Question

In the 1890s, the introduction of the "safety bicycle"—featuring two wheels of equal size and a chain drive—triggered a widespread craze across the United States. Prior to this innovation, cycling was a perilous activity dominated by athletic men riding high-wheelers. The safety bicycle, however, made cycling accessible to the general public, including women. This newly acquired mobility had a profound, unexpected impact on women's lives, most notably in the realm of fashion. Traditional Victorian attire, characterized by heavy petticoats, corsets, and floor-length skirts, made riding a bicycle nearly impossible and highly dangerous. Consequently, the popularity of cycling catalyzed the Rational Dress Movement, which advocated for practical garments like bloomers, divided skirts, and shorter hemlines. Activists like Susan B. Anthony even declared that the bicycle had done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. However, the adoption of these new styles was not without controversy; critics argued that women riding in bifurcated garments threatened traditional gender roles and public decency. Yet, the sheer utility of the bicycle ensured that dress reform persisted, ultimately redefining women's fashion and independence in the modern era.

Based on the passage, the popularity of cycling among women in the 1890s directly led to which of the following developments?