12. The bicycle and the steam engine were developed around the same time
In truth, the steam engine is older than the bicycle, but a practical use of steam for the purpose of locomotion began being explored around the same time that the bicycle emerged. Both owe their development in part to the Year Without a Summer 1816, when the eruption of the volcano Tambora the previous year caused global climate change which destroyed crops throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Horses became scarce due to lack of fodder. Both the bicycle and the steam engine as means of propulsion were brought forth, including potentially combining the two. Thus the eruption of Tambora eventually led to the development of railroads and bicycle trails, or at least contributed to the need for both.
The early bicycles, developed in Germany, were essentially a seat between two wheels, driven by the “rider” walking along, pushing the vehicle, which was called a velocipede, with each stride, steering via changing the direction at which the front wheel was aimed. Pedal driven bicycles weren’t developed until 1863, by which time the steam engine was driving rail locomotives around the world. In urban areas, where roads were usually better paved, bicycles in various forms grew in popularity. In rural areas, where the roads were usually little better than wagon trails, rutted and boulder strewn, and frequently a muddy morass, the bicycle was less popular and far more difficult to ride. Eventually the steam engine yielded its dominant position to the internal combustion engine and electrical power sources, while the bicycle continues to enjoy popularity as both a commuting vehicle and as a recreational machine.