The Safety Bicycle
A chain and two equal wheels make the modern bike.
In 1885 John Kemp Starley launches the Rover, the first commercially successful safety bicycle: two wheels of nearly equal size and a chain driving the rear one. It replaced the towering penny-farthing and set the layout of nearly every bicycle, and e-bike, made since.
Open in interactive timeline →Key Numbers
- Rover Launched
- 1885
- Designer
- J. K. Starley
- Drive
- Chain to rear wheel
- Replaced
- The penny-farthing
Verified Facts
- In 1885 John Kemp Starley produced the first commercially successful safety bicycle, which he named the Rover.
- It was heavier and more expensive than penny-farthings, but lighter and cheaper than the tricycles of the day.
- The chain drive, from a large front chainring to a small rear sprocket, multiplied the pedal revolutions and allowed much smaller wheels than the penny-farthing's huge front wheel.
- Safety bicycles have two wheels of identical or nearly identical size and a chain-driven rear wheel; the most popular frame of two triangles is called the diamond frame.
Myth vs. Reality
Myth:
Reality: Earlier safety designs existed, including Lawson's chain-driven model of 1879. The 1885 Rover was the first commercially successful one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented the modern bicycle?
John Kemp Starley's Rover of 1885 was the first commercially successful safety bicycle, with equal-sized wheels and a chain to the rear wheel: the layout bicycles still use.
Why was it called a safety bicycle?
Because it replaced the penny-farthing, whose huge front wheel put the rider high up. The chain allowed small wheels, so the rider sat lower.
Sources & Further Reading
Cite This Page
AskHistoryAI. “The Safety Bicycle.” AskHistoryAI — Interactive Timeline of Everything. Updated 2026-10-08. https://askhistoryai.com/event/sv-safety-bicycle/
Every fact on this page is checked against the published fact ledger and methodology; sources are listed above.