Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. Now, you might think the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, and you'd be right. However, the first two-wheeled vehicle, called a 'draisine', appeared in 1817, invented by a German baron. It had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground. Later, in the 1860s, pedals were added to the front wheel in France. But these early bicycles had wooden frames and iron wheels, making rides extremely bumpy. It wasn't until the 1880s that the 'safety bicycle' with a chain drive and two equal-sized wheels became popular, which is closer to what we ride today.
❓ 講義で言及された最初の二輪車の主な欠点は何でしたか？
A. 彼らは重すぎて乗れなかった。
B. 它们没有踏板，需要用脚推动。
C. 彼らの木製の枠は壊れやすかった。
D. それらはドイツの男爵たちだけが使用していた。
✅ 正确答案
They had no pedals and required pushing with feet.