Today's lecture is about the history of the bicycle. The first bicycle, called the 'draisine', was invented in 1817 by a German baron. It had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground to move. In the 1860s, pedals were added to the front wheel, creating the 'velocipede'. However, it was very uncomfortable due to its solid rubber tires. The major breakthrough came in 1885 with the 'safety bicycle', which featured a chain drive and two equal-sized wheels, making it much safer and faster. This design quickly became popular and paved the way for modern bicycles.