The dandy horse, an English nickname for what was first called a Laufmaschine ('running machine' in German), then a vélocipède or draisienne (in French and then English), and then a pedestrian curricle or hobby-horse, or swiftwalker, is a human-powered vehicle that, as the first two-wheeled vehicle, is regarded as the first bicycle. The dandy horse is powered by the rider's feet on the ground instead of the pedals of later bicycles. It was invented by Karl Drais (who called it a Laufmaschine German: [ˈlaʊfmaˌʃiːnə] 'running machine') in 1817, and patented by him in France in February 1818 as a vélocipède.

Key figuresHugh Capet of FranceLouis XIV of FranceCCrazy Horse