The first bicycles had no pedals at all.

That's correct! The very first bicycle, known as the Draisine or Laufmaschine, was invented by German Baron Karl Drais in 1817. Riders propelled it by pushing their feet against the ground, similar to a kick scooter. Pedals were only introduced several decades later, around the 1860s, which revolutionized the bicycle's utility and helped it spread as an efficient mode of transportation.