But the time interval between the prehistoric rolling log and the Egyptian chariot wheel must have been thousands of years. With the coming of the new method of moving things, various types of problems put in their appearance. The discs wore badly on the edges so some ingenious man split a sapling and wrapped the thin, flexible strips around the rim - this was the first tire. The axle shaft would wear, so the development of lubricants and bearings started. And when people began to ride in the carts, the question of comfort arose and the spring was born. All of these inventions improved the various pieces of apparatus and great progress started, particularly when the railroad and automobile came along. But, up to the time of the bicycle and the pneumatic tire, the Egyptian chariot and the wagon wheel of today were basically the same. But the use of rolling vehicles had a powerful influence on civilization - distances were shortened - commerce and communication moved ahead. The people gave up walking and began to ride. Whether it was a Roman cart rolling into Gaul or a prairie schooner crossing our western plains, they both did their share in expanding the frontiers. |