Pub. 3 2013 Issue 2

17 MINING FOCUS If it Can’t Be Grown, It has to Be Mined! time, the contraption had pedals and a seat, but it was still made of wood. People also called it a Boneshaker because riding it over cobblestones was such an uncomfortable (and bone-shaking) experience. The first all-metal bicycle was invented five years later, in 1870, after metallurgy made it possible to manufacture parts that were strong enough to support someone, and light enough to make it portable. This was the high wheel bicycle, with rubber tires and a front wheel that was as big as it could be while still allowing someone’s leg to make it rotate with the pedals. It was the first bicycle to use the name we use today. If you earned an average salary, it would take you six months to buy one, and they were most popular in the 1880s. Since a fall on one was a serious matter, this is when the phrase “taking a header” was coined. Bicycle popularity in the 1880s and 1890s prompted many cities to pave their roads. That made it much easier for people to use their automobiles. Credit for the first gasoline- powered engine goes to two Germans, Karl Friedrich Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, who had never met before the day they both filed their patents in two different German cities on January 29, 1886. Of course, it wasn’t long before Henry Ford founded his first company, the Detroit Automobile Company, and began the creation of an entire industry. The one thing that is very clear about the bicycle industry is that it would not exist if people were still building bicycle frames out of wood. It’s no accident that bicycles did not become popular until they were made of metal. What metals do you need to build a bicycle today? It depends; engineers have been very creative in their use of materials as they have worked to build lighter, stronger bicycles for people to ride. Children use bicycles, of course, but in a time when people are looking for ways to conserve the environment and find good, fun ways to exercise, bicycles have become popular with many adults as well. Some of the options include a racing bicycle, a mountain bicycle, or (if you are a little older) a bicycle that is well-suited to riding around your neighborhood in a comfortable position that includes a nicely padded seat. • STEEL: You could argue that the most important part of the bicycle is its frame, because it has to be strong and resilient, light, and affordable. Chrome molybdenum steel, which is called chromoly, is an excellent choice for a frame because it is light and strong. Carbon steel is used as well, but it is heavier than chromoly. In addition to the frame, the wheel rims and spokes are also usually made of steel. Bearings are usually made of hardened steel, and hardened carbon steel is used to make the chain. Suspension springs are made from tensile steel (spring steel). • ALUMINUM: Some frames are made from heat-treated aluminum. Aluminum has come down in price and is widely used as a frame material. Pedals, brake levers, and quick release cam are also made from aluminum. • TITANIUM: It weighs less than steel, is extremely strong, and resists corrosion, so it is a great material for a bicycle frame. It costs more money, so you will usually find titanium being used to build the frame for high-end road or cross- country mountain bicycles. • CARBON FIBER is not a metal, but it is a mining product and has been used to make high-end frames for bicycles. • BRASS: Bicycle gears use brass bearings. The next time you take your bike out for a spin around a park or through a neighborhood, you might want to think about the way that mining has benefited your life in the form of your bicycle. It has provided you with exercise, recreation, transportation, and cleaner air. That is an excellent return on investment made possible by mining. 