How was the bicycle invented?
Wheels & Wild Ideas
How was the bicycle invented?
People have been walking for millions of years. Running, too. But around two hundred years ago, someone had a wild idea: what if you could sit down, push with your feet, and glide faster than you could ever run — without getting tired?
In 1817, a German inventor named Karl von Drais built the first version. He called it a "running machine." It had two wheels in a line, a wooden frame, and handlebars to steer. But here's the funny part: it had no pedals. You sat on it and pushed the ground with your feet, like a skateboard you ride sitting down.
