[Velocipedes) were briefly popular among the wealthier classes in England and parts of the United States. But with no brakes and with their main power coming from the rider's feet running along the ground, these wooden "horses" had their limitations. Inventors began to explore the idea of attaching cranks or pedals to the velocipede's wheels as early as the 1820s. -Wheels of Change, Sue Macy What was the solution? FREE