The long 19th century was a tumultuous time for the French. The great outcry of the 1789 revolution had been followed by war, economical instability, changing constitutions, a second revolution, and a complete reorganization of the city. With the arrival of la belle époque, the people wanted beauty and freedom, the promised rewards of all that they'd been through. So, it can be no coincidence that when the improved bicycle was marketed to the French public, it was with great emphasis on its revolutionary potential. Interestingly, it seems to have been especially the women's emancipation that inspired much of the symbolism.
