Author Description

1896 marked the peak of the bicycling craze in America, as reflected in the 119 articles and 72 illustrations in this volume of the Sports She Wrote series. Bikes became essential for women of all classes, influencing social norms, practical transportation and the dress reform movement. The debate over the best model bicycle for women to ride (including the “drop frame,” now known as a “girl’s bike”) and proper cycling attire raged on, led by Mary Sargent Hopkins, a prominent advocate known as "Merrie Wheeler." Her column in The Ladies’ World highlighted cycling's prominence. A series of 18 articles by Olivia Howard Dunbar and 11 articles by Ida Trafford Bell published in bicycle journals offer insight into cycling in America. Harper’s Bazar’s featured a "Bicycling Number," further documenting the importance of wheeling at the time. Celebrities and high society’s embrace of the two-wheeler boosted its popularity among women nationwide. Twenty articles highlight Charlotte Smith's harsh critique on the immorality of cycling for women. Her tirade sparked emotional debates about a woman's freedom to travel independently without a chaperone but had little impact on diminishing the fad. Despite the controversy, cycling's popularity persisted, though the craze waned in later years as cycling became a utilitarian form of transportation for the masses and was soon superseded by the automobile. This volume also includes reports of international bike races by Mrs. Eck, the wife of the American team manager, long-distance tours by couples, and four works of bicycling fiction from various magazines, written by women and published in 1896. 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.