German Inventor Karl von Drais is credited with developing the first bicycle. His machine, known as the "swiftwalker," hit the road in 1817. This early bicycle had no pedals, and its frame was a wooden beam. The device had two wooden wheels with iron rims and leather-covered tires.

Who invented bicycle in 1818?

1817 to 1819: The Draisine or Velocipede

Karl von Drais patented this design in 1818, which was the first commercially successful two-wheeled, steerable, human-propelled machine, commonly called a velocipede, and nicknamed hobby-horse or dandy horse. It was initially manufactured in Germany and France.

When did bicycles become popular?

Bicycles had existed for decades, and some late-1860s models even had shapes similar to modern-day bicycles, but they were made of iron and wood. High-wheel bicycles became big—in size and popularity—in the 1880s.