A Will within a Wheel: Women Racers of the 1890s by TR Ormond (Friesen Press, 2024)

Description

Six-day races, record-breaking rides and renegade leagues are at the heart of this short fiction collection that explores women’s competitive cycling in the late Victorian era. Each story focuses on a distinct racing event, like the Festival of Fire in 1898 in Minneapolis, and the individuals who competed in them, like the indomitable Tillie Anderson, who mustered every muscle and ounce of strength to prove that women had a place in the world of cycling. Overcoming constant scrutiny, judgement, chauvinism, exploitation, and even danger, these racers pedaled their way into the annals of feminism, freedom, and cycling history.

In writing A Will Within A Wheel, TR Ormond was able to meld together two of his passions- cycling and history.  A PhD in Russian Language and Literature who was taught at Canadian and American Universities, Ormond also has been a member of the Randonneurs Ontario since 2014.  He is currently the VP of the Toronto Chapter of the club. In 2022 he rode the Granite Anvil, a 1200 kilometre ride across the Canadian Shield.

The book includes beautiful illustrations by the author.