Image 6 of 18 from Cannondale's Quantum Leap in bicycle design: the ON concept

Early forms of the bicycle emerged as early as 1791 when one Monsieur de Sirvac is said to have added a second wheel to a child's hobbyhorse. The “draisienne” – which was propelled by riders pushing their feet on the ground - was invented in Germany around 25 years later and the basic design platform we recognize today took shape at the end of the 1800’s with the addition of pneumatic tyres, derailleur gears and hand-operated cable-pull brakes, but if this radical prototype from urban solutions company Cannondale is any indication, the continuing evolution of the bicycle as we move into the 21st century might yield some very surprising results.