A cycling craze swept through New Orleans in the late 19th century following the introduction of two early versions of the bicycle: the ordinary, or pennyfarthing, which came to the US in the 1870s, and the safety, which arrived in the mid-’80s. People obsessed with this new, liberating form of transportation soon turned it into sport. In the 1880s, the New Orleans Bicycle Club and Louisiana Cycling Club were formed, followed in the 1890s by the Louisiana Road Club. The clubs sponsored bicycle excursions to places like Abita Springs and Bay St. Louis, and held races throughout the city, including an annual Thanksgiving Day race from the corner of Canal and Claiborne to West End.

Many women became passionate cyclists in the mid-1880s after the introduction of the safety, which featured a step-through frame, lowering or removing the top bar to accommodate skirts or dresses. The adaptation hastened the decline of cumbersome fashions that inhibited athletic activity, as women began taking advantage of the newfound freedom of movement afforded them by cycling.

Education Resources

• Click here to learn about the "Ordinary"
• Click here to learn about the "Safety"
• Click here to learn about New Orleans' 1887 Lantern Parade