Tricycles

With their long skirts and corsets, women were unable to maneuver themselves around on the high wheel bicycles that the men used. Prior to the development of the diamond frame in 1885 (the type of frame used on bicycles today) women pedaled around on the high wheel tricycle. These seemingly simple contraptions were quite mechanically innovative. Many technical advances generally associated with automobile were actually invented for the tricycle, such as rack and pinion steering, band brakes, and the differential.

Tricycle: Image courtesy of the "Pedaling History Bicycle Museum", 2006.