“What a joy to discover these rad, bad divas of the bicycle! Kat Jungnickel’s fascinating exploration of these early cyclists and innovative entrepreneurs opens our eyes to the fearless work of feminists past, what obstacles they overcame and how we can stand on their shoulders now.
In this accomplished, in-depth and joyful book, Kat Jungnickel restores these courageous and inventive heroines to their place in history, and shows how much we owe today to their fearless innovations! Inspirational and fascinating.”
– REBECCA MORDAN, Artistic Director of feminist theatre company Scary Little Girls
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“Utterly fascinating, beautifully written, and a work of supreme scholarship. Much more than an account of an emergent Victorian cycling revolution, this is a social history told through the story of invention, technology, craft, and female subjugation. More importantly, this is a book about controlling narratives, and the telling of history itself.”
– DALLAS CAMPBELL, broadcaster and author of Ad Astra: An illustrated guide to leaving the planet
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“I was fascinated by this book, and by what I learned about what we wear on bikes, and how women have (and still are) working to make it all fit better. So much has changed since the days of bloomers, and yet so much hasn’t. Kat Jungnickel’s book is a valuable new resource for anyone interested in women riding bikes, and how they do it.”
– EMILY CHAPPELL, fastest woman in the Transcontinental Race (2016), founding member of The Adventure Syndicate and author of What Goes Around: A London Cycle Courier’s Story
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“Kat Jungnickel effectively rewrites a traditionally masculine history of bicycles: these women are recast as makers of the world, not just spectators of masculine innovation. Through radical sociology Bikes & Bloomers breaks new ground for design studies and dress history, while also becoming an exemplar of inventive research methodology. A rigorous, enjoyable read!”
– TIMO RISSANEN, Assistant Professor of Fashion Design and Sustainability, Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York and author of Zero Waste Fashion Design
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“This meticulously researched book demonstrates how women hacked their way into cycling culture. Kat Jungnickel opens up new pathways for conceiving and researching the relationships of design, mobilities and women’s history.”
– GUY JULIER, Professor of Design, Aalto University, Helsinki
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“Bikes & Bloomers is a complete delight of a book. Kat Jungnickel’s diligent scholarship has revealed a whole swathe of innovative endeavour by late 19th century women designers and makers that was hitherto consigned to a neglected niche. Having unearthed a treasury of designs for women cyclists’ apparel, along with the fascinating circumstances in which they were created, the original patterns were recreated in all their dazzling glory. Bikes & Bloomers is beautiful work – in intent, execution and realisation.”
– MARK THOMSON, Research Director, Institute of Backyard Studies , Australia