Maria E. Ward

author

Maria E. Ward

b. 1863

A pioneering voice from the 1890s bicycle boom, this New York writer turned practical riding advice into a lively guide for women eager to claim new freedom on two wheels. Her best-known book captures a moment when cycling was changing everyday life as well as fashion and social rules.

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 author best known for Bicycling for Ladies (1896), a friendly, practical handbook written for women who were curious about the fast-growing world of cycling. Contemporary bookseller and publisher notes describe her as an avid bicyclist and a cofounder of the Staten Island Bicycling Club, giving her advice an easy authority rooted in real experience.

Her book appeared at the height of the 1890s bicycle craze, when the bicycle was opening up new independence for many women. Instead of treating cycling as a novelty, she wrote about it as a skill to be learned and enjoyed, covering questions of comfort, technique, and confidence in a clear, encouraging way.

Although not much biographical detail was easy to confirm, Ward remains memorable for the practical spirit of her writing. Bicycling for Ladies still stands out as a vivid window into women's everyday lives, recreation, and changing social expectations at the end of the nineteenth century.