Got a minute and wanna see your fixie’s ancestors? Check out this lovely little video from Copenhagen design firm Visual Artwork:

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Kind of interesting that the bicycle’s earliest incarnations from the early 1810s don’t look THAT different from what we ride today, with identical-size wheels and a seat positioned toward the back. It’s all those versions in the middle that look so funky: the high-wheel bicycle of the 1870s, with its huge front wheel, and the high-wheel safety, with a giant rear wheel.

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Thank god they finally got the proportions right! Sure, you can’t get as far with one rotation if your tires are more modestly sized, but at least you won’t fall as far. The modern bike is clearly the pinnacle of bike evolution.