Forgotten bicycle pioneer and entrepreneur: how Joseph Delin founded the country's very first bicycle factory in Leuven

A 125-year-old bicycle has returned to its original location in Leuven, where Joseph Delin founded Belgium's first bicycle factory. His great-grandson Paul Baggerman and historian Gunter Hauspie are reviving Delin's forgotten legacy through a new publication. Delin, who taught King Leopold II to ride, aimed to democratize cycling with his designs. Despite initial high costs, production increased and prices dropped. Delin later expanded into automobiles, with one of his cars becoming Uruguay's first. However, after Delin's death from tuberculosis at 38, the factory struggled and eventually closed. The publication aims to honor Delin's contributions to Leuven's cycling culture.