Pumped Up and Pedalling

Hop on and hold tight as Professor Mark Miodownik goes for a joyride through the bouncy and brilliantly unlikely history of the inflatable tyre, the simple puff of air that changed the world.

In this second episode of Puffed Up, Mark traces the bicycle’s evolution from the bumpy and uncomfortable ‘running machines’ to the smooth‑rolling safety bicycle, with its game changing pneumatic tyres that transformed travel forever.

He’s joined by journalist and technology historian Tom Standage, who reveals how bikes made us faster, freer and a lot more connected - potentially even changing our genetic makeup. Also joining Mark for the ride is sociologist Professor Kat Jungnickel who shares the wonderful and often rebellious story of how women used bicycles to push against Victorian constraints, invent new clothing, and reclaim the open road.

From face‑planting penny‑farthing riders to inflatable flamingos, this is the surprising tale of the humble inflatable rubber tube that set humanity in motion.

Producer: Mel Brown
Assistant Producer: Alex Rodway
Presenter: Mark Miodownik
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem