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Olivia Scheper
Honors British Studies
26 November 2015
The Age of the Bicycle: Womens Emancipation within the Nineteenth Century
Nineteenth-century Britain saw a great increase in the pursuits of leisure and pastimes,
one that helped cultivate and define the recreation of the age. Within the early years of the
nineteenth century, many working hours were increasing, with many mens hours increasing
from six to eight a day at the end of the eighteenth century to almost twelve hours a day (Horn
5). However, as the nineteenth century progressed, the daily work hours continued to decrease,
with many acts being put in place in order to restrict them. For example, the 1833 Factory Act
placed restrictions on when and how often children were able to work, and the 1847 Factory Act
stated that women and children in textile factories could only work a maximum of 10 hours a
day. As weekly work hours decreased over the century, middle class citizens found themselves
with more free time, and, as a result, recreation began to play a bigger role within their everyday
lives. One such way in which the people of the nineteenth-century occupied their free time was
through the bicycle. The bicycle was invented in the early years of the 1800s; however, it did not
gain widespread popularity until the later years of the century. Its increased use was especially
from the middle class to whom the bicycle was particularly precious (Rubinstein 47).
Women especially played a large role within the bicycle movement. They wanted to be
able to participate in the benefits that it provided them, such as traveling further distances and the
ability to be independent. However, this newfound yearning stirred up a lot of controversy. In
fact, it was widely debated whether women should be allowed to ride at all. The people in
opposition devised many reasons as to why women should not have the right to ride. Many of
them were objections to what they perceived as gender ambiguity with the fear that women
would no longer be able to properly fulfill their duties as the woman of the house. It was likewise
feared that a woman would no longer have a need for a man in her life, as her independence

continued to grow. As the nineteenth century progressed, there were questions of where women
stood in relation to men and what her role was within society (Richardson 34). However, women
cyclist enthusiasts continued to cycle, even through this period of disapproval, wishing to fight
for the rights that they thought they deserved.
Cycling offered many newfound benefits to women. To begin with, it gave them a new
way of exercising. While some thought exercising would be detrimental to their health, many
were on the side of reason, realizing just how beneficial the sport could be to women. Mr.
George Wyndham, a member of Parliament, was distinctly an advocate of cycling, but thought
that it should be done in moderation. He commented on the sport by saying, I think it is a
healthy exercise and, when mastered, a graceful accomplishment (Manners). The activity of
exercising on a regular basis increased sharply with the creation of the bicycle. Middle class
women, the majority of the women participating in the recreational boom, were presented with
the ability to improve their physique and overall health.
On the opposing side, there were others who thought that cycling would be dangerous for
women. Many doctors advised women to avoid over-exerting themselves while cycling, as it was
thought that it would seriously endanger their health. Marks states that even female doctors
argued against exercise, believing that strenuous physical exertion would redirect vital energy
needed to produce healthy children (Marks 174) and the very act of pedaling might counteract
the evolution, if not the very existence of the human race (Marks 175). Women were depended
upon to provide a healthy and successful new generation, and many saw the bicycle as a threat to
the society of the years to come. The act of sweating was something that previously women had
not really taken a part in, and, since medical thinking stated that women possessed weaker
constitutions than men, it was not taken lightly that women were now taking a part in physical
activity to the point of perspiring. Fanny Erskine, a publisher for books on womens cycling in

the 1890s, went so far as to say that if a female cyclist found herself panting then, Something is
radically wrong, and a doctor should be consulted (Manners). It was also believed that the
position in which a female rides a bike could likewise have drastic effects on her health. The
only way in which she should be riding is in the upright position, as this is the only one that will
not entail injury to internal organs.
In addition to health issues, the idea that cycling could be sexually stimulating for women
was a real concern in the 1890s. It was thought that straddling a saddle combined with the
motion to propel a bicycle would lead to arousal (Zhuetlin). If this was true, there was the fear
that a woman would no longer need a man in order to be sexually stimulated. In an attempt to
combat this idea, hygienic saddles began to appear across the nation. These saddles had little to
no padding where womens genitalia would come in contact with the seat, in an attempt to avoid
the possibility of sexual arousal. In addition to the saddles, high stems and upright handlebars
were also thought to reduce the risk of sexual stimulation because they reduced the angle in
which women were forced to ride. Some critics even went so far as to suggest that what might
begin as a minor side-effect to the vibrations of the wheel could eventually lead to death
through the injury of kidneys, liver, and urinary tract (Zhuetlin). These comments and others like
these created wide debate. It was questioned why the exercise brought about by bicycling was
seen as such a big threat for womens health when women worked in factories for ten hour days
and no one said a word against it.
The bicycle allowed women to travel greater distances than was previously possible,
bringing along with it more of a sense of independence. They were able to explore the area
surrounding them that had previously been too far to reach by foot, allowing them to see a whole
new world just outside their front door. In addition, many women had to travel daily in order to
get to work. This was a distance that they would previously have had to trek on foot. Colonel

A.C. Welby, also a member of Parliament, commented by saying, It seems to me that in country
districts, and where women have a long way to their work, cycling is an exercise, or a means of
locomotion, both cheap and invigorating (Manners). The joys that cycling brought along with it
helped them to get through the pressure and narrow limits that the work week brought. An article
appearing in the Manchester Guardian in August of 1895, written by a self-described middleaged woman, comments on the joys of cycling by stating, [The] anticipation of many such days
would shine like a beacon light all through the working hours (Manners). She describes cycling
as an escape from the responsibilities that come about during the work week.
However, riding a bicycle was not all fun and games. The act of cycling was many times
seen as hazardous, and the safety of the bicycle for women was a topic of serious debate. Over
the expanse of the bicycle boom, many accidents took place involving both men and women,
leaving some in serious condition and even bringing about death on the odd occasion. The 1890s
saw many concerns and anxieties being raised about the sport with the overarching question
being, Is it safe? Many believed that it wasnt, advising everyone who had any respect for their
safety to stay off of the bicycle. Some even went so far as to regard bathing in the whirlpools of
the Niagara as, on the whole, a less dangerous recreation (Manners). The magazine Cycling
mentioned in one of their articles that they thought that the majority of the traffic accidents
happened to women. This comment left an overall sense of distaste at the idea of a woman
cyclist, especially on the streets of London, where it was most likely that a cycling accident
would occur.
Many of the women who took up cycling felt a greater sense of independence. Rubinstein
suggests that through the bicycle, girls in the property-owning classes began to escape from
chaperonage and other forms of control over their movements (Rubinstein 61). Cycling
courtships became increasingly common as young boys and girls would take advantage of their

newfound time to have unsupervised meetings. However, this was not the overall end of the
chaperone. Much of society was opposed to the fact that girls were now leaving home with no
supervision and many were fearful that the woman on wheels may decide where she wishes to
go and what she plans to do when she gets there, regardless of a male companion, or lack of one
(Marks 175). Chaperones were meant to supervise the innocence of the unwed and make sure
that no improper conduct took place during courtship. Without a chaperone who knew what the
seemingly innocent young lady would do. As the bicycle offered more independence, it was
feared that girls would begin to have sex whenever and with whomever they pleased. This idea
was met with high hostility, since women were considered to be the leading figures in the
outcome of generations to come. In order to combat this idea, a Chaperon Cyclists Association
was established in 1896, meaning that girls would still be under supervision even while cycling.
The chaperon had to provide her own bicycle, have excellent references, and either be married,
widowed, or over thirty years old (Rubinstein 61). While cycling didnt mark the end of
chaperonage, it definitely was dealt a hearty blow.
One of the more important benefits that cycling offered women was the ability to defeat
conservative opinion. Within the early and middle nineties, the New Women was of great
discussion. Marks describes this woman as the soberly dressed woman who seeks to make the
most of her intellectual capabilities, to receive adequate training so that she may contribute
actively to society and, in return, maintain her life in independence (Marks 205). This new idea
was met with great hostility and sparked many newfound fears, such as the fear that men would
be forced to take on some of what was previously a womans responsibility. It was thought that
the new woman would change the relationship between the sexes, and, in many ways, she did.
A new sense of camaraderie was formed between both sexes, and they were now doing many
things side by side. However, the society within Britain was somewhat permissive, and while it

was changing, the people were still very aware of the status quo. The New Woman was seen as
a threat to society not only because the masculinization of the woman entailed the feminization
of the man, but also because she was the leading figure in the future of the next generation. As
Marks puts it, Her choices affected not only herself and her immediate relations but also the
shape of the coming era (Marks 208). It was previously considered to be a womans duty to
marry and bear children, but this idea was challenged by the women who attempted to redefine
the standards. The New Woman was one who saw herself as equal to man. However, this
newfound longing for freedom and equality was met with high opposition. This hostility came
from a unifying vision of the new woman as a figure who privileged independence over family
and who rejected social and sexual roles predicated on a politics of sexual difference
(Richardson 8). The bicycle gave them a means to escape the confines of the household and
become the New Woman. As a result, women were seen as rogue, leaving the family life behind
and going on to live their own lives of independence.
One way women asserted their independence was through the way in which they chose to
dress. As the number of women cyclers increased, there became more of a suggestion for women
to stop the wearing of skirts and dresses, as they were much harder to ride in. However, this
suggestion came mostly from women and it was met with high hostility. Trousers had previously
been a garment that women wore daily; however, they had always been invisible to the public.
But it was the proposal to adopt them as outer garments that roused hostility and ridicule in
society at large (Horn 52). Men and even some women saw this suggestion as a punch at society
as a whole. In their eyes, women were meant to look and act in such a manner that invoked
femininity, but this social norm was in danger of being destroyed, which many feared would
injure the true position of women within the world. In an effort to maintain their true feminine
qualities, most women continued to wear skirts; however, this posed a whole new problem, as

many times the skirts would get caught in the wind and fly up. Therefore, as a solution, many
women wore narrower and shorter skirts with knickerbockers underneath. While the movement
to adopt trousers as an outer garment never really got a strong foothold, many saw cycling as
unfeminine even while wearing the so called feminine dress of the age. Colonel A.C. Welby
commented on the subject by saying, I often think that if mirrors were arranged alongside, so
that they could see the very ungraceful and inelegant position which, especially in wind, cycleriding entails, they would go straightaway home, and never ride a cycle again for show
(Manners). Women were supposed to appear graceful, refined, and unflustered and were
therefore forced to try and adopt these qualities even while cycling. Many magazines of the time
gave advice on how this should be accomplished, focusing mainly on the often strenuous uphill
climbs. While many women attempted to maintain their femininity while astride the bicycle, it
was a hard goal to achieve.
Nineteenth-century Britain was a century of many new developments within the world of
recreation and new conceptions surrounding social norms. The bicycle took society by storm
within the later years of the century, invoking a variety of mixed feelings. As women began to
participate in cycling, many began to fear how societal roles would change. Cycling offered
many positive aspects to women who participated in the sport. Not only did it give them a chance
to get out and exercise, but it also allowed them to travel easier and become more independent.
These gave women a sense of hope for the future and a reason to fight for their individual rights
within society. However, as imagined, this fight was met with a lot of opposition. It was
questioned whether cycling was a healthy form of recreation for women, especially since it was
thought that it could have grave ramifications on future generations. In addition, many disagreed
with the new ways in which women proposed to dress since it masculinized them. All of these
disagreements were gradually addressed in the years following the bicycle boom; however, years

passed before society as a whole began to accept some of these changes. In the midst of it all,
however, women continued to fight for their rights, not giving up and riding the bicycle through
the brunt of it all.

Bibliography
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Manners, Will. 'The Victorian Cyclist'. The Victorian Cyclist. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
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1990. Print.
McCouat, Philip. Toulouse-Lautrec, The Bicycle And The Womens Movement. Journal of
ART in SOCIETY. N.p., 2014. Web. 16 Oct. 2015.
Richardson, Angelique. Love And Eugenics In The Late Nineteenth Century. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2003. Print.
Rubinstein, David. "Cycling In The 1890S." Victorian Studies 21.1 (1977): 47. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
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