Good morning. 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 versions appeared in the late 18th century, particularly in France. However, these early machines had no pedals, and riders pushed themselves along with their feet. The first pedal-driven bicycle, called the velocipede, was developed in the 1860s by Pierre Michaux. Interestingly, his design used a wooden frame, which made it quite heavy. It wasn't until the 1880s that the modern safety bicycle, with a chain drive and equal-sized wheels, became popular, especially after John Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire in 1888.
❓ According to the lecture, when were the earliest versions of the bicycle first seen?