††††The first bicycles appeared in Paris in 1779. Count de Sivrac built a foot-propelled version in 1790, and the first steerable bicycle appeared in 1818, courtesy of Drais von Sauerbronn.
The 'modern' bicycle was introduced in 1885 by The Rover Company. Its only major difference from today's bicycles were much greater weight and solid rather than air-filled tyres. Modern bicycles are light and fast and often have many gears to make pedalling easier. Mountain bicycles have thick tyres and sturdy frames enabling them to travel over rough surfaces.
