The celerifere - one of the earliest bike prototypes - had no pedals or steering.
The first contraption that can realistically be said resembles a bicycle was constructed around 1790 by Comte Mede de Sivrac of France. Called a celerifere, it was a wooden scooter-like device with no pedals or steering. A similar model, improved with a steering mechanism attached to the front wheel, was created in 1816 by German Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun. He called it a Draisienne, after himself, though popular parlance also dubbed it the hobby horse.
When using either of these devices, the rider perched on a seat between two wheels similarly sized wheels, and using the feet, propelled the bicycle a bit like a scooter. Drais exhibited his bicycle in Paris in 1818, and while popularly received, its design limited its use to really just flat, well-groomed paths through gardens and parks, which were off-limits to a good portion of the population in those days.
When Pedals Were Added - A Big Improvement
A FEW historians credit the invention of the pedal bicycle to Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish blacksmith who lived from 1812-1878. One day back in 1839, MacMillan was out watching people riding bikes, which at that time were driven by kicking the ground with your feet. Thrilling, eh? Seemed to him that there must be a better way.
According to later research done by family members, after musing on the matter a bit MacMillan came up with an idea for the first pedal set-up that could more effectively drive the bike. Using his blacksmith tools, he put his idea into place, and voila! bicycling suddenly took a giant leap forward.
Macmillan's contraption had a wood frame and iron-rimmed wooden wheels. The front wheel, which provided limited steering measured 30 inches (760 mm) in diameter, while the back had a 40 inch (1016 mm) wheel and was attached to pedals via connecting rods. In total, Macmillan's bike weighed 57 lb (26 kg). His creation gathered a lot of attention, and Macmillan helped generate additional publicity when he rode the bike 68 miles to visit his brothers in Glasgow. Copies of his invention produced by other firms soon appeared on the market, and Macmillan saw little profit from his innovation.
I recently went for a visit and tour of a? here in Denver called Wheat ridge Cyclery. The tour was given to me by the man you all now know as the ‘Fabricator of Funk’. I put a question mark in the first sentence because I can’t really call this business a bike shop or retail store because although it may be both of those things, based on what I saw, it is much, much more. They are all around ‘Bicycle Hustlers’...oh yeh...I saw the funk there…and it was good. (The legal and honest type of hustlers). 
This was probably the most pleasant and inviting consumer type atmosphere I have been in since my jaunts across the world in the mid 1990s on Singapore Airlines. I have flown MANY Airlines during my international and domestic travels but Singapore Airlines (Get a picture of airline and Stewardess) was the best of all. I say that because in this country, it is rare to go somewhere and actually feel like you are appreciated for more than just your $$$. The worst airline I ever flew on was America West and I do not even know if this airline is still in business, but if at all possible…STAY AWAY! 
Wheat Ridge Cyclery was the same experience as Singapore Airlines. Everyone that worked there seemed to be genuinely happy to be there and I was greeted (not like those fake Wal-Mart Greetings) not less than5 times by 5 different people. They know when to approach you and when to let you alone to do your wandering and gazing. Not only that, the store was beautiful! Well laid out, MUCH variety, amazing bicycle designs, and unashamed of the high prices they were asking for their product (I saw prices between $1,500-$10,000). Truthfully, neither should they be because 5 of their designs were FREAK SHOWS and I believe well worth the $$$. There bicycle mechanic shop is AMAZING, sterile, well laid out, organized, etc. Whatever image you have of a mechanic’s shop (the grease, tools all over the place, cigarettes in the mechanics mouth, tires laying all over, Wheat Ridge Cyclery ‘ain’t the one yall’.
If you are a rider who rides simply for ‘Recreation’ and don’t want to spend big $$$ on a bicycle, this isn’t the place for you. However, if you want to see what I believe to be the standard in retail experience (no matter what you are shopping for), take a visit to Wheat Ridge, you will not be disappointed.
Pictured above is a VERY DESCENT design I saw up close during my visit to Wheat ridge. It is called 'Langster Tokyo' and although this picture doesn't do this design justice, it is nice to look at. Being aesthetically focused as I am, it was the hottest I saw there! Most others would disagree, but hey, it is my opinion and I am sticking to it. This design though isn't even in the same league as my 2 in this genre of bicycle....Thanks Wheat ridge and know that your hospitality doesn't go unnoticed :) I saw this thing, a vision, and it was a Major Taylor Road and Track Bike in WHEATRIDGE FELLAS!
German car manufacturer Mercedes Benz must be getting bored as they are looking to break into the emerging high-end bicycle market. The line consists of a folding bike, a new mountain bike and a racing bike. You can fold the folding bike in a matter of seconds and this mechanism is patented. It can be folded into two positions, one of which allows it to be pushed and steered, which is convenient for public transport situations. The folding bike also eight gears, disk brakes and a luggage rack. It’s actually their entry-level model with an enticing price tag of $2,410.
The racing bike is lightweight, weighing less than 7kg. It features a high-end carbon-fiber frame, a Carbotec monocoque carbon-fiber fork, 20 gears, carbon-fiber pedals and DT wheels in white. Only 100 of this model will be made, each priced at $7,085.
Benz is a GREAT brand folks it is just my hope that they put the focus on THE LOOK of their bicycles as they do the cars. Above is the only bicycle they make that is worth noting...in my opinion anyway. I tell you what, they need the 'Fabricator of Funk' hand building their bicycles because I promise you, he can out do their current offerings!
Riding along on my bicycle...HA!HA!HA! This is STRAIGHT KORNY, but I am going to back the Haterism out of my game because some things are just so korny and terrible that you gotta love em!!!
The answer is yes. This question was asked of me by someone but I will also 'Hurry to add' that I am very careful about what I look at and how long I look at them. The reason is simply. Often times when we look at something to long or with too much interest, those images, words, etc are imprinted on what some people call our subconscious mind. These images (bikes) or words will creep out in ways we may not recognize. In our speech, writings, design, etc. Before you know it, you think you did something that was your own and creative when the truth is that because you viewed images, words, etc for too long, you are actually plagiarizing somebody else's work. This may or may not be done on purpose, but the result will be the same!
My inspiration for design never comes from other designers, but my inspiration comes form such places as the fashion industry, car care accessories, etc. Strangely enough, sometimes it comes from seeing the simplest things. For instance, I saw someone wearing one of those huge shiny, silver Rodeo belt buckles one time. You know the ones cowboys wear around and some of them seem as large a a saucer? I saw how one looked and I thought to myself "That would make a hot bicycle design!" A few days later, a design of mine I call 'Beasty' was born. Granted, those things are steel and unrealistic for what I am doing, but the inspiration was there. Another time I heard some one's name that I really liked, 'Emraphael', a few days later, a design baring the same name was born. My point is that design is all around, slow down and notice.
I read once that there was some design copying going on with a few of the major bicycle manufacturers. The way they go about it is they all pretty much get their bicycles manufactured in some of the same factories in China. If you don't know, China is the hugest copyright offender in the world. Bootlegging products is a way of life in China. Everything from music to fashion to movies, etc. I struggled to understand why anyone would really care about what the competition is doing, but what I remembered is that the reason they are concerned is because 'It is the competition!' What an epiphany right? Nevertheless, sure I am a nobody as design goes right now, sure the odds are stacked against my designs ever making it to market, but where most would see that as a position of weakness, it is actually a position of strength!
When this thing does go down, no one will ever see it coming. To wrap this all up, I do not spend much time looking at other designs because the truth is that I do not care what they are doing! What they are doing is irrelevant to me and small designers all over the world. Please do not think I am arrogant, because that isn't who I am (anymore anyway). I just realize that there is a higher plain of bicycle design that can be achieved. Not these futuristic bicycle concepts that win awards at the Taiwanese design competition every year but aren't relevant or practical for mass production (Although there was a design called Wild Buffalo that is HOOOTTTT!) A higher plain doesn't always mean more sophisticated, or more gadgets on the bike, etc. A higher plain in my mind simply means 'More relevant to the culture to which it is targeted'.
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