Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way)

Macy, Sue. Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way).  National Geographic, Washington D.C.: 2011. 96 pages. Tr. $18.95 ISBN 9781426307614

Annotation

Sue Macy’s Wheels of Change chronicles how the newly invented bicycle contributed to the women’s rights movement of the turn of the 20^th century.

Review

Wheels of Change chronicles the history of the bicycle in relation to women’s history.  The bicycle allowed women much more freedom, but from the beginning there were critics who believed that the bicycle was an unladylike method of transportation.  Inventors even made side saddle bikes so ladies would not have to compromise their modesty by straddling a bicycle; however most bicyclists, male and female preferred the traditional safety bike.  The bicycle also caused uproar over women’s fashion as bikes were difficult to ride in long skirts and cumbersome petticoats.  Bicycling costumes came in many different styles.  For a time the bloomers saw a rebirth, but most women bicyclist simply opted for a slightly shorter skirt.  Besides bicycle styles and women’s fashion Macy also discusses the first female bike racers, women who competed to set distance records, how the bicycle was used in advertising and how the bicycle is still freeing women across the globe. 

Awards/Honors

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Adults 2012

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Foreword by Leah Missbach Day, Introduction, Features on: Celebrity Cyclists, Cycling Slang, Cycling Songs, the Cycling Press, Sell with Cycles. Highlights in Cycling and Women’s History, Resources, Sources of Quotes, Index, Picture Credits

Author’s Website

http://www.suemacy.com/