Much of the content I'd already learned - that "proper" women finally got to leave the house, that Bloomers were created for bicycle riding. I didn't know that Victorians wore more than seven pounds of underwear! The residual terms in our language were also new to me:
"This attire was not only intended to restrict women physically, but morally, too. In a society where the accidental exposure of an ankle took on the pornographic stature of a lap dance, such dress was required to protect a lady's virtue. In fact, the term "loose" originated to describe a woman who went uncorseted, while "straight-laced" women obeyed societal dictates."
I was also amused by "The Cyclist's Chaperon Association". It is a good article and worth a read, ladies. Then go enjoy your bike! You've come a long way baby.
"As the bicycle continues to lend itself to causes of all kinds, it is important to remember its first battle. Liberating is a word easily associated with cycling. Flying down a tree-lined road with the wind in your face is certainly a liberating experience, but for early female cyclists, a simple bike ride was liberating in a much more significant way."
