Page 61. “In traversing a given distance in a given time a tall man will take fewer steps than a short man, in the same way that a large wheel will make fewer revolutions in travelling over a given space than a smaller one. The nave of a large wheel corresponds to the ilio-femoral articulation (hip-joint) of the tall man, the spokes to his legs, and portions of the rim to his feet.”
We thank nature very much for this suggestion of the wheel; without it perhaps we should never have conceived of the veritable wheel itself.
I also find from another work:[3]
“Living beings have frequently and in every age been compared to machines, but it is only in the present day that the bearing and the justice of this comparison is fully comprehensible.”
Page 67. “One might find in the animal organism many other appliances the arrangement of which resembles that of machines invented by man.”
Page 91. “Let us examine from this point of view the articulation in the foot of man: we see in the tibio-tarsal articulation a curvature of small radius.”
Page 112. “In addition to this the body is inclined and drawn up again; at each movement of one of the legs it revolves on a pivot.”
And so on in all works on animal locomotion will ever be found a continual reference to radius, roundness, and rolling.
These quotations show that while we must acknowledge that the fundamental principles involved in the cycle were anticipated, to a certain extent, by nature, we may yet take great credit upon ourselves for developing the new or improved method to such a perfect and useful degree.
To the oscillating features found in the human organism the genius of man has added a full circular revolving mechanism, pushing further nature’s aspiration to roll. Nature rolls a little, and then rolls back again; man has so improved upon himself by the addition of a wheel that he can roll on forever. It is quite evident that by such means he saves much energy; let us now determine if possible how this saving can be still further increased.
The whole question of the advantages of the cycle method or wheel locomotion must resolve itself into one of reduction of organic friction as shown by fatigue in the body. All inorganic friction, such as metallic friction in the machine and upon the road, must be finally overcome at the expense of organic friction due to the exercise of the muscles in man. Without stopping to discuss such profound questions as to just what organic friction is, or as to how the display of energy creates friction, we will confine ourselves to the more tangible problem,—to wit, improvements upon the improvement; that is to say, granting the cycle method to be an improvement upon the leg method, we will discuss improvements in the cycle method.
We feel perfectly justified, from our own experience and observation, in adopting, as a basis upon which to build all future improvements, the broad principle underlying the intervention of continually rolling wheels between the rider and his road-way. Now, we ask, what are the requirements appertaining particularly to this wheel method?
In order to approach the subject logically, I repeat that the fundamental requirement is the reduction of organic friction or fatigue of the body.