In today's lecture, we'll discuss the history of the bicycle. The first verifiable bicycle, called the draisine, was invented by Karl von Drais in 1817. It had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground. Later, in the 1860s, pedals were added to the front wheel, creating the velocipede. However, this design was uncomfortable due to its rigid frame and iron wheels. The major breakthrough came in 1885 when John Kemp Starley introduced the 'Rover' safety bicycle, which featured a chain drive to the rear wheel and equal-sized wheels. This design greatly improved stability and safety, making cycling accessible to the general public.