Which inventor patented the first pneumatic tire for bicycles in 1888?

John Boyd Dunlop patented the first practical pneumatic tire for bicycles in 1888.

Dunlop was a Scottish veterinary surgeon living in Belfast when he designed an inflatable tire for his son’s tricycle. He wrapped a rubber tube around the wheel, filled it with air, and covered it with canvas and rubber. The air cushion made the ride substantially smoother than solid tires.

Dunlop patented the design in Britain in 1888, although the patent was later challenged because Robert William Thomson had patented an earlier pneumatic tire concept in 1845. Thomson’s design was not commercially successful, while Dunlop’s version quickly became important to the bicycle industry.

Dunlop did not invent rubber itself, and his work should not be confused with Charles Goodyear’s vulcanization process. The Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company helped popularize pneumatic tires, which were later adapted for automobiles.