Kangaroo Bicycle, 1885

Cyclists in the early 1880s experienced a safer and faster ride on a British-made "Kangaroo." Its small 36-inch front wheel (compared to wheels over 50 inches on traditional bicycles) made the bicycle easier to mount -- and safer if the cyclist fell. Also, the innovative chain drive made the bicycle fast. A cyclist pedaling a "Kangaroo" traveled 100 miles in a little over seven hours -- a record in 1884.