Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. The earliest bicycles, called draisines, appeared in Germany in 1817. They had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground to move. In the 1860s, French inventors added pedals to the front wheel, creating the velocipede. However, this design was uncomfortable because of its rigid frame. Later, in the 1880s, the safety bicycle was introduced with a chain drive and two equal-sized wheels, making it much more stable. This design led to the modern bicycle and became hugely popular, especially among women who gained new mobility.