Description

The Dicycle by Edward Otto. These were produced by BSA.

This strange bicycle was created to overcome the balance problems of classic bicycles, ensuring much greater stability with its two 142 cm wheels.
The cyclist sat between the wheels, on top of the axle, and pedaled using a system of pedals attached to the axle by long rods. The pedals turned pulleys at each end that drove the wheels using rubber belts. Steering was provided by two levers by which the pulleys could be uncoupled or braked. And to avoid falling backwards, a kind of crutch with a small rubber wheel. Between 1880 and 1883, the Birmingham Small Arms Company produced some 953 dicycle Ottos. The name dicycle was chosen because the machine was neither a tricycle nor really a bicycle