Which famous advocate believed the safety bicycle did more to emancipate women than anything else in the world?
Answer
Susan B. Anthony.
The safety bicycle was recognized not just as a mechanical advancement but as a powerful engine for social change, particularly concerning women's roles. Susan B. Anthony, a leading figure in the women's rights movement, famously lauded the machine for its contribution to freedom and self-reliance among women. Because the design was inherently easier to manage, providing stability and safe stopping capability, it granted women an unprecedented degree of independent mobility outside the home. Anthony viewed this tangible feeling of freedom and self-sufficiency afforded by accessible personal transport as a major factor in the broader emancipation of women during that period.

Related Questions
Why was the Victorian high-wheeler machine better known as the penny-farthing?What dictated the top speed achievable on a penny-farthing due to its direct-drive system?What infamous, high-risk failure mode was common to the high-wheeler design?What structural aspect of the penny-farthing made the rider prone to the 'header' hazard?How did penny-farthing riders attempt to slow down without modern braking systems?What critical mechanical innovation defined the arrival of the safety bicycle?What did the chain drive mechanism allow the safety bicycle to decouple?How did the geometry of the safety bicycle significantly improve rider stability?What societal shift in purpose did the safety bicycle represent compared to the high-wheeler?Which famous advocate believed the safety bicycle did more to emancipate women than anything else in the world?