At the end of the 18th century, the Frenchman Sifrac invented the first bicycle. This earliest bicycle was wooden, had no drive or steering, and the rider had to pedal both feet.
In 1874, during the Tongzhi period, the Frenchman Mira brought rickshaws from Japan to Shanghai, which were called “Toyo cars” or “rickshaws” and became a means of transportation. Subsequently, the repair, rent, and sales of rickshaws emerged in Shanghai. Guangxu In 1884, the Shenjiang Shengjing Map, published in China, recorded for the first time that bicycles began to appear in China: “If people step on the scale, they also tie the front and rear wheels, turning like flying, and people can walk with less effort.” Not only one person sees it, but many people see it. “There were very few bicycles, and the cyclists were blonde foreigners. In 1897, China began to import bicycles from Britain, and Zhu Tongsheng, who originally set up a stall to repair horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws, chose No. 604 Nanjing Road (now Nanjing East Road) in the 23rd year of Guangxu and opened Tongchang Bicycle Shop, dealing in bicycles and spare parts.
During the Republican period, the Japanese opened bicycle factories in Shanghai, Tianjin and Shenyang, China, but the output was very small. In 1940, Shanghai Bicycle Factory (the predecessor of Shanghai Permanent Co., Ltd.) was established, which enabled China to have its own brand bicycle production enterprises, leading generations of Chinese bicycle consumption fashion, which can be called a pioneer banner of China’s bicycle industry.
After liberation, in 1950, New China’s first fully localized bicycle brand “Feige” was born in Tianjin, and 267 small factories in Shanghai merged to form Shanghai Bicycle Factory No. 3, which is the predecessor of Phoenix Bicycle Factory. Demand outstrips supply for a while. But bicycles are still rare pets. In the 60s and 70s, bicycles have occupied an important place in people’s lives, sewing machines, watches, and bicycles are listed as three major items, becoming a symbol of whether a family is rich. In the 80s, led by the five major brand enterprises in the domestic bicycle industry of “Permanent, Phoenix, Flying Pigeon, Hongqi and Golden Lion”, there were more than 60 bicycle manufacturing factories and more than 1,000 bicycle parts factories in China, basically forming a complete production system.
Bicycles were born in Europe, but in the 20th century they gained unprecedented popularity and development in China in Asia. China’s bicycle production, consumption and export volume rank first in the world. The Chinese people own more than 500 million bicycles, and the annual export reaches 20 million. In a sense, China is a cycling kingdom. The production of bicycles has changed dramatically, with the same old style being replaced by a colorful new bike. Bicycles are noiseless, pollution-free, light weight, simple structure, high quality and low price, easy to use and maintain, can be used as a means of transportation and carrying goods, but also for physical exercise, so it is widely used by people.