Today's lecture is about the history of the bicycle. While many people assume the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, its earliest ancestor, the draisine, appeared in 1817 in Germany. It had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground. The first pedal-driven bicycle, called the velocipede, emerged in France in the 1860s. However, it was not until the 1880s, with the invention of the chain drive, that bicycles became practical and safe. This design, known as the safety bicycle, allowed riders to travel faster and more comfortably, leading to a bicycle boom in the 1890s.
❓ According to the lecture, what was the main advantage of the safety bicycle introduced in the 1880s?
A. It was lighter and easier to carry.
B. It had a chain drive, making it faster and safer.