Let’s have a history lesson!

photo credit: fixedgear via photopin cc

As I am always trying to discover more about active living and its’ role in the history of health and fitness, I got to thinking about women and bicycling. And what a history it is!

Around the turn of the century when the women’s suffrage movement was coming into its’ own, the advent of the bicycle was also taking place. As the development of the bike changed from the big front wheel to one with equal sized wheels, women discovered that this type of bike (called a “Safety” bike) was easy to ride. They began riding these bikes in droves. Consequently, women’s fashion had to adapt to this crazy fad. Long dresses and corsets gave way to bloomers. These fashion forward bike riding women were considered evil by many who believed that riding bicycles would harm women’s health and constitution. However, these women persevered and women’s bicycle riding became an acceptable form of transportation as well as a lifestyle unto itself.

Hooray! Women became more independent with their newfound method of transportation and functional dress. Susan B. Anthony once stated that bicycling “had done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.” Women finally had the freedom to come and go on their own terms – being able to explore the world outside their back door. The power women felt from bicycle riding helped them stand up for themselves and their role in women’s rights movement.

One of my favorite quotes about women and bicycling is from Ellen B. Parkhurst who remarked, “A girl who rides a wheel is lifted out of herself and her surroundings.” This quote, to me, says that when you are feeling blue, physical activity is your friend. Try going for a bike ride. It will open your mind to the wonderful possibilities that life has to offer. 

Here’s to an active life!