Women, Bicycles and Bloomers…Oh My! How Recreation Sparked a Revolution
Posted on March 4, 2026
by Caitlyn R
“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, women’s rights activist
In 1888, Fannie Judson Farrar became the first woman to own and ride a bicycle in Toledo. While owning a bicycle may seem like a common rite of passage today, in the late 19th century and early 20th century it was considered a symbol of the “New Woman.” The “New Woman” was young, active in sports, interested in pursuing career, “masculine in dress,” and… almost always riding a bicycle. Bicycles were a relatively inexpensive mode of travel that promised freedom to women who had been accustomed to relying on men for transportation. For the first time in modern history, women had more control over where they traveled and when.
“If Women Must Ride, They Must Dress More Rationally”
Women’s fashion in 1890s was dictated by long skirts, bustle bands, and stiff corsets. This style often causes painful accidents and injuries, so women cyclers began adopting a new fashion known as “bloomers” or “knickerbockers.”
First popularized by women’s rights activist Amelia Jenkins Bloomer in 1851, bloomers were a bifurcated garment that were worn under dresses. This style was not without controversy – many considered the bloomers “immoral” and “homely.”
Despite the controversy, the bloomers and bicycles craze took off in Toledo and by 1895, women were forming their cycling clubs and taking solo trips around the world. Bicycling is so much more than a fun sport and hobby – it helped pave the way for women’s rights and freedom. In the words of Frances E. Willard, who literally wrote the book on bicycling: “I began to feel that myself plus the bicycle equaled myself plus the world.”
To learn more about the history of bicycles and bloomers, view our online resources.
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