Pedaling to Power

    Maybe you know what it’s like to be trapped at home.

    You don’t have a driver’s license. There are plenty of places to go. But they’re all too far away to walk to. You’re stuck with nothing to do—until you get on your bike.

    Suddenly, you’ve got the wind at your back. The wheels carry you faster than your legs ever could. Everything is within reach: the park, the basketball courts, your best friend’s house. The world is yours to explore.

    That’s how women felt when the bicycle first became popular. It wasn’t just a machine with two wheels, a seat, and pedals. It was a ticket to freedom.

    Have you ever felt like you were trapped in your own home? There are plenty of places you want to go. But they’re all too far away to walk to, and you don’t have a driver’s license. You’re stuck inside, staring at the walls—until you get on your bike.

    The wheels go faster than your legs ever could. You can go anywhere: the park, the basketball courts, your best friend’s house. You can explore the world!

    A long time ago, that’s how bikes made women feel. For them, a bike was not just a machine with two wheels. It was a ticket to freedom.

    Have you ever felt like you were trapped in your own home? There are plenty of places you want to go. But they’re all too far away to walk to, and you don’t have a driver’s license. You’re stuck inside, staring at the walls—until you get on your bike.

    Now the wind is at your back, and the wheels are carrying you faster than your legs ever could. The park, the basketball courts, and your best friend’s house are within reach. The world is yours to explore.

    That’s the same feeling women experienced when the bicycle first became popular. It wasn’t just a machine with two wheels, a seat, and pedals. It was a ticket to freedom.

    The bike was invented in 1817. It became popular in America in the 1890s. By then, bikes were cheaper and safer. Everyone wanted one. Bike owners formed clubs. They planned group rides. They had races. 

    Women welcomed the bicycle. For many women, the home felt like a prison. Not many jobs were open to women. Instead, they were expected to spend their time doing housework. They were expected to raise children.

    If a woman wanted to go somewhere, it wasn’t easy. Most people did not have cars until the 1920s. People rode on horses or in carriages. But keeping a horse cost a lot of money. And people thought that hitching a horse to a carriage was a man’s job. 

    Also, the clothing women wore wasn’t good for moving around. It was hard to breathe in tight garments called corsets. Skirts were very long. One outfit could weigh 25 pounds.

    Though the bike was invented in 1817, Americans didn’t embrace it until the 1890s. New models were cheaper, safer, and more comfortable—and everyone wanted one. Bike clubs popped up everywhere. Group rides were the new, fun activity. And bike companies organized races. 

    The bicycle arrived at the ideal time for women who felt like their homes were a prison. Not many jobs outside the house were open to women, and they were expected to devote their time to housework and raising children.

    Women who wanted to go out faced many obstacles. Until the 1920s, almost no one had cars. People depended on horses or carriages for transportation—but keeping a horse was expensive, and hitching a horse to a carriage was considered a man’s job. 

    In addition, the clothes women wore weren’t designed for an active life. Tight garments called corsets made breathing difficult, and skirts were so long they scraped the ground. One outfit could weigh as much as 25 pounds.

    In the 1890s, bikes finally helped women get out of the house. They were cheap. 

    And women didn’t need a man’s help to ride them. Country roads and city streets filled up with women riders. 

    As bikes became more popular, women had to change the way they dressed. It wasn’t just hard to ride in a corset and a long skirt—it was also dangerous. So some riders wore shorter skirts. Others put on baggy pants called bloomers.

    Many people were shocked to see women on wheels. They worried that bike-riding women would ignore their duties at home. They complained that bloomers made women look like men. 

    But women just kept riding. They rode to church. They rode to social events. They rode to get exercise. 

    By 1900, at least one-third of new cyclists were women.

    In the 1890s, bikes helped women get out of the house. Bikes were cheap. And women could ride them without a man’s help. Country roads filled up with women riders. So did city streets.

    Women’s clothes began to change. Riding a bike in a corset and a long skirt was hard and dangerous. So some riders wore shorter skirts. Others wore baggy pants called bloomers.

    Many people were shocked to see women on bicycles. They worried that these women would stop doing housework. They said that bloomers made women look like men. 

    But women kept riding. They rode to church. They rode to social events. They rode for exercise. 

    By 1900, at least one-third of new cyclists were women.

    In the 1890s, bikes gave women a way to finally get out of the house. They were inexpensive, and a man’s help wasn’t required to ride them. Country roads and city streets alike filled up with women riders. 

    As bikes grew in popularity, women needed to change the way they dressed. Riding in a corset and a long skirt wasn’t just difficult—it was dangerous. So some riders wore shorter skirts, while others put on baggy pants called bloomers.

    Many people were shocked by the sight of women on bikes. They worried that bike-riding women would neglect their duties at home, and they complained that bloomers made women look like men. 

    But women just kept riding—to church, to social events, and to get exercise. 

    By 1900, at least one-third of new cyclists were women.