Transport & space · 1817
Draisine
Karl Drais's two-wheeled running machine proves a rider can balance on inline wheels.
In 1817 Karl Drais rode his pedal-less 'laufmaschine' 14 km in under an hour near Mannheim. It showed that a moving two-wheeler balances by steering. Pedals, chains and steel frames turned it into the bicycle over the next 70 years.