Except for the pneumatic tire, about which I really have no idea, it seems pretty likely that a blacksmith and/or clockmaker in the past <i>could</i> make a bicycle. But is it economically feasible? How would the bicycle work on the streets/roads of the time? Can you make a cross-country type of bicycle out of wood (i.e. less expensive but able to deal with likely terrains)?
What would people use this bicycle for? Is it more useful than a cart? Than a horse? Would someone who could get around in a coach and four (i.e. rich enough to buy something that may be expensive, especially if made mostly of metal) choose to use a bicycle?
I feel like your question about physical artifacts is on the right track, but that it needs to be expanded quite a bit. It’s not just the physical artifacts for making things, but the environment in which things will be used, and that environment includes both physical artifacts and economic situation and mental memes and ways of thinking and culture and etc.
I haven’t read it, but from what I’ve heard, the 1632 series by Eric Flint and collaborators looks into some of these questions, and at least tries to be realistic about it. It is fiction, but I think it’s the kind where some thought has gone into how things work.
I doubt bicycle would be very useful without good roads and latex tire. Synthetic latex is way above my knowledge—but natural latex is easy to find in Southern East Asia.
Okay, but what is a bicycle?
Is this?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Michauxjun.jpg/682px-Michauxjun.jpg
Is this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1886_Starley_%27Rover%27_Safety_Cycle_British_Motor_Museum_09-2016_(29928044262).jpg
What about this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Draisine_or_Laufmaschine,_around_1820._Archetype_of_the_Bicycle._Pic_01.jpg
Except for the pneumatic tire, about which I really have no idea, it seems pretty likely that a blacksmith and/or clockmaker in the past <i>could</i> make a bicycle. But is it economically feasible? How would the bicycle work on the streets/roads of the time? Can you make a cross-country type of bicycle out of wood (i.e. less expensive but able to deal with likely terrains)?
What would people use this bicycle for? Is it more useful than a cart? Than a horse? Would someone who could get around in a coach and four (i.e. rich enough to buy something that may be expensive, especially if made mostly of metal) choose to use a bicycle?
I feel like your question about physical artifacts is on the right track, but that it needs to be expanded quite a bit. It’s not just the physical artifacts for making things, but the environment in which things will be used, and that environment includes both physical artifacts and economic situation and mental memes and ways of thinking and culture and etc.
I haven’t read it, but from what I’ve heard, the 1632 series by Eric Flint and collaborators looks into some of these questions, and at least tries to be realistic about it. It is fiction, but I think it’s the kind where some thought has gone into how things work.
I doubt bicycle would be very useful without good roads and latex tire. Synthetic latex is way above my knowledge—but natural latex is easy to find in Southern East Asia.