雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Today we're going to discuss the history of the bicycle. It's often said that the first bicycle was invented in the early 19th century, but actually, a German inventor named Karl von Drais created a two-wheeled running machine in 1817. This device, called the 'Draisine', had no pedals; riders pushed their feet against the ground to move forward. It wasn't until the 1860s in France that pedals were added to the front wheel. Interestingly, the development of the safety bicycle in the 1880s, which had a chain drive and two equal-sized wheels, made cycling much more popular, especially among women, because it was safer and easier to ride.