Who Invented the Bicycle? Drais, Lallement, Michaux, and Starley Explained -

Key Takeaways

No single person “invented the bicycle”; key milestones span decades, from Karl von Drais’s 1817 steerable two-wheeler (no pedals) to John Kemp Starley’s 1885 Rover safety bicycle (equal wheels, rear chain drive, diamond frame).
Pedal power emerged in the 1860s: commercial velocipedes from the Michaux workshop in Paris and Pierre Lallement’s 1866 US patent established priority for pedal cranks.
The modern bicycle took shape with Starley’s safety design, then advanced through Hans Renold’s roller chain (1880), Dunlop’s pneumatic tires (1888), and Sturmey-Archer’s 3-speed hub (1902).
Common myths are debunked: Leonardo da Vinci’s “bicycle” drawing is a forgery, and Kirkpatrick Macmillan’s 1839 pedal claim remains unproven.
Historians assign credit using dated patents, surviving machines, and contemporary records—favoring documented evidence over later anecdotes.

I love the simple joy of two wheels and an open road. Every ride makes me wonder who dreamed up this clever machine first. The answer is not as simple as a single name. The bicycle took shape through bold ideas and small leaps over time.

In this story I will trace the trail from wooden runners to pedal power and chain drive. I will meet early tinkerers and famous innovators and I will sort myth from fact. Together we will see how a rough sketch became the bike I ride today. And why the question who invented the bicycle still sparks debate.

The Big Question: Who Invented The Bicycle?

I tackle who invented the bicycle by mapping the firsts that shaped the modern bike.

Year	Milestone	Inventor	Place	Source
1817	First steerable two wheeler without pedals Laufmaschine	Karl von Drais	Baden, Germany	Smithsonian NMAH, Britannica
1839	Early pedal claim disputed	Kirkpatrick Macmillan	Dumfries, Scotland	Science Museum Group, Britannica
1861–1863	First commercial pedal velocipede	Pierre Michaux and team	Paris, France	Britannica, Musée des Arts et Métiers
1866	First US patent for pedal cranks on front wheel	Pierre Lallement	New Haven, United States	USPTO 59,915
1879	First chain driven rear wheel bicycle prototype	Henry Lawson	Brighton, England	Britannica
1885	First modern safety bicycle with diamond frame and chain drive Rover	John Kemp Starley	Coventry, England	Science Museum, Britannica

Drais set the baseline for an invented bicycle if the focus is on the first steerable two wheeler without pedals.
Michaux anchors the invented bicycle in everyday use if the focus is on the first commercial pedal models.
Lallement secures priority by patent if the focus is on legal documentation for pedal cranks on a front wheel.
Starley defines the invented bicycle most riders recognize if the focus is on the modern safety format with rear chain drive and a diamond frame.
Macmillan enters the invented bicycle debate as a contested claim if the focus is on Scottish local lore rather than contemporary records.

I give credit by use case first and constraint second because the invented bicycle rests on what counts as bicycle. I pick Drais for the first rideable frame, Michaux for the first market pedals, Lallement for the first pedal patent, Starley for the first modern layout.

Early Precursors And First Riders

Early precursors anchor the invented the bicycle debate. I track the first riders who steered or pedaled before the safety era.

Karl Drais And The Laufmaschine (Draisine)

I start with Karl Drais in 1817, the steerable two wheeler without pedals. Drais rode his Laufmaschine on 12 June 1817 in Mannheim, and reports noted a swift run over several kilometers (Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2024). The Grand Duchy of Baden granted him a privilege in 1818 for the design, and German press covered the rides soon after (Source: Deutsches Museum, 2023).

Key data

Year	Event	Location	Measurement
1817	First public ride	Mannheim	~7 km in under 1 hour
1818	Baden privilege granted	Karlsruhe	Patent equivalent

Design and impact

Frame, a wooden beam with two in line wheels and a front fork for steering (Source: Deutsches Museum, 2023).
Steering, a pivoting front wheel that enabled balance and directional control (Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2024).
Braking, a foot drag method on the ground without a mechanical brake (Source: Smithsonian NMAH, 2022).
Speed, a running and gliding gait that beat walking over urban distances of 3 to 8 km (Source: Smithsonian NMAH, 2022).
Adoption, city rides and licensed copies in Germany and France, for example the “dandy horse” in Paris in 1818 to 1819 (Source: Musée des Arts et Métiers, 2021).

I connect this to invented the bicycle claims. The Laufmaschine introduced steerable balance on two in line wheels, and later makers treated that as the baseline bicycle feature set.

The Velocipede And The Michaux Workshop

I move to Paris in the 1860s, the era of pedals and production. The Michaux workshop added rotary cranks to the front hub, and riders pedaled a rigid iron reinforced frame that earned the “boneshaker” name (Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2024). Exhibits at the Exposition Universelle in 1867 pushed demand, and orders scaled across Paris and then to the UK and US soon after (Source: Musée des Arts et Métiers, 2021).

Milestones and models

Year	Model	Feature	Context
1863–1865	Early pedal velocipede	Front hub cranks and fixed gearing	Attributed to Pierre Lallement and Paris artisans (Source: Herlihy, 2004)
1867–1868	Michaux commercial line	Iron banded wooden wheels and straight backbone	Shown in Paris and sold in volume (Source: Musée des Arts et Métiers, 2021)
1868–1869	Exported velocipedes	Licensed builds in Coventry and New Haven	Start of factory production beyond France (Source: Smithsonian NMAH, 2022)

Workshop contributions

Cranks, metal arms and pedals on the front axle that converted leg torque to wheel rotation (Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2024).
Production, standardized parts and jig based assembly for dozens to hundreds of units per month in 1868 (Source: Musée des Arts et Métiers, 2021).
Publicity, high visibility rides and races in Paris cafés and boulevards, for example the Parc de Saint-Cloud events in 1868 (Source: Herlihy, 2004).
Export, partnerships and emigration that seeded factories in Coventry and New Haven, for example the Hanlon Brothers imports in 1868 (Source: Smithsonian NMAH, 2022).

I frame this step in the invented the bicycle timeline. The velocipede introduced market pedals and commercial supply, and that moved the concept from aristocratic runs to urban riders.

The Leap To The Modern Bicycle

I trace the leap to the modern bicycle to a compact set of decisions that solved balance, comfort, and control. I focus on the safety layout and the enabling parts that made everyday riding practical.

John Kemp Starley And The Safety Bicycle

I place John Kemp Starley at the center of the modern answer to who invented the bicycle, since the 1885 Rover safety set the template riders still recognize. I point to equal-sized wheels, rear-wheel chain drive, and a diamond frame as the defining mix that displaced the high-wheeler. I link this step to a mass shift in adoption across cities and clubs. I cite the record, not the legend.

Frame: Diamond frame with two triangles, as seen on the Rover safety of 1885, created stable steering and familiar fit for most riders, for example city commuters and club cyclists. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Science Museum Group
Drive: Rear-wheel chain drive balanced weight and reduced falls compared with front-drive ordinaries, for example mounting and stopping events. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Wheels: Similar wheel sizes improved handling and braking on rough streets, for example setts and early asphalt. Science Museum Group

Chains, Gears, And Pneumatic Tires

I see chains, gears, and pneumatic tires as the practical trio that turned a clever layout into a modern bicycle invented for daily use. I track each piece to a dated, citable breakthrough, then I show how the trio merged on safety frames.

Chain: Bush roller chain by Hans Renold in 1880 reduced friction and stretch, for example on long club runs. Renold company history
Gears: Three-speed internal hub by Sturmey-Archer in 1902 expanded range for hills and headwinds, for example mixed urban routes. Sturmey-Archer history, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Tire: Pneumatic tire popularized by John Boyd Dunlop in 1888 delivered comfort and speed on rough roads, for example cobbles and macadam, with Thomson’s 1845 patent as prior art. Britannica on Dunlop, Britannica on Thomson

I keep the timeline tight to ground the leap in facts.

Year	Innovation	Contributor	Impact on the modern bicycle
1880	Bush roller chain	Hans Renold	Durable, efficient drive for safety layouts
1885	Rover safety bicycle	John Kemp Starley	Equal wheels, rear drive, diamond frame
1888	Pneumatic tire revival	John Boyd Dunlop	Lower rolling resistance, higher comfort
1902	Three-speed hub	Sturmey-Archer	Usable gearing for varied terrain

I connect these parts back to the invented bicycle debate, since each date marks a distinct claim on what modern means.

Contested Claims And Persistent Myths

I sort facts from folklore to keep the invented bicycle timeline clear. I anchor each claim to dated evidence and named sources.

Claim	Date	Verdict	Sources
Leonardo da Vinci drew a bicycle	c.1490s	Debunked forgery	Lessing 1997, Pedretti 1998, Museo Leonardiano
Gian Giacomo Caprotti sketched a chain drive	c.1490s	Unfounded	Lessing 1997, Herlihy 2004
Kirkpatrick Macmillan rode a pedal bicycle	1839	Unproven	National Museum of Scotland, Herlihy 2004, Britannica
Pierre Michaux invented pedals first	1861 to 1862	Disputed credit	Science Museum UK, Herlihy 2004
Pierre Lallement held the first pedal patent	1866	Documented	US Patent 59,915, Smithsonian

Leonardo Sketches And Other Misattributions

I examine the Leonardo bicycle story through the record. I find no authentic Renaissance drawing of a bicycle.

Cite primary documents first, then weigh later claims. I note the supposed bicycle sheet in the Codex Atlanticus surfaced in 1966, not in 1490s, and experts called it a modern insertion. Sources include Hans Erhard Lessing in the journal Leonardo, Carlo Pedretti, and the Museo Leonardiano.
Check technical plausibility next, then map continuity. I track the chain drive depiction which matches 19th century layouts, not 15th century technology, and I see no mechanical lineage from Leonardo to Drais.
Separate name confusion third, then address attributions. I flag drafts linked to Caprotti also called Salai that lack provenance, and I cross reference museum catalog notes.

I group other misattributions with similar patterns. I see retrospective claims that project modern bicycle parts onto hobby horses, for example pedals on Drais style machines, and I match each claim to dated catalogs and patents. Authoritative treatments include David V Herlihy Bicycle The History Yale University Press 2004, the Science Museum UK collections pages, and Smithsonian magazine features on early cycles.

Kirkpatrick Macmillan And The Pedal Debate

I frame the Macmillan story around evidence. I separate local tradition from verifiable documents.

Gather contemporary notices first, then read later memoirs. I find no 1839 press report that describes a treadle crank bicycle in Dumfries, and the oft cited Glasgow accident tale appears only in accounts printed decades later. Sources include the National Library of Scotland and Herlihy 2004.
Compare mechanisms second, then test feasibility. I examine treadle rods to rear cranks as drawn in later reconstructions, and I find the geometry conflicts with steering stability on uneven roads.
Track patents third, then weigh priority. I place Lallement’s US Patent 59,915 in 1866, Michaux commercial velocipedes in early 1860s Paris, and I note the absence of a Macmillan patent or dated drawing.
Cross check museum claims fourth, then confirm provenance. I read the National Museum of Scotland note that credits Macmillan as a local pioneer, and I also read their caution that documentary proof is lacking. Britannica entries echo that stance.

I keep the bicycle invention map consistent. I assign earliest steerable two wheeler to Karl von Drais in 1817, earliest commercial pedals to the Michaux circle in early 1860s Paris, earliest pedal patent to Pierre Lallement in 1866, and modern safety bicycle to John Kemp Starley in 1885. If new primary sources emerge, I update the matrix after peer reviewed verification.

How The Bicycle Spread And Shaped Society

I trace how the invented bicycle left workshops and entered daily life. I connect manufacturing scale, urban mobility, and popular culture to the same safety frame that closed the invention debate.

Manufacturing, Mobility, And Culture

I anchor the spread of the modern safety bicycle to dates, prices, and production.

Year	Place	Metric	Value	Source
1885	Coventry	Rover safety launch	Equal wheels, chain drive	Science Museum Group
1888	Belfast	Pneumatic tire adoption	Dunlop patent	Encyclopaedia Britannica
1896	United States	Annual output	≈1,000,000 bicycles	Smithsonian NMAH
1890	United States	Retail price	≈$100 per bicycle	Herlihy 2004
1898	United States	Retail price	≈$25 per bicycle	Herlihy 2004
1890s	United States	League of American Wheelmen	Good Roads advocacy	Library of Congress
1896	New York	Women and cycling	Susan B Anthony interview	The New York World

I explain how scale changed access as parts got standardized and prices fell.

Link factories to affordability, if unit costs drop with volume then retail prices fall
Link chains to speed, if gearing extends cadence then average urban speed rises
Link tires to comfort, if air cushions impacts then trip distances expand
Link steel tubing to reliability, if frames resist fatigue then maintenance intervals lengthen
Link dealer networks to service, if shops stock spares then downtime shortens

I map mobility shifts as streets adapted to the bicycle and riders organized.

Organize riders in clubs, if clubs set routes then cities see regular traffic
Organize advocacy for roads, if cyclists fund Good Roads then counties pave surfaces
Organize urban commutes, if trips stay under 5 miles then bicycles outpace horse cars
Organize racing calendars, if velodromes draw crowds then media amplifies demand
Organize delivery fleets, if couriers beat trams then merchants switch modes

I track culture through clothing, gender norms, and leisure.

Expand dress options, if bloomers reduce drag then more women ride
Expand personal autonomy, if solo trips multiply then social horizons widen
Expand weekend tourism, if rail plus bike tickets bundle then towns host cyclists
Expand youth markets, if safe frames fit sizes then families buy multiple bikes
Expand print culture, if magazines teach repairs then do it yourself spreads

I connect global spread to the same modular design.

Export components, if hubs cranks and chains interchange then local assembly scales
Export maintenance skills, if manuals standardize torque then roadside fixes generalize
Export traffic norms, if hand signals circulate then mixed streets function

Science Museum Group, Rover safety bicycle, accession and curatorial notes
Encyclopaedia Britannica, John Boyd Dunlop article
Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Bicycle Boom resources
David V Herlihy, Bicycle The History, 2004, Yale University Press
Library of Congress, Good Roads Movement overview
The New York World, 1896 Susan B Anthony cycling interview reprinted via LOC

How Historians Determine Credit

I trace credit for who invented the bicycle by lining up dated documents, intact objects, and verifiable manufacturing trails. I weigh primary sources first, then I test later claims against technical plausibility and provenance.

Patents, Prototypes, And Museum Evidence

I anchor bicycle invention claims to fixed records, if later narratives conflict.

Records establish priority when patents, period prints, and ledgers align with surviving machines.
Records lose weight when parts show retrofits, frames show anachronistic metallurgy, and stories lack named witnesses.

I use patents to tie ideas to dates, claims to inventors, and mechanisms to drawings. I treat Pierre Lallement’s US Patent 59,915 as the first complete pedal-crank claim on a two-wheeler, because the document describes front-hub rotary cranks and a treadle layout with clear figures, dated 1866, and linked to documented demonstrations in Paris and Connecticut (USPTO, 1866; Hadland & Lessing, 2014). I read Karl von Drais’s 1817 reports and city permissions as proof of a steerable two-wheeler without pedals, recorded in Baden announcements and preserved through official correspondences and licensed copies in German collections (Hadland & Lessing, 2014; Technoseum Mannheim). I match John Kemp Starley’s 1885 Rover safety to catalog pages, Stanley Show coverage, and extant frames with chain-driven rear hubs and near-equal wheels, which define the modern template rather than a single patent claim (Hadland & Lessing, 2014; Science Museum Group).

I examine prototypes in museums for maker’s marks, serial sequences, and period repairs. I confirm Michaux-type pedal velocipedes through fork crowns, pedal boss geometry, and iron-rim wheel construction typical of 1867–1869 Paris production, then I cross-check against invoices and exhibition reports from the Michaux workshop and the Olivier-backed Compagnie Parisienne (Musée des Arts et Métiers; Hadland & Lessing, 2014). I document Drais-style draisines through frame timber profiles, iron strap forks, and tilt-steer headpieces, then I check municipal records from Mannheim and Karlsruhe for demonstrations and licenses that date first appearances in 1817–1818 (Technoseum Mannheim; Stadtarchiv Karlsruhe).

I mark discrepancies where replicas, restorations, or commemorative builds confuse timelines. I flag “Leonardo bicycle” drawings as modern insertions based on paper dating, ink analysis, and absent provenance, as detailed by the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia and by scholarly reviews that trace the sheet’s 20th-century alterations (Hadland & Lessing, 2014). I treat Macmillan pedal claims as unproven where no dated machine, no patent, and no contemporary press corroborate the story, despite later retellings in 1890s newspapers (Hadland & Lessing, 2014).

Key dated evidence I cite and cross-reference:

Tony Hadland, Hans-Erhard Lessing, Bicycle Design, MIT Press, 2014.
USPTO, US Patent 59,915, Pierre Lallement, 1866.
Musée des Arts et Métiers, Collection, Vélocipède Michaux, c.1867.
Technoseum Mannheim, Sammlung, Laufmaschine nach Karl Drais, 1817.
Science Museum Group, Object records, Rover Safety Bicycle.

Conclusion

The hunt for a single inventor says more about how we define invention than about a lone spark. Credit shifts with what you value. Function. Market impact. Legal proof. Everyday usability. That tension makes the story richer and keeps me curious.

When I ride I feel the thread that links bright ideas to real streets. I want us to honor careful evidence and also the quiet hands that built and tested. Keep asking clear questions. Read the sources. Visit a workshop or a museum. Then take a ride and feel the answer in your legs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who invented the bicycle?

No single person “invented the bicycle” in its modern form. Karl von Drais created the first steerable two-wheeler in 1817. Pierre Lallement secured the 1866 US patent for pedal cranks. Pierre Michaux commercialized the pedal velocipede in the 1860s. John Kemp Starley’s 1885 Rover safety bicycle set the modern template. Each contributed a key step.

When was the first bicycle created?

The first recognizable ancestor appeared in 1817 with Karl von Drais’s Laufmaschine, a steerable, two-wheeled balance machine without pedals. Pedals arrived in the 1860s via Pierre Lallement and the Michaux workshop. The truly modern safety bicycle, with chain drive and equal wheels, debuted in 1885 under John Kemp Starley.

What was Karl von Drais’s contribution?

Karl von Drais introduced the 1817 Laufmaschine, a steerable two-wheeled “running machine.” It proved that balance on two inline wheels was practical, inspiring licensed copies and urban use in Germany and France. Though it lacked pedals, Drais’s design set the foundation for later pedal-driven bicycles.

Did Pierre Michaux invent pedals?

Pierre Michaux popularized and commercialized the pedal velocipede in Paris during the 1860s, but inventorship of pedals is disputed. Pierre Lallement filed the 1866 patent for pedal cranks, strengthening his claim. Michaux’s workshop standardized production and brought cycling to a mass market with the “boneshaker.”

What did Pierre Lallement patent?

Pierre Lallement secured an 1866 US patent for adding rotary cranks and pedals to the front wheel of a velocipede. This patent provides dated, primary evidence for pedal-driven propulsion. While others built and sold similar machines, Lallement’s filing anchors a key milestone in bicycle invention history.

Why is John Kemp Starley important?

John Kemp Starley’s 1885 Rover safety bicycle established the modern blueprint: equal-sized wheels, rear-wheel chain drive, and a diamond frame. This design improved balance, comfort, and control, enabling mass adoption. It, along with pneumatic tires (1888), chains, and gears, transformed bicycles into practical everyday transport.

What is a velocipede or “boneshaker”?

A velocipede, nicknamed “boneshaker,” was an 1860s pedal-driven bicycle with a large, often iron-banded front wheel and a stiff frame. Built by makers like Michaux, it brought cycling into public view and commercial markets, but it was heavy and uncomfortable on rough roads, prompting further innovations.

Are the Leonardo da Vinci bicycle drawings real?

No. The so-called “Leonardo bicycle” drawings are widely regarded as modern forgeries. Historians found inconsistencies and a lack of provenance. They do not represent genuine Renaissance-era knowledge of chain-driven bicycles and should not be used as evidence in the bicycle’s invention timeline.

Did Kirkpatrick Macmillan invent the pedal bicycle?

The claim that Kirkpatrick Macmillan built a pedal bicycle in the 1830s–1840s lacks verifiable, dated evidence. Historians highlight missing primary documents and technical inconsistencies. While the story is popular folklore, current research does not support crediting Macmillan with inventing pedals or the first pedal bicycle.

What innovations made the modern bicycle possible?

Key innovations include steerable balance (Drais, 1817), pedal cranks and rotary drive (Lallement/Michaux, 1860s), chain drive to the rear wheel, equal-sized wheels, diamond frames (Starley, 1885), and pneumatic tires (1888). Gears and standardized parts further improved comfort, efficiency, maintenance, and large-scale adoption.

How do historians decide who gets credit?

They rely on primary sources: dated patents, prototypes, intact objects, manufacturing records, and documented demonstrations. Technical plausibility and independent corroboration matter. Strong evidence supports Drais (1817 balance bike), Lallement (1866 pedal patent), and Starley (1885 safety bicycle) as anchors in the bicycle’s development timeline.

How did the safety bicycle change society?

The safety bicycle boosted urban mobility, affordability, and independence. Mass production lowered costs, pneumatic tires increased comfort, and standardized parts eased maintenance. Cycling influenced clothing, leisure, and gender roles, enabling broader participation. Clubs, commuting, and global adoption surged after the 1885 Rover and 1888 tire advances.