Early bicycles had no pedals.

That's true! The first commercially successful two-wheeled vehicle, Karl Drais's "Laufmaschine" (running machine) from 1817, also known as the Draisienne, was propelled by the rider pushing off the ground with their feet. Pedals, as we know them today, were only introduced and patented decades later, which revolutionized the bicycle's usability and design.