! Episode link: http ... Show More
13m 29s
Sep 2024
Jonathan Maskit, "Bicycle" (Bloomsbury, 2023)
These days the bicycle often appears as an interloper in a world constructed for cars. An almost miraculous 19th-century contraption, the bicycle promises to transform our lives and the world we live in, yet its time seems always yet-to-come or long-gone-by. In Bicycle (Bloomsbur ... Show More
1h 14m
Jun 2013
Boys of Summer: The Bike Perfecter
<p>In the third Boys of Summer installment, Cristen and Caroline hat tip JK Starley, the engineer who invented the bicycle as we know it today, and explain how the bicycle was a transportation revolution for women.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https:// ... Show More
20m 23s
May 2023
Elementary | Cycling
<p>Some cyclists train for years before hitting the track in the Olympics. Other cyclists buy a $30 bicycle and are thrown onto the gritty pavement of a Chinese city to learn from their hard knocks. One such lesson learned being: never pass on the right for risk of being spat on ... Show More
12m 40s