It’s a common theme, and the images that pop into mind may be of early humans during the Iron Age.

But according to Professor Seohyung Kim of Inha University, the history of iron precedes the history of life, and so historians need to look back to the beginning of the universe to fully understand the way iron has shaped humankind and its environment. She gave a special lecture called “History of Iron: Universe, Life and Human,” as part of the exhibition on October 13. Professor Kim studies history from a Big History perspective, or a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the past that combines science, geology, human history and more to get a better, bigger picture of the past, present and future.

So here’s a look back, way back, into history to see what iron has to do with the history of man.

Stars Exploded and then Iron Existed

Where did iron come from? The stars. To be exact, large, dying stars. In the beginning of the universe, there were only 2 elements in existence- helium and hydrogen. New elements are only created when protons and neutrons fuse together and this requires a lot of heat.

The temperature of a star rises when it uses up all of its hydrogen atoms, and when it uses up all of its helium atoms, it collapses, emitting even more heat. This cycle repeats itself, creating new elements in the process until finally, iron in created. Elements with greater mass than iron are created in a supernova, or the death of a really, really big star.

A piece of meteoric iron formed by the heating and collapsing of a star sits on display at the National Museum of Korea.

So, why is this important?

The variety of elements created by exploding stars are what planets are made of, including earth, and iron makes up 35 percent of the earth’s entire mass.

Humans and their Complex Brains

After the formation of the earth, simple life forms appeared, and then eventually primates and homo sapiens. Humans are the most powerful species on earth, largely due to their complex brains that allowed for the development of language and through it, collective learning.

Iron-rich red meat was an important factor in human-brain development. (Source: Omicrono)

What’s interesting is that around 2.5 million years ago, humans started eating meat rich in iron and calories. Before this change in diet, early humans spent most of their scarce energy on chewing and digesting large amounts of vegetation. With the introduction of meat, their brains got larger as it is a muscle that requires 20 times more energy than muscles in other parts of the body. When humans started cooking meat with fire around 500,000 years ago, they consumed even greater amounts of meat, meaning humans could meet their dietary iron needs, and put their larger brains to use for things like agriculture.

Agriculture and Civilization

Collective learning led to some of the most critical developments is history, including agriculture, which developed after the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago, as human populations increased due to the fact that they were able to cook and consume meat. Further advancements in farming tools during the Iron Age led to an abundance of food and massive civilizations.

Some iron tools that made farming easier are on display at the National Museum of Korea.

Weapons Made Stronger with Iron

However, farming tools were not the only places where iron was applied. As communities developed around abundant agricultural centers, people decided they wanted more land, labor and power. So, cities waged war on one another with iron tools and armor that were fatally strong.

The Iron Age brought forth improvements in soldiers’ armor, and can be seen at the National Museum of Korea.

One vital invention in the evolution of weapons and tools alike was the wheel. The oldest artifact of the wheel is a potter’s wheel found in Mesopotamia and dates back to about 3500 BC. Then came the wooden wheel that were attached to chariots for effective warfare. Then finally, the Celtics applied iron rims on their chariots for added strength, durability and speed. Paired with iron swords and armor, wars became vastly efficient.

Iron wheels, like this one on display at the National Museum of Korea, enhanced existing wooden wheels.

After many years, the Chinese invented gunpowder triggering a new era of warfare. Iron was used to make rifles, cannons and other gunpowder machines to wipe out massive amounts of people at a time.

The invention of gunpowder led to new weapons such as these Iron rifles on display at the National Museum of Korea.

From Iron to Steel

After centuries of iron spearheading the development of new technologies and civilizations alike, a man named Henry Bessemer introduced a process to produce pure iron with a converter in 1856, known as the Bessemer Process. This invention would lead the way to the commercialization of steel and then eventually the industrial revolution near the end of the 18th century.

The steel industry was met with a rampant rise in steel demand during the second industrial revolution nearly a century later, with the introduction of electricity, gas and oil. Steel consumption continued to thrive into the third industrial revolution as it served the foundations for electronics, computers and automated production systems. As the world enters the fourth industrial revolution, steel will continue to be the bedrock of leading innovation and technology including electric vehicles, sustainable energy facilities and smart manufacturing factories.

Automated robots are part of what workplaces will look like in the fourth industrial revolution. (Source: Business Insider)

Looking back on history, the role and value of iron and steel in human development is indisputable. And to think, it all started with the death of a star.

Cover photo courtesy of BBC.

Today, the four most common materials used in race bikes are steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber. The most common on the Tour are carbon fiber bikes that can range from USD 10,000~20,000 in retail price; that’s before adding the thousands of dollars worth of additional gear. The majority of competitive cyclists is not sponsored by a major bike company and cannot afford high-end bikes. Additionally, market conditions and the changing landscape of the racing industry could have manufacturers looking for alternatives.

The Race Bicycle Market

Michael O.B. Krähe analyzed the road race bicycle market trend for 2017 and beyond by looking at data from the Festive 500 Challenge on Strava, a widely-used application for tracking race times and training. In 2016, 83,000 challengers from all over the world attempted to ride 500 kilometers between Christmas and New Year’s Day, thus providing a rough but insightful representation of the global market for race bicycles.

In 2016, there was a 14% increase in the number of participants, much less than the 49% in 2015 and 54% in 2014. On the other hand, 32% more challengers completed the 500 kilometers in 2016. There was actually a decrease in the number of participants from the U.S. and Germany, two major markets for race bikes.  

Cyclists take a break from cycling

Krähe also looked into Jedermann Rennen (JDR) races in Germany, to account for cyclists who do not race or train during the winter season of the Festive 500 Challenge. The JDR, or “everyman’s race”, is an amateur version of a professional race held on the same day and route as the main event, kind of like the pro-am of golf. There was an average of 15% to 25% decline in the number of participants in JDRs from 2011 to 2016. Of those participants, more than 60% were over 40 years old and a mere 10% under 30 years old.  

The number of participants in three different JDR races from 2011-2016 (Photo courtesy of Cycling.com)

Recent changes only made things worse – there were 250,000 unsold bikes at the end of 2015, up 44% from the year before. It led to discounted prices in 2016. Then, at the end of 2016, the UCI (governing body of professional cycling) banned disc brakes, a popular feature on almost every race bike. This announcement came late when sponsoring companies were already finalizing their 2018-19 products, all with disc brakes. UCI article 1.3.007 requires all bikes used in competition to be commercially available, which could lead to another overstock of race bikes.

Bikes are placed on racks for display in a retail store

What does this mean for the race bike market?

Prices will have to drop along with the decrease in demand for race bikes. However, high performance will still be expected from race bikes by the long-time cyclists who become more devoted to the sport over time. A low-cost, well performing, and easy-maintenance bike will be the future of race bicycles.

It’s time for manufacturers to revisit the drawing board for race bikes.  

The Big Four

Most teams on the Tour de France are riding carbon fiber bicycles. Much credit is owed to Lance Armstrong who was the first Tour rider to win on a bike with carbon fiber frames. Though stripped of his seven titles as of 2012 due to doping accusations, his initial win unleashed the age of carbon fiber race bikes. The following years coupled light-weight carbon fiber with advanced technology for an outright dominance of carbon fiber frames in professional cycling.

Nonetheless, before there was carbon, there was steel, and aluminum and titanium.

From its advent to the 1970s, bicycles traditionally had steel frames, known for its strength, durability, and affordability. In the ‘70s to the ‘80s, manufacturers began turning to aluminum frames in the general wave of efforts to lightweight race bikes. To add, aluminum frames are easy to manufacture and corrosion-resistant. Titanium frames are also popular for its lightweight and durability, but it never completely dominated the market due to high costs and difficulties in manufacturing. Then came carbon and it took off.

The problem is that the technique to manufacture carbon fiber frames is high-end. Not only in its price, but if precise technology is not applied, riders will get little or none of the benefits of carbon fiber (high stiffness to weight ratio, lightweight, low thermal expansion, the ability to customize, etc.). Thus, there are few people who can actually repair carbon fiber bikes correctly, whereas any local shop can repair a steel model. Moreover, carbon fiber is non-recyclable, unlike steel which can be melted down and re-used in other ways. The UCI has also set the minimum weight requirement of race bikes at 6.8 kilograms, and non-carbon bikes can now be built down to the minimum weight.

Carbon fiber frames are also known for its bespoke qualities. Aluminum is very hard to tailor, but there is a new wave of bespoke frame workers who are choosing steel for its cost, durability, and moldability. Major brands Columbus and Reynolds are also returning to steel with their new stainless steel tubes that are light and stiff enough to give carbon fiber a run for its money.

Although the market for race bicycles is looking stagnant, this does not apply to the bike market as a whole, including transportation and leisure bikes. In fact, this market is projected to grow over the coming years according to Lucintel, a global research firm, which projected the global bicycle market to reach 59.9 billion U.S. dollars by 2021. The growth is calculated upon the cost-friendly, efficient and environmentally sustainable method of transportation bikes will provide. Steel bikes will be a driving force in this growth as well, for its affordable and sustainable qualities, ensuring it will always be in the game.