Bicycle Days 1896-1900

Book excerpt: This volume of the Sports She Wrote series completes the nine-volume chronological journey of 19th century cycling articles written by women. By the end of the century, the bicycling craze transitioned from a fleeting fad into a deeply ingrained aspect of American culture. Bicycles were no longer mere novelties but essential methods of transportation for the masses, sources of physical exercise, and vehicles for leisure and sports. Forty-eight articles (102,000 words) authored by dozens of women writers and 38 illustrations from 20 periodicals offer insightful discourse on the state and development of women’s cycling. These articles offer a multifaceted exploration of various cycling topics, reflecting the evolving attitudes and practices surrounding the sport. The final cycling article, published in 1900, is emblematic of the progress made and the future prospect for athletic cycling, focusing on women’s “fancy riding,” now known as trick riding. This volume includes the comprehensive book “Bicycling for Ladies,” written by Maria E. Ward, published in 1896. With 34 accompanying photographs, Ward's book serves as a testament to the vibrancy and diversity of cycling culture during this pivotal period in history. In addition to the basics of riding, Ward provides detailed instructions for maintenance and repair of bicycles and demonstrates how to use the necessary tools that many women of the era were unaccustomed to using. The volume concludes with a foretaste of the future penned by Mary Sargent Hopkins, whose cycling articles are featured in several volumes of this series, but in this case introduces readers to a new wheeled contraption destined to revolutionize independent transportation—the automobile. Sports She Wrote is a 31-volume time-capsule of primary documents written by more than 500 women in the 19th century, including nine volumes on cycling.