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why scorcher? Scorcher is the turn of the century term for those who rode their bikes too fast. Women, in particular, were not to exceed 7 miles per hour and ride upright to prevent "stimulation" (heh heh). At first bicycles were impractical for women, given their confining clothes, but as the bicycling caught on and the machinery was refined, more women began riding. This gave women more freedom to roam than ever before, and paved the way for more practical clothes like bloomers. While pants on women are commonplace today, it was shocking at the time. Bicycles have done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world, said Susan B. Anthony in 1896. "I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance." I do my radio work in the spirit of those who blazed the trail before me. |