Good morning, class. Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. Now, many people think the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, but its precursor appeared much earlier. In 1817, a German inventor named Karl Drais created a wooden, two-wheeled machine called the 'running machine' or 'draisine'. It had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground to move. This design was soon improved by adding pedals to the front wheel in the 1860s, leading to the 'velocipede'. However, these early bicycles were uncomfortable due to their rigid frames and iron wheels. It wasn't until the late 1880s that the modern bicycle with a chain drive and pneumatic tires was developed, making rides much smoother. So, which invention came first?