When thinking about the history of cycling, we often remember the glory days of the Tour de France or the Olympics. Unfortunately, this means that too often the history of women's cycling is overlooked. Elisha explains.
Kittie Knox in the 1890s.
Bicycles played an important role in the women's movement of the early 20th century. Bikes gave women a new freedom after being long accustomed to relying solely on men for transport. The innovation of the bicycle gave women more control over where they went and when, bikes were easy to access and relatively inexpensive. What’s more, women soon found that more traditional outfits like corsets, bustlets and long skirts made riding a bicycle a challenge. This prompted a change in women's fashion which included lighter skirts, bloomers and even trousers. Bicycles helped pave the way for women today.
A recognized sport for women
Cycling as a sport (for men) officially began in the summer of 1868 with a 1,200-meter race near Paris between the fountains and entrance of Saint Cloud Park. The first Olympic race took place the following year with a men's individual road race. Women’s road events were not introduced into the Olympics until the summer of 1984 and women’s cycling was barely even considered a sport until the 1990s. Despite this, women were cycling long before then.
The new woman
Bicycles came to symbolize independence amongst women representing the quintessential ‘new woman’ of the late 19th century. In 1895, suffragette leader Elizabeth Candy Stanton said “the bicycle will inspire women with more courage, self respect, self reliance” predicting the power of the bicycle. Echoing Stanton’s claim was Susan B Anthony who played a key role in the suffragette movement. She said ‘’Let me tell you what I think about cycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.’’
First woman to adopt bloomers
In the 1890s, many women were still not riding bikes, but this didn't stop Kittie Knox, a young seamstress from Boston. Kittie Knox became the first African American to be accepted into the league of American wheelmen. Unfortunately, in the years that followed, Kittie was largely discriminated against, but this didn’t stop her from riding, in fact she became well known for her unique choice of cycling attire. Cycling led to a shift away from the restrictive and modest fashion of the Victorian era and led to a new era of exposed ankles. Kittie was one of the first women to adopt men’s bloomers which is significant because it was the first step in the right direction toward women eventually proudly wearing bicycle shorts in public with no skirt required.
First woman to cycle around the world
The first woman to ride a bicycle is said to be Annie Londonderry around 1896. Annie reportedly completed the cycling challenge in 15 months, whether she made it the whole way around the world via bicycle is debatable though. Apparently Annie was rather liberal with her use of trains and ferries, which made the expedition significantly easier. Interestingly, she made a bit of money through sponsorship where she attached posters and banners to her bike to advertise various companies.
Earliest female cycling journalist
In 1891, Beatrice Ethel Grimshaw began her career as the first female cycling journalist (on record). She started her writing career after finishing her studies at 21 years old when she ran away to Dublin. In Dublin she began a career as a journalist for R.J. Mecredy’s Irish cyclist where she went on to become an editor. She participated in cycling when she was out of the office, where she reportedly did casual century rides. After a life in the cycling industry, she traded in her bike for a life of travel.
Women in cycling today
Today, despite the efforts of the bicycle industry to get more women into cycling, women only make up just under 25% of riders. Safety is said to be the number one concern that puts women off cycling. One feminist bicycle influencer is the Cycle Maintenance Academy a team of avid cyclists and experienced bicycle repair experts.
Notably, cycling actually demonstrates a clear inequality between men and women as in some countries women are still forbidden from riding bikes due to concerns regarding modesty. In other countries, women were only recently allowed to cycle. It wasn't until 2013 when women were allowed to cycle in Saudi Arabia and reports show that women still cannot cycle in the streets of Iran. Although there may not be specific laws that prohibit women from cycling, there are ‘religious rules’ that must be respected.
What do you think of women cycling in history? Let us know below.
