Bike Journal Correspondents

Book excerpt: The cycling fad in the late 19th century spawned journals aimed at the growing masses of men and women on wheels. This volume of the Sports She Wrote series features a lively rivalry between writers in two prominent cycling journals, The Bicycling World & L.A.W. Bulletin (founded in 1878) and The Wheel and Cycling Trade Review (founded in 1888). Cycling was in the midst of a transition from tricycles to the high-wheel “ordinary” to the modern two-wheel "safety" bicycle. The 174 articles (126,000 words) written by correspondents in this volume often resemble the 19th-century version of social media trolling. Many writers used pseudonyms or their League of American Wheelmen badge numbers rather than their real names. Bylines include Helen Grey, Violet Lorne, and Lillias Campbell Davidson, as well as pennames “Psyche,” “Pioneer,” “Caviler,” “Wildflower,” and “Pony,” all confirmed to be women. A handful of writings by men are also included as they instigate or pertain to the discussions between the women. Among the primary topics was women's attire, which led to the invention of the "drop-frame” (later known as a “girl’s bike”) to accommodate long skirts, but hems still got caught in the chains and gears. Dress reform and the adoption of bloomers and knickerbockers became a heated controversy debated in several articles. Women's cycling mirrored societal changes, reflecting broader shifts in women's roles and expectations for the “New Woman” in the Victorian Era. 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.