In 1888, Louise Bethune was a founding member of the Buffalo Women’s Wheel and Athletic Club, the second women’s bicycling club in the United States. She purchased the first woman's bicycle sold in Buffalo for $150, and her role in this new, controversial pastime demonstrated her maverick spirit and commitment to women’s equality.
With their uniforms, the club’s founding members made a statement about fairness and equality. Keeping hats on, hair in place, shirtwaists tidy, and skirts at the ankle was paramount to reinforcing their image of respectability. The uniforms of the Club members and their counterparts would, ultimately, revolutionize women’s dress.
At its peak, the Buffalo Women’s Wheel and Athletic Club had over 60 members. Although the club disbanded in 1897, the members had accomplished their goal. Women wheelers were no longer frowned upon, and the club enjoyed press and acceptance in the city on equal terms with the men’s clubs.
Narration by Kelly Hayes McAlonie FAIA, AUA, LEED AP, Director, Campus Planning, University at Buffalo and author of the book, Louise Blanchard Bethune: Every Woman Her Own Architect
Louise Bethune with her bicycle on a country ride, circa 1890
University at Buffalo student with bicycle and flag, Iris Yearbook, 1898