ABSTRACT
This paper investigates the introduction of bicycles in the city of São Paulo, aiming to comprehend how the first sporting races gradually accompanied simple rides. The selected sources for this research were newspapers and memoirs published between 1895 and 1925. The analysis of these documents indicated a relation between bicycles and the urban ideation emerging in the city of São Paulo during the selected timeframe, the unprecedented mobility and freedom this artefact provided for women, the role of clothing in a culture related to the bicycle, and a growing sportization of the act of riding bicycles in urban spaces. In conclusion, the presence of bicycles and races in São Paulo at the turn of the nineteenth century contributed substantially to creating athletic gestures and performances in individuals who interacted with bicycles.
Keywords:
São Paulo; bicycles; cycling; modern sport; amusements