The Running Machine
A baron rides two wheels without a horse.
On 12 June 1817 Karl Drais rides his Laufmaschine, a wooden two-wheeler with no pedals, about 7 km out of Mannheim and back in a little over an hour. It was the first machine built on the two-wheel principle behind every bicycle and motorcycle since, and the riders' habit of using the pavements soon got it banned in several countries.
Open in interactive timeline →Key Numbers
- First Ride
- 12 June 1817
- Distance
- About 7 km
- Pedals
- None
- French Patent
- February 1818
Verified Facts
- On 12 June 1817 Karl Drais rode his running machine from Mannheim to the Schwetzinger Relaishaus coaching inn, about 7 km, on Baden's best road. The round trip took a little more than an hour.
- The machine had no pedals. It used the two-wheeler principle that is basic to the bicycle and the motorcycle.
- Drais patented it in France in February 1818 as a vélocipède. It was also called the draisine, hobby horse or dandy horse.
- Roads were so rutted by carriages that riders took to the pavements and endangered pedestrians, so authorities in Germany, Britain, the United States and even Calcutta banned it.
Myth vs. Reality
Myth:
Reality: Drais's 1817 running machine had none. The rider sat between two wheels and pushed along the ground with the feet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented the bicycle?
Karl Drais built the first two-wheeled running machine and first rode it on 12 June 1817 in Mannheim. It had no pedals; pedals and, later, the chain-driven safety bicycle came decades afterwards.
How far did Drais ride in 1817?
About 7 kilometres, from Mannheim to the Schwetzinger Relaishaus coaching inn, and the round trip took a little more than an hour.
Why was the dandy horse banned?
Rutted roads pushed riders onto the pavements, where they moved fast enough to endanger pedestrians, so several cities and countries banned it.
Sources & Further Reading
Cite This Page
AskHistoryAI. “The Running Machine.” AskHistoryAI — Interactive Timeline of Everything. Updated 2026-10-08. https://askhistoryai.com/event/sv-draisine/
Every fact on this page is checked against the published fact ledger and methodology; sources are listed above.