Carol Godwin, Cycle Mania

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel — the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood,”

 — Susan B Anthony-1896.

Once again, I am visiting the Vernon cabin, this time in a light March snowfall on our fat bikes. I feel fortunate to have several bikes for different conditions, and this one specializes in handling snowy conditions with confidence and security. The wide, soft tires float over the snow and carry me across the rock-strewn snowy field with ease. This bike is built with strong light carbon, my tires are riddled with titanium studs to grip firmly into the snow and ice that could be slippery under other tires, and the wide stance and low air pressure of the big tires makes rough ground disappear under the new snow. 

As always, when I visit the Land of Pioneers area, I am thinking about how things have changed since the time that the first homesteaders came here nearly 150 years ago. Interestingly, at about the same time that these homesteaders arrived, the modern bicycle was being invented and the trajectory of lifestyles for women was changing across America and Europe. The women who homesteaded here undoubtedly worked equally as hard as their husbands and most likely had already changed much about their clothing and ideas of their places in the world, but in much of “civilized” society, women were restricted in what they were allowed or expected to do with their lives, what they were expected to wear and how much it was expected that they could do physically. How did the bicycle change things for women and what does the bicycle do for us today?

“I am delighted with my wheel. I am just as fond of it as my horse.” — Annie Oakley-1892.

March is women’s history month, as it has been for the past 38 years, and strangely, although I am a woman, I find myself being surprised at how much I didn’t/don’t know about the history of women in society, about how things have changed for women over time and what things we take for granted today that were forbidden or unusual just a century ago. Curiosity made me look into the history of women and bikes and what I learned took me on an interesting journey, ending full circle with the main reasons I love to ride a bike.

“Truly, the bicycle is the most influential piece of product design ever,” 

— Hugh Pearman-2021.

The first vehicle resembling a bike was the Dandy horse, invented in 1817. The Dandy horse, primarily constructed of wood, resembled a large balance bike. Men enjoyed the freedom a bicycle provided, with less expense than a car and less work and maintenance than a horse and carriage, and a great way to get around in crowded cities. Upper-class Victorian women were just beginning to have the time to leave their homes and socialize, and this new mode of transportation allowed them more freedom to get out without having to harness a horse and buggy. 

Women’s models had a step-through frame which accommodated the voluminous skirts worn, and this new invention became nearly instantly popular. The Dandy horse was slow, heavy, hard to steer and was very cumbersome, but the potential was there; leading to rapid evolution towards what we see as the modern bicycle. 

Tricycles, quadricycles, side-by-side tandems and the classic Penny-farthing came in a whirlwind of invention and technology. As bicycles became less expensive, women saw the bicycle as a way to gain more freedom from the traditional home-based lifestyle and a way to get out and socialize with other women outside of their normal social circles, resulting in a wider world-view for many women.

“The bicycle will inspire women with more courage, self-respect, and self-reliance and make the next generation more vigorous of mind and body,” 

— Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1895.

The freedom women obtained from riding bikes lead to a yearning for more autonomy and eventually planted the seeds to some beginnings of the Women’s Rights movement. The long heavy multi-layered skirts worn at the time tended to get caught in the spokes and were dangerous for woman cyclists, and after several reiterations of bike frames and wheel guards designed to accommodate the skirts, the skirts themselves were changed to accommodate bikes. 

First, split skirts with draw-up overskirts were modeled after the hiking skirts of the day and then the overskirt was removed, and bloomers became fashionable for both male and female cyclists. Cyclists found corsets too constricting for proper breathing and quickly discarded them, leading to the observation that upper-class white women, in particular, weren’t biologically weaker or more delicate than men or lower-class women; their constricted breathing was simply because of tight corsets. This lead to the revolutionary idea that exercise was good for the body and doctors started recommending regular daily exercise. Women realized that the freedom, social interaction and exercise that the bike provided was making their lives happier and better overall and cycling clubs for women became fashionable.

“Next to a leisurely walk, I enjoy a spin on my tandem bicycle. It is splendid to feel the wind blowing in my face and the springy motion of my iron steed. The rapid rush through the air gives me a delicious sense of strength and buoyancy. The exercise makes my pulse dance and my heart sing.” — Hellen Keller-1900s.

The first “modern” bicycle, called the Safety Bicycle, was invented in the 1880s and bicycling quickly became popular world-wide, both as an effective mode of transportation and as a social phenomenon. Safety bicycles were distinguished from other earlier forms of bikes by having two wheels the same size, a chain-driven rear drive, the rider’s weight moved lower and back on the frame to provide better balance and security, and the classic diamond frame made from two triangles. This new bicycle transformed the way goods, services and information could be transported and connected people in a way never seen previously. The ability of bicycles to transform societies in this way is still ongoing today and has helped people in developing countries be able to move themselves, information, goods and services within and between communities, making it a vital part of countless economies around the world.

“Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.” — H.G. Wells-1905.

Bikes evolved from heavy basic transportation to lighter, more functional vehicles for enjoyment and exercise, to ultralight racing machines, and, in the 1970s, began to develop and morph into what we know today as the modern mountain bike. Around here, the mountain bike is the most popular bike and is mostly used for recreation on backcountry-style trails. A light flexible frame and shock give the rider much greater control over steering and production of power and make the bike maneuverable over varied terrain. 

Mountain biking has taken over back-country travel by storm and most trails are multi-use for hikers, cyclists and equestrians. For me, mountain biking has the magical quality of being able to transform a bad day into a great new one, take my mind off of work and outside issues and gives me a feeling of freedom like no other. I love the challenge of a trail and the feeling of conquering a climb or completing a long-distance trek. A short ride with my dogs is priceless for my sanity and the physical benefits are sure to help me stay healthy and active into my older years. Freedom, expansion of boundaries, the beauty of nature and the interconnectedness of everything are all things that make me very grateful to have come back to bikes after a long break focused on “life happens”.

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride” 

— John F. Kennedy-1962

Today, women are well represented in the cycling community, and here in the White Mountains, I feel honored and grateful to count several of them as my friends and trail companions. These women are from all walks of life and have different focuses as to which style of cycling they prefer, but all of them represent what is strong and amazing about today’s woman. I asked my friends for pictures of themselves loving life on two wheels and was flooded with great ones. Here are a few which represent what cycling is all about for us.

If you are interested in starting your cycling journey, visit a local shop or join an online cycling group to get advice on which bike might be best for what you plan to do. Cycling is for everyone and everyone can find a niche that they fit into that will give them the freedom that the first bike riders found so exhilarating and addictive. We’ve come a long way and I’m excited to see where this journey takes us next.

“When the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, all one needs to do is just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road.” 

— Conan Doyle-1896