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	Mikael Pedersen was born 1855 in Fløng near Roskilde. In 1929 he died at "the old peoples town" (de gamles by) in Copenhagen - poor, lonely and utterly unknown in Denmark. He was buried without as much as a tombstone. Still Pedersen was a great dynamic inventor and entrepreneur. But it was in England that Pedersen was known and appreciated - for his inventions, bicycles, gear-systems and machines. The following tells the story about Pedersens life - his unique bicycle and the many exciting inventions.
In his youth Pedersen worked at a machine factory in Maglekilde near Roskilde. Here he invented the centrifugal cream separator. The idea was a simple and ingenious solution and was patented. The patent made him financially well off and he built a house in Mareberg outside Roskilde. At this time the ordinary bicycle was just invented - and it was called "the safety" because it compared with the velocipede, with its big front wheel, was safer to ride. Pedersen was an active cyclist, but unsatisfied with the comfort and saddles at that time. Pedersens started to experiment for a more comfortable saddle and ended up with a quite new bicycle - The Pedersen bicycle with its unique hammock-saddle. Copenhagen's City museum has in its collections a genuine Pedersen-bicycle made of wood - one of his first experiments.

foto: Mads Rasmussen	In 1889 Pedersen departs for England where he becomes aquatinted with the English factory owner Lister who produced cream separators with a license from the Pedersen patent. In 1893 Pedersen was well established in Dursley - and applied for his first patent in England. Pedersen was rather well off and lived in a large property, Kingsley House in Dursley.

The production of bicycles in Dursley about 1907 The frames is hanging under the ceiling.

	In the backyard of Pedersens "Raglan House" was a bicycle-track - for experiments and racing. The picture shows Mr. Pedersen being paced by a quadruplet - notice the size of the rear chain-ring ! The Danish engineer Anders Mellerup followed Pedersen to England - and the picture the left shows Mr.- Mellerup on a racing-model. Mellerup was not only the chief engineer in the daily production - he also won several medals.

	Pedersen was a vigorous inventor. He made a "ladies-model" and a special divided skirt for the ladies of the 1890s. The first internal gear for bicycles was made by Pedersen - in 2 and 3 speed versions. Pedersen also invented and patented pedals, machines for the productions of rims and even composed music.
	The Dursley-Pedersen Military Cycle was a unique folding-model. The left picture shows Mr. Pedersen fully armed !The military model was used by the British army in the Boer-war I South-Africa. Pedersen went to Denmark to introduce this model to the Danish army - but they turned him down.
In 1995 the earthly remains of Mikael Pedersen was moved from the anonymous grave in Copenhagen Denmark to Dursley England - where he was reburied with a ceremony.One of the greatest inventors in the history of cycling was finally given a tombstone. foto: Gus Scott-Exley

	Today original Dursley-Pedersen bicycles are rare treasures that can be seen in collections and museums world-wide - from Australia to USA and Europe.The picture to the left shows a 1905 Gentleman's Model Royal - here in front of the bicycle-shop on Christiania.

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