AROUND THE WORLD ON TWO WHEELS : ANNIE LONDONDERRY'S EXTRAORDINARY RIDE
by Peter Zheutlin

Women did not ride bicycles in the 1890s. They were supposed to lead sedentary lives, take care of their families, not be independent.
Annie Kopchovsky changed all that. She was a "New Woman" who worked outside the home for a newspaper. After hearing of a bet, between two wealthy merchants that a woman could not ride a bicycle around the world, Annie rose to the challenge. She would earn money ($5,000) by selling advertising on her bike and clothing, lecturing about her adventures along the way, appearing at exhibitions.
In June of 1894, Annie left Boston on a 42-pound bicycle and would not return for fifteen months.
Peter Zheutlin's Around the World on Two Wheels is a delightful book on an unknown woman who took the world by storm and turned her into a legend. Zheutlin had never heard of her until he was contacted by a researcher in the 1990s and found out that he is a great-nephew of Annie. What's more, he's also an avid cyclist.
Well-researched and a great story.