by JANE GRAHAM
Susanne Lindberg shows off the legs that would rewrite cycling history, and land her a husband in the process
We are so accustomed to the sight of female cyclists paying no particular attention to whether they are wearing cycle shorts or stilettos, power-dressed or in the full bloom of pregnancy, that the notion of bike riding being inappropriate and even dangerous for women, either physically or mentally, seems utterly absurd.
But at the end of the 19th century, the prevailing philosophy was that women ought to be kept away from the bicycle as well as the racetrack, as much for their own good as for their husbands’.
45 kilos of stamina
And yet Charles Hansen not only tolerated his fiancee’s desire to be a great cyclist, he actively supported it, sponsoring her on the ride which was to get her into the history books. In 1897, the future Mrs Hansen broke the world record for riding 1,000 kilometres, a feat she accomplished in just 54 hours and 18 minutes.
After marrying two years later, Lindberg disproved all those who claimed that cycling was damaging to a woman’s reproductive potential: she bore no less than seven children.
Across the roads of Zealand
But it was for her performance in 1897 that Lindberg will be remembered. The feat required more than two full days of cycling across the roads of Zealand to cover the total distance of 1,000 kilometres, with a team of 25 cyclists pacing her throughout the journey.
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