Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. Now, many people assume the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, but in fact, early prototypes appeared in the 18th century. The first two-wheeled vehicle, called a 'celerifere', was created in France in 1790, but it had no steering or pedals. It was basically a wooden frame on wheels. Later, in 1817, a German inventor added a steering mechanism, creating the 'draisine'. The pedals didn't appear until the 1830s, and the first practical bicycle with pedals and a chain was developed in the 1860s in France. So the key point is that the evolution was gradual, not sudden.