What's a VELOCIPEDE?

[Ploughman]

A bit of alternative traction in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm3anjYoQuw&feature=BFa&list=UUDJnV0t7tyglc70LDmFjAAw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH1RHUmyYig&list=UUDJnV0t7tyglc70LDmFjAAw&index=2&feature=plcp

 

[Class172]

Weren't velocipedes the precursor to the bicycle or something?

 

[LE Greys]

You should have seen How Britain Worked on Channel 4 recently, the bloke on that made his own velocipede out of beech. It was a rather hair-raising, brakeless bicycle with strange pedals that never stopped, even when rolling down a hill at high speed.

 

[Bedpan]

I think its any form of human powered wheeled vehicle. Its just dawned on me too that its from where the Velodrome as a cycling venue got its name. Which then led me to a brainwave for a new Olympic sport - put some rails in and race a few laps of those railway velocipedes. You could have different classes depending on the number of wheels and whether hand or foot pedal operated.

Back to sleep and the land of dreams now....

 

[Prairie_5542]

I think its any form of human powered wheeled vehicle. Its just dawned on me too that its from where the Velodrome as a cycling venue got its name. Which then led me to a brainwave for a new Olympic sport - put some rails in and race a few laps of those railway velocipedes. You could have different classes depending on the number of wheels and whether hand or foot pedal operated.

Back to sleep and the land of dreams now....

Hi, Velodrome I believe comes from the French word of Velo for bicycle, drome for indoor arena. Also this applies to Velocipedes as the velo means bicycle in French.

There are also petrol operated Velocipedes.

 

[Eagle]

Hi, Velodrome I believe comes from the French word of Velo for bicycle. Also this applies to Velocipedes as the velo means bicycle in French.

No, French vélo is simply short for vélocipède. (Also the more usual French word for 'bike' is bicyclette but that's irrelevant :P)

 

[LE Greys]

Technically, it probably means 'fleet of foot', so a velodrome is an arena where you go fast.