Exercise 1: sample answer

Three reasons beyond transport: (1) Engineering: ball bearings, tension-spoked wheels, chain drive and the pneumatic tyre were developed or popularised for the bicycle and later used in motor cars and aircraft (check how direct each link was). (2) Society: it gave women and working people independent mobility and helped change clothing, courtship and leisure. (3) Infrastructure: cyclists' clubs campaigned for better roads before the motor car arrived (check). Efficiency and cost also made it the first personal transport that needed no animal or fuel.