Bicycles were first developed in the mid-18th century and have long since been used as a form of transport. Originally, the front wheel was much larger than the rear wheel, and the rider was elevated a great deal, making them difficult to control and very dangerous. In 1885, J.K. Starley of England devised the more modern bike with a chain and gearing to allow the wheels to be of equal size. Although bicycle races had been held on the old "penny farthings", the new bikes stimulated¹ the growth of bicycle racing² as a sport.
　　从18世纪中期问世以来，自行车一直是一种广泛使用的交通工具。早期自行车的前轮比后轮大很多，而且车座也很高，使得骑车人很难控制车子。这种情况是相当危险的。1885年，英国的斯塔利（J.K. Starley）使用滚珠轴承及链条设计出了前、后车轮大小一样的现代自行车。虽然在此以前已经有使用老式4：1式自行车的（前轮尺寸是后轮的4倍）自行车赛，但现代自行车的出现刺激了自行车赛向竞技体育方面发展。 

　　Cycling at the Olympics features three exciting disciplines: road, track and mountain biking.
　　如今，奥运会自行车比赛分为公路赛、场地赛及山地赛三种。

About Cycling（Olympic sport since 1896）
自行车概述（1896年成为奥运会正式比赛项目）