Phenomena of "Onthel Yogyakarta"

In addition to student city earned the nickname, Yogyakarta was famous as a city bike. The nickname was once glorious about the era of the '60s, which at the time of the children until the parents of both women and men of all classes biking toward the final stop of each. They call up "pit onthel".

"pit onthel" means to ride a bicycle pedal. "Pit" derives from the Dutch language "fiets" which is the designation for the bike. "Fiets" was first entered Indonesia in the early 20th century or around 1910 which was brought by the Dutch colonial people from his country. But while in Java, and Java was fluent tongue to say the word, then "fiets" melt into the "pit". While "onthel" itself in the Dutch language means pedaling.

Ride the "pit onthel" has become a romantic who wants to try to repeat history again by a number of citizens who called themselves Jogja the "onthelis". What makes "ngepit onthel" no longer just as the need for transportation, but as a recreational needs.

The Bike itself was first produced in the country of France in 1791 and is made of wood. Then in 1817 Baron von Drais de Sauerbronn make wooden bike without pedals first. Von Drais bike creation is called Hobby Horse (horse bike). New in 1839 bicycles with pedals, was first used. However, because the front wheel is bigger than the back, then to drive it requires acrobatic skills. Only then, using a bicycle wheel with the same size front and rear as we use today widely known.

Evolution of the bicycle of the hobby-horse of 1818 to the present day, through the large bi-circa 1870