Cyclists looking at maps, c.1900

A snapshot photograph of a group of cyclists on a country road consulting their maps, taken by an unknown photographer in about 1906. A craze for bicycling swept the indusrial world during the 1890s. Clubs were formed throughout Britain, encouraging people to cycle off exploring the countryside. Although the craze lasted only about ten years it affected many areas of life, stimulating manufacturing and prompting the improvment of road surfaces. Many women took up the craze, scandalising the more conservative elements of society. It marked a growing spirit of independence amongst women in the early years of the twentieth century, as well as influencing women's fashion at the time.