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Some people say that the wheel was the first great invention. But can you imagine
bicycle wheels without rubber tyres? Karl Drais invented the first bicycle in 1817. -
The first bicycle was made of wood. There weren’t any pedals. Cycling was very
uncomfortable. By the 1860s, some bicycle tyres were made of rubber. But the rubber
was very hard. -
In 1871, Eugène Meyer invented the “high wheel bicycle”. It was a bicycle with two
wheels, but the front wheel was bigger than the back wheel. -
John Starley changed the bicycle in 1885 with the Rover safety bicycle. This bike looked
similar to the bicycles of today. They moved on two wheels of the same size. A low
seat between the wheels made the bike easier to ride. -
In 1888, John Dunlop invented a type of tyre for his son’s bicycle. Dunlop tyres were made of rubber, but they had a tube of air inside. These tyres made cycling more comfortable. -
Today, new materials make bikes stranger, faster and lighter than before.