Lady cycling - Miss F.J. Erskine

"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.