The youngest of eight children, they lived at the Ongley Arms inn, between the Great North Road and the River Ivel.

On leaving school, he undertook an apprenticeship with a Biggleswade firm of millwrights and engineers, Thomas Course & Son of Hitchin Street.

At the age of 20 he founded the Ivel Cycle Works in the yard of the Ongley Arms, making bicycles for himself and his fellow sports cyclists.

Albone copied this idea, and combined it with the Hillman, Herbert and Cooper cross frame design to produce the Ivel Safety cycle, in April 1886.

On 5 October 1886 George Pilkington Mills, on an Ivel Safety, achieved a world record 24-hour distance of 294.5 miles (474.0 km).

In 1886 Albone applied his knowledge of low friction wheels to produce a strong, light weight pony trap.

Albone also developed a motor car, based on a 2.2 kW (3.0 hp) single cylinder Benz engine.

A five seat version was developed, called the Ivel Landaulette, with a 6 kW (8.0 hp) twin cylinder engine.

[5] Dan's "tractor" won silver medal at the Royal Agricultural Show, in 1903 and 1904; and in February 1904 an Ivel Agricultural Motor won a Gold Medal in the Chester Ploughing Match held at Waverton, this being the first occasion on which a competition of that kind had been open to mechanically propelled ploughs.

A pulley wheel on the left hand side allowed it to be used as a stationary engine, driving a wide range of agricultural machinery.