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Bicycles, of some types, appear as early as Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches from 1493. It is not clear if this device was actualized but indicate concepts that became used later on. By the early 1800s, several types of bicycles were made. Initially, different forms existed. However, among the earliest forms of what would become the forerunner to the modern bicycle was the Draisine (Figure 1), which was a two-wheeled vehicle invented by Karl Drais. This bicycle consisted of front steering and was pushed along by a person's feet, as pedals had not been introduced. The frame of the bicycle is familiar to us, which is what made it different from earlier forms, and gave it an appearance we would recognize.  After this development, the next big innovation was the use of pedalpedals. This is not clear when this happened but it could have been invented by Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith. The key design modification though was when Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallemen put the pedals at the front wheel and put a seat on the support beam in 1863. This now made the bicycle much easier to control and power, enabling the rider to stay stationary while directing the bike.<ref>For more on the early 1800s bicycles and how they developed, see: Herlihy, D. V. (2006).<i> Bicycle: the history</i>. New Haven, Conn.; London: Yale University Press. </ref> With that innovation, cycling soon began to develop as a recreational activity and sport. In particular, cycle races began to develop by the 1860s. The first documented cycle race of a measured distance was in Paris, which was a 1200 meter event. held in Saint-Cloud Park. Bicycles, some similar to our own forms, now began to appear throughout Europe and North America. In the United States, early bicycle manufacturers were also carriage manufacturers.  Riding schools and competitions began to develop by 1869, although in the United States already by then the sport of cycling began to decline due to the fact that early bicycles were often uncomfortable, particularly the seats.<ref>For more on the development of cycling as a recreational activity, see: Hutchinson, Michael. <i>Re:Cyclists 200 Years on Two Wheel</i>. Bloomsbury Sport. London </ref>

[[File:Kangaroo Bicycle Rev.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 2. The high wheel bike became popular in the 1870s among cyclists.]]In the 1870s, cycling was focused on delivering faster speeds and was mostly a young man's sport, as it was often seen as dangerous and not suitable for the elderly or women. The so-called high-wheel bikes became popular (Figure 2), which often had a very large front wheel and small back wheel. Such bikes did make it possible to attain very high speeds, but the were notoriously unsafe with many fatal and major accidents having taken place. The main problem was these bicycles placed the driver high up, which meant that any bump or uneven surface made the cyclists loose control.  In the 1880s, the so-called safety bicycle was developed which emphasized greater steering control and more even wheel sizes, giving the rider not only greater control but greater comfort by now giving back wheel chain control. By improving safety and comfort for cycling, these new so-called safety bikes also became the first bikes to be popular among both sexes and for different age groups. It is at this point that cycling begins to be pervasive among the wider population and at different age groups, including the elderly.  In the late 1880s, improvements with the use of rubber wheels made bicycles also more able to travel rougher surfaces. The oldest cycling club in the US was soon established, in 1887, in St. Louis, called the St. Louis Cycling Club. In the 1890s, the roadster bike became among the most popular designs, which saw now bicycles developed for men and women, where women's bikes accommodated the fact they wore skirts and dresses which could get caught on the back wheels, thus a design to prevent this was developed.<ref>For more on how the modern style road bikes developed after the introduction of the high wheel bikes, see: Clayton, Nick. (2016). <i>The Birth of the Bicycle</i>. Amberley Publishing. Gloucester. </ref>

[[File:Kangaroo == A Brief History of the Bicycle RevLock == Not surprisingly, as soon as bicycles became more popular, people began stealing them.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 2In parallel to the development of bikes, people began to develop bike locks to protect their investment. Starting in the early 20th century, companies began creating bicycle locks. The high wheel earliest bike became popular locks were either larger steel locks that designed to fit between the spokes or bicycle locks attached to chains that were connected the wheels to the frame.  In the 1930s, Optimus, a German company, began manufacturing several different sized steel locks that could be used on a large range of bicycles. Companies in the 1870s among cyclistsUnited States were also manufacturing bike locks and selling them worldwide. Eventually, Optimus switched to pressed steel to create stronger, more secure locks. Even during World War II, companies continued to sell bike locks to militaries fighting during the war. Today, bicycle locks are made by hundreds of companies across the world to protect bikes. [[https://thebestbikelock.com/| Bicycle safety is still important and you can check out some of the best modern bicycle locks made today in this article.]]Fortunately, modern locks do a better job at securing bikes than the ones made back in the 1920s.