Today we all enjoy riding bikes and pedaling through the streets on our way to work or simply going for a ride through the park. The bicycle, however, is a versatile invention that has gone through a variety of forms before reaching its present state.

The first thing that was created that looked even remotely like a bicycle was developed by the Baron von Drais as an aid to walking in the royal gardens faster. Two wheels of the same size were mounted in a frame which you straddled. This device did not have pedals and instead was propelled by pushing one's feet against the ground creating a kind of gliding walk. Eventually, the machine came known as the Draisienne or hobby horse. This invention enjoyed a short period of popularity as it was not practical for transportation in any place other than a well maintained pathway such as one in a park or garden.

The next two–wheeled transportation item appeared in 1865. This incarnation of the bicycle was different because pedals were applied directly to the front wheel. It was known as the velocipede or «fast foot.» While that may have been the device's official name, the common name for the item was the bone shaker. It got this name as it was made entirely of wood originally. Later, the wheels were made of metal. These factors, when combined with cobblestone roads, made for an uncomfortable, bone shaking ride, hence the name.

In 1870, the first all–metal bicycle appeared. Prior to then, the metallurgy was not advanced enough to provide metal which was strong but also light. The pedals on this bike were still located on the front wheel. Other improvements included a solid rubber tire and long spokes on the front wheel. These additions guaranteed a much smoother ride than the predecessor. The front wheels became larger and larger once bike makers realized that the larger the wheel was, the further a person could travel with one rotation of the pedals. These bicycles were very popular among young men of means and the hey–day was during the 1880s.

Unfortunately, the rider sat very high above the center of gravity of the bike so when the front wheel was stopped by a stone or a rut in the road, the entire bike rolled forward and the rider was unceremoniously dropped on his head. This is where we get the term «taking a header.»

With the improvement in metal working towards the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th, a return to a previous design occurred. Metal was now strong enough to make a fine chain and a sprocket small enough and light enough for a human to power. This lead to the return to the original configuration of two identically sized wheels. The new part here was that a person could go faster thanks to gear ratios. These bicycles had the same hard rubber tires and so provided an uncomfortable ride; however, many of these bicycles had front and/or rear suspensions.

The pneumatic tire was first put on a bicycle by an Irish veterinarian trying to make his son's tricycle more comfortable. The veterinarian's name was Dunlop. Comfort and safety could now be had in the same package. This package was getting cheaper as manufacturing methods improved and competition drove the price down.