Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Snowmobile treads are essentially giant rubber belts
A snowmobile’s rubber track loops around the rear like a huge conveyor belt, with raised lugs biting into snow. Its wide footprint spreads the machine’s…
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Ski lifts run on a single continuous loop of cable
A motor pulls one long cable around a loop, carrying chairs uphill with riders and back downhill empty. The lift is a conveyor belt that keeps its appointments.
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Ticket punches utilized highly unique hole shapes
Different punch shapes made tickets easy to distinguish after validation. Conductors could check the little cutout at a glance, while anyone trying to reuse a…
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Wheelchair dancers can outshine the ballroom
Wheelchair dancers steer with the same wheels that support them, using turns, speed and momentum as part of the choreography. The chair isn’t scenery at the…
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Even the sedan chair at an imperial audience was a diplomatic detail
A 1901 agreement for audiences with China's emperor specified where foreign representatives would change from their usual chairs to smaller ones carried by…
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Synthetic clothing can melt as well as burn
Some synthetic fibers soften and melt when exposed to enough heat, which can worsen a burn if material sticks to skin. The fabric's behavior matters as well…
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Why wheelchair treadmills are useful indoors
A wheelchair treadmill holds the chair’s wheels in place while the user pushes against a moving belt. That lets someone practice propulsion or exercise…
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One runner completed a marathon on a pogo stick
Jack Sexty covered the Manchester Marathon's 26.2 miles by pogo stick in 2014, earning a Guinness distance record. Every bit of forward travel still required…
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Handcycles turn daily commutes into punishing workouts
Turn the hand pedals and a chain drives the wheel, sending your arms and shoulders down the road. The bike gets you to work while your upper body files a…
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Why enclosed bikes turn into rolling greenhouses
Sunlight passes through the transparent shell and warms the interior; the rider then adds another heat source while pedaling. If the air has nowhere to…
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The tricycle designed to keep older riders from falling
Two rear wheels give the tricycle a wide, steady base, so the rider stays upright at a stop without balancing on a skinny line. It trades a bicycle’s quick…
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Pogo sticks got their name from two surnames
The name is usually traced to Pohlmann and Götz, whose surnames supplied the sounds in “pogo.” Their names ended up on a spring-loaded toy built for bouncing,…
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Unicycle jugglers believe one wheel is not annoying enough
On one wheel, balance comes from constant little shifts of the wheel beneath the rider. Add juggling and the hands are booked solid, leaving the ankles to run…
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Indiana State takes tricycle racing seriously
Its homecoming Tricycle Derby began in 1963, with spectators crowding around the track and watching from windows and rooftops. Teams race a vehicle associated…
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An English village races decorated prams for charity
Windlesham's Boxing Day Pram Race sends costumed teams around the village with their wheeled creations. The event raises money for local causes, turning a…
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Roller derby began as a race, not a brawl
Early roller derby put skaters in an endurance race around a track. Contact and collisions became part of the spectacle later, when organizers realized a race…
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How pedicab permits created a black market
When a city limits pedicab permits, the right to operate becomes scarce. Drivers still want to work, so permits change hands for unofficial fees. Put a cap on…
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Why schools banned wheeled shoes
Wheeled shoes turn a school hallway into a place where every quick step can become a fast, hard-to-stop roll. Schools ban them to keep crowded corridors…
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A folding scooter solves the trip between the station and the door
It can cover a distance too long to walk comfortably yet too short to justify another vehicle. Folding makes it easier to carry onto transport or store…
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The bicycles built to cross lakes
Floating pontoons keep a bicycle and rider above the water, while the pedals drive a propeller or paddle. It looks like a bike that took a wrong turn at the…
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Japan once made rickshaw passengers get out and bow
Early Tokyo rickshaw regulations required both driver and passenger to dismount and bow when passing certain high-ranking people. The new vehicle sped up…
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Why velodrome tracks are so steep
The banking tilts the track into the turn, so the track's push helps steer riders inward instead of letting them slide outward. The steep wall lets cyclists…
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Ancient chariots turned axles into weapons
Some ancient armies fitted chariots with scythes projecting beside the wheels. A charge could frighten troops into breaking formation, creating gaps for other…
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Why balance bikes skip the training wheels
A balance bike lets children push off with their feet, then lift them as they learn to steer and stay upright. Once balancing feels natural, pedals are the…
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