When the bicycle began to rise in popularity in the 1890s, many folks were wary of the harm this relatively new piece of transportation technology might wreak on society. Some tried to link the bicycle with an increase in cases of insanity, especially in women. Physicians also wrote about so-called “bicycle face,” characterized by dark shadows under the eyes and a weary expression, warning female cyclers that such an activity was dangerous to their health.
Today, it's hard to imagine anyone getting worked up over a bicycle, but humans still resist technological progress.
