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The addition of a chain and sprocket drive to the bicycle in 1885 by John Kemp Starley transformed cycling from a novelty into practical transportation. The 'safety bicycle' design — with two equal-sized wheels, a chain drive, and a diamond-shaped frame — was so effective that modern bicycles are still fundamentally the same design over 130 years later. The safety bicycle also gave women greater independence and mobility.
💡 InventionsSource: National Geographic