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"The initial cost of a machine is certainly almost as high as that of a pony."
"Wool above, wool below, wool all over: such is the hygienic rule for cycling. . . Some wise people say that corsets should be discarded for cycling. This is not correct. . . It is essential in cycling to have well-cut knickerbockers in lieu of skirts."
"If nervous, or it is a bad crossing, like Regent Circus or by the Marble Arch, it is wisest, if not most dignified, to jump off."
"Egg beaten up in milk, with a teaspoonful of whisky, is excellent when a rider is at all done up."
"Riding in company is a certain safeguard against annoyance from tramps."
This pioneering Victorian guide for the woman cyclist, first published in 1897, instructs its readers on the selection of a bicycle, the rules of the road, appropriate cycling costume, the choice of food to take on journeys, and the organization of bicycle gymkhanas—as well as tackling the controversial question of whether cycling is an appropriate activity for ladies. Its humorous advice evokes the spirit of an age when cycling was a daring activity for the modern woman.
