Summary

At the dawn of the 20th century, the invention of the bicycle transformed lifestyles and—in ways its inventors could never have imagined—propelled women irresistibly toward emancipation.

The bicycle’s female pioneers included Hélène Dutrieu, Amelie Rother, Annie Londonderry, Kittie Knox, and Alfonsina Strada. Hailing from Belgium, Germany, the United States, and Italy, these bold women dared to venture into the burgeoning world of cycling. At a time when countless pretexts were used to ban women from riding this new machine—deemed both dangerous and indecent—they defied the established order.

The bicycle offered them unprecedented freedom: the ability to travel alone, achieve extraordinary feats, and even circle the globe. While Suffragettes were fighting for women’s voting rights, these pioneers were breaking free from restrictive dress codes and social constraints.

While the bicycle paved the way for a revolution in fashion, athletic achievement, and a desire to explore the world, it also served as a tool for activism, as illustrated by its role in the Resistance. Jeanne Bohec in France and Irma Caldow in Belgium recounted how the bicycle was essential to their Resistance activities during World War II. It enabled them to fight alongside men, even though they did not always receive the recognition they deserved. After the war, the struggle for equality continued in the realm of sports with champions like the Belgian Yvonne Reynders—whose name is finally stepping back into the spotlight today, alongside that of the French cyclist Jeannie Longo. Thanks to those who have rediscovered them today, female cycling pioneers are reclaiming their rightful place in history—a journey inextricably linked to women’s emancipation.

“The bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world,” said Susan B. Anthony, a suffragist activist, in 1896.

• Director:

  Juliette Senik

• Writers:

  Nina Toussaint, Juliette Senik

• Production:

  Drôle de Trame (FR), IOTA (BE)

• Broadcasted:

  Arte, RTBF

• Motion design, packaging, animation:

  Squarefish