雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Today we're going to look at the history of the bicycle. Now, many people think the bicycle was invented in the 19th century, but in fact, a forerunner appeared as early as 1817. This was called the 'running machine' or 'draisine', invented by a German baron. It had no pedals; you pushed your feet along the ground. Then, in the 1860s, pedals were added to the front wheel in France. However, these early bicycles were very uncomfortable because of their solid rubber tires. The real breakthrough came in 1885 when John Kemp Starley designed the 'Rover' safety bicycle, which had a chain drive to the rear wheel and two equal-sized wheels. This design made cycling much safer and more practical.