The Lost Gears Podcast

Long before carbon fiber, electronic shifting, and modern racing technology, a young mechanic opened a small workshop in Milan and began building bicycles. His name was Edoardo Bianchi, and the company he founded in 1885 would become one of the most recognizable names in cycling history.

In this episode of The Lost Gears Podcast, we explore the origins of Bianchi and the remarkable story behind one of cycling's oldest surviving brands. From a modest repair shop in Milan to international recognition, Bianchi helped shape the identity of the bicycle during its formative years.

We'll look at...

Season 2, Episode 1 — Columbia: America’s First Bicycle Empire

Before Schwinn, Trek, or Specialized, there was Columbia — the first true bicycle empire in the United States.

In the late 1800s, as the safety bicycle began to take hold, one man saw an opportunity to do more than just ride — he wanted to build an industry. His name was Albert Augustus Pope, and after discovering the high-wheel bicycle at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, he became obsessed with understanding it, improving it, and ultimately bringing it to the American market.

What started as a bold investment in impor...

Season 1, Episode 4 — The Safety Bicycle: The Design That Changed Everything

By the late 1800s, bicycles had become faster, taller, and more dangerous than ever. The high-wheeled penny-farthing dominated the cycling world, but it came with a serious problem — riders sat high above the ground, and a sudden stop could send them crashing head-first into the road.

Cycling had reached a turning point. If bicycles were ever going to become practical for everyday people, something had to change.

That change arrived with the invention of the safety bicycle — a revolutionary design featuring two equal-sized wheels...

By the 1870s, the bicycle had learned how to balance and how to pedal. But inventors and riders weren’t satisfied. They wanted speed.

The result was the high wheeler — better known today as the penny-farthing. With its massive front wheel and tiny rear wheel, this towering machine became one of the most recognizable symbols of early cycling. It was fast, direct, and surprisingly efficient. It was also unstable, unforgiving, and often dangerous.

Riders perched high above the ground, their center of gravity sitting almost directly over the front axle. A sudden stop could send them...

After the invention of the Laufmaschine proved that two wheels in a straight line could balance, inventors across Europe began asking the next logical question: what if it didn’t require your feet to push off the ground?

The answer was the velocipede — a heavy, iron-framed machine with pedals attached directly to the front wheel. It was bold. It was innovative. And it was incredibly uncomfortable.

Nicknamed the “boneshaker,” this early pedal-powered bicycle rattled riders across cobblestone streets and uneven roads with unforgiving force. But despite its rough ride, it marked a major turning point in cycli...

Before carbon frames, suspension, or even pedals, there was a simple wooden machine that changed transportation forever. In 1817, a German inventor named Karl von Drais introduced the world to the Laufmaschine — a two-wheeled “running machine” powered entirely by human feet.

It didn’t have a chain. It didn’t have brakes. And it certainly didn’t look like the bicycles we ride today.

But this humble wooden contraption introduced one revolutionary idea: two wheels in a straight line, balanced by a rider. That concept would become the foundation of every bicycle that followed.

In this epis...

Before bicycles were fast, sleek, and everywhere… they were wooden, wobbly, and revolutionary. The Lost Gears Podcast takes you from the first running machines of Karl von Drais, to penny-farthings, safety bicycles, and the brands, technology, and innovators that built the industry we ride today.

Whether you’re a history buff, a bike nerd, or just curious about how bicycles shaped the world, this podcast delivers stories, nerdy facts, and high-energy storytelling — all in a format that’s fun, educational, and unforgettable.

Hop on, and let’s ride through the fascinating history of the bicycle — one gear at