Why were bicycles not invented sooner?

The bicycle was invented before smooth roads were in wide use. The first bicycles were made for dirt tracks, and modern bicycles can handle dirt tracks just as well as they could in the 1860s. The only thing smooth roads adds to the equation is higher speeds. read more

Bicycles were actually one of their first major applications.-Chains weren't manufactured with high enough quality/precision/strength until ~1880's-Tension-spoke wheels were not around for millenia. They were originally invented in 1830's as airplane landing gear, for light weight. read more

Bikes in the 1860s and 1870s shared the two-wheel design of earlier models, but lacked springs and seat cushions, making them uncomfortable to ride. Later bicycles, introduced in the 1880s and 1890s, catered to female riders as well as men. Kids bicycles joined the bike community in the 1920s, allowing families to ride for pleasure. read more

The first bicycle was invented about 1791 .The first bicycles were mainly used for fun . read more