What did the wright brothers do before they flew airplanes?

Before they flew airplanes, the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, operated a bicycle sales and repair shop in Dayton, Ohio. They used their knowledge of mechanics and engineering from their bicycle business to experiment with flight. Their interest in aviation was sparked by the work of earlier pioneers, and they began conducting glider experiments to understand the principles of flight, eventually leading to the development of their powered aircraft.