Starley, James

James Starley, (born April 21, 1830, Albourne, Sussex, Eng.—died June 17, 1881, Coventry, Warwickshire), British inventor and father of the bicycle industry.

In 1855 Starley moved to London, where he was employed in the manufacture of sewing machines, and two years later he moved to Coventry, where he became managing foreman at the Coventry Sewing Machine Company (later the Coventry Machinists’ Company Ltd.). There he invented and patented new models, and many of his features are used in modern sewing machines.

In 1868 Starley became interested in bicycle improvement. His first bicycle, the Coventry, was quickly followed by the Ariel (1871), notable for its use of centre pivot steering. Considered the first true bicycle by many historians, the Ariel was the immediate precursor of the high-wheel ordinary and was the standard of bicycle design for the next decade.

Starley invented and manufactured the tangentially spoked wheel, with the spokes connected to the hub at a tangent. His design was a great improvement over radially spoked wheels and is still in use. In 1876 he introduced the highly successful Coventry tricycle and the following year incorporated into it the patented use of the differential gear in conjunction with chain drive.

In 1885 Starley’s nephew, John Starley, designed and manufactured the Rover, regarded as the first successful safety bicycle and the prototype of all modern bicycles.