Benon, pedal bicycle, 1870

Benon, pedal bicycle, 1870, France

According to reports, the pedal application on the Draisine and the improvements that will turn it into the “Michaudine“, was made by a technician called Lallement, collaborator of Michaux, to whom the Michaux family (that patented the idea) didn’t show the right gratitude. We have to remember that the Michaux family already had an organized company and potential customers for their new vehicle. Lallement was just a technician that surely lacked money to invest on the idea. On the other hand the Germans realized that the compatriot Fischer (skilled repairman of musical instruments) actually had the moral authorship of the invention, applied 13 years before the Michaux patent.

Technical notes:
Michaux model
Wooden wheels with iron protection
Saddle on the leaf spring
Brake on the back wheel operated by a string on the handlebar: in order to stop, you turned the handlebar
Forged iron frame and fork
Two little ornaments shaped like moustaches used to rest your feet while going downhill to avoid hitting the spinning pedals