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'Women, beware of bicycle face!' - but what was 'bicycle face'?

An imaginary health condition to warn women against cycling and independent travel

Purple, black and white poster for Victor Bicycles with two images of women cycling.
by
Susan Muthalaly (opens in new window) (Europeana Foundation)
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It is hard to imagine that just a little over a century ago, women were discouraged from riding their bicycles.

The increasing availability of bicycles brought women mobility and the independence to travel alone. This, of course, threatened the male hegemony.

In the late 19th century, doctors made up a disease called ‘Bicycle Face’ to discourage women from cycling.

What was 'bicycle face'?

The solution was to scare women into believing that riding bicycles would cause their eyes to bulge, and their chins to jut out due to the strain to keep their balance on the bikes. 'Bicycle face' was usually flushed, but sometimes pale, and always seemed tired. These were considered undesirable female features.

Published articles also aimed to make women believe that excessive cycling made them vulnerable to diseases.

The doctors were also concerned that women riding their bicycles were overly sexual. Riding anything was seen as too masculine for any proper woman or girl.

black and white photograph, three women in formal wear standing by three bicycles.
a black and white photograph, three women in long white dresses stand beside their bicycles.

When did women start cycling?

Many cycling enthusiasts disagreed with 'bicycle face' as a medical condition. Instead, they suggested that physical activity would improve women's health.

Cycling could help riders feel better both physically and emotionally. Cycling could not only make women stronger, it could also make them more confident in their own abilities.

In these late 19th century posters - from the National Library of France - the women were clearly not suffering from 'bicycle face'!

Poster featuring a woman riding a bicycle by some geese, with the words 'Motocycles Comiot'.
Poster showing a woman cycling with Paris landmarks in the background.
Poster with a woman on a bicycle waving to another woman, the words 'Nordisk Cyclefabrik' are in bright yellow.
Poster, a woman holding a fan and riding a bicycle points to the words 'Gladiator cycles'.
graphic poster showing a woman riding on a bicycle, with a yellow background and the word HURTU written in bright red.
Poster for 'Cycles Sirius' showing a group of women looking at a bicycle being held by a man.
Poster for 'Cycles Humber' with a flowing image of a woman in a yellow dress riding a bicycle.
Poster for 'La Guepe' with a woman riding a bicycle, she has wings and antennae like a butterfly.
Poster showing a woman sitting while holding a bicycle, with Paris landscape in the background.
Poster for 'Cycles Motos Armor' featuring a woman dressed in white holding a bicycle.
Poster advertising Humber cycles featuring a woman riding a bicycle facing forwards.

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