In today's lecture, we'll discuss the history of the bicycle. The first two-wheeled vehicle, called the draisine, was invented in Germany in 1817. It had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground to move. Later, in the 1860s, French inventors added pedals to the front wheel, creating the velocipede. However, this design was uncomfortable due to its rigid frame and wooden wheels. It wasn't until the 1880s that the modern safety bicycle, with a chain drive and equal-sized wheels, became popular, making cycling safer and more accessible for everyone.