Early bicycles cost half a year’s income at one time, but they opened doors for people to get to places they could not go before. Women, in particular, could take advantage of newfound freedoms, especially when the prices for bikes were a bit more affordable.

During the 1890s, the bicycle became a significant symbol of women’s liberation, offering them a newfound freedom of transportation.  The scene captures not just a recreational activity but a profound statement of social change. The debate over women and bicycling was intense during this period. 

Learning to ride a bicycle was not without its challenges. Balancing on two wheels was often a hazardous process, leaving riders with bruised shins and battered knees. For women, the public spectacle of falling or struggling to ride was even more embarrassing due to societal expectations of grace and elegance.