Maria E. Ward

author

Maria E. Ward

b. 1863

Best known for a lively 1896 guide that helped women take up cycling with confidence, this New York writer brought practical advice and real enthusiasm to a fast-changing moment in everyday life.

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

Maria E. Ward was an American writer and cyclist, remembered for Bicycling for Ladies (1896), a practical guide written for women at the height of the bicycle boom. Reliable catalog and reading-library sources confirm her dates as 1863–1941, and contemporary descriptions consistently link her with New York and the Staten Island bicycling scene.

Her book stands out for its clear, useful approach. Rather than treating cycling as a novelty, she wrote about riding, dress, training, mechanics, and safety in a way that assumed women could master the sport for themselves. Sources about the book also connect her with the Staten Island Bicycle Club and with photographer Alice Austen, whose images were used in the book’s illustrations.

That mix of hands-on advice and quiet independence is what makes Ward memorable now. She wrote for readers who wanted freedom of movement, practical knowledge, and the confidence to take part in modern life on their own terms.