A road bike, also known as a racing bike, is a type of bicycle designed for road cycling competitions.
The history of the bicycle began in 1817 in the Duchy of Baden, Germany, when Baron Karl Drais designed the draisienne, a device with two wheels, a seat, and steering, which required the use of legs to propel it forward. Imported into France under the name velocipede, the draisienne allowed children to discover cycling. However, it had the problem of making the user float rather than roll, unless they pedaled to maintain balance.
Pedals were a French invention, with Michaux, Sargent, Lallement, and others disputing their paternity. The first velocipedes in 1861 had pedals that directly drove the front wheel. To increase the "development"—that is, the distance covered with each pedal stroke—the diameter of the wheel was increased. This led to the appearance of the penny-farthing (Grand-Bi) in 1871, which placed the cyclist more than 1.5 meters, or even 2 meters, above the ground, with wooden-rimmed wheels and solid rubber tires. However, falls were frequent, and starting was a matter of balance.
