Maria E. Ward

author

Maria E. Ward

b. 1863

A lively voice from the 1890s bicycle boom, this American writer championed cycling as practical, healthy, and liberating for women. Her best-known book captures both the excitement of a new sport and the social changes riding helped set in motion.

1 Audiobook

Bicycling for Ladies The Common Sense of Bicycling; with Hints as to the Art of Wheeling—Advice to Beginners—Dress—Care of the Bicycle—Mechanics—Training—Exercise, etc., etc.

Bicycling for Ladies The Common Sense of Bicycling; with Hints as to the Art of Wheeling—Advice to Beginners—Dress—Care of the Bicycle—Mechanics—Training—Exercise, etc., etc.

by Maria E. Ward

About the author

Born in 1863, Maria E. Ward was an American writer and enthusiastic cyclist associated with New York, including Staten Island. Reliable sources connected with her work describe her as an active member, and in some later accounts a cofounder, of the Staten Island Bicycle Club.

She is best known for Bicycling for Ladies (published in 1896, also issued as The Common Sense of Bicycling), a practical guide written at the height of the bicycle craze. In it, she offered advice on learning to ride, dress, exercise, and bicycle care, while encouraging women to take up cycling with confidence.

Ward's appeal today comes from the way her writing blends useful instruction with a clear sense that bicycling opened new freedom for women in everyday life. Even as a period guide, her book remains an engaging snapshot of sport, independence, and changing social habits in late 19th-century America.