Cycling

Cycling's bicycle was invented in 1817 (Baron von Drais's Laufmaschine) and refined into the modern form by the 1880s. It democratized personal transportation, providing working-class people with unprecedented mobility — particularly women, whom it liberated from chaperones and heavy clothing. Susan B. Anthony said the bicycle had done more for women's emancipation than anything else. Competitive cycling includes road racing (Tour de France), track cycling, mountain biking, BMX, and cyclocross. The Tour de France remains cycling's premier event. Dutch and Belgian cyclists have dominated road racing; the Netherlands has more bicycles than people. Copenhagen and Amsterdam have transformed urban mobility with cycling infrastructure.