How have bicycles changed marriage?

Before the bicycle, the average distance between the birthplaces of spouses in England was 1 mile.

If you think meeting new people nowadays is difficult, imagine doing it without a phone, a car, or even a bike. This was the case for much of human history, of course, and it had such a profound effect on social interactions thatthe average distance between the birthplaces of spouses in England was just 1 mile prior to the invention of bicycles. Those calculations come from Yale’s Stephen Stearns, a professor of evolutionary biology, who studied parish registries of birth, marriage, and death. He found that most couples weren’t just from the same village — they were often from neighboring farms.

The bicycle was invented in 1817, which geneticist Steve Jones called “the most important event in recent human evolution” in his book The Language of the Genes. In addition to increasing genetic diversity by making it easier for couples who lived farther away from each other to meet and reproduce, bicycles were also intrinsically linked to women’s rights because they allowed women greater autonomy in the early 20th century. No less an authority than Susan B. Anthony proclaimed in an 1896 interview with journalist Nellie Bly that bicycling “has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel.”

Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich to Race again!

Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich will race each other again at the new Jan Ullrich Cycling Festival in Bad Dürrheim, Germany on May 17 and 18, 2025

The two former rivals reconnected in recent years, after the huge doping scandals that rocked cycling that were ingrained into the sport. This era has past, and there is a zero tolerance towards doping.

51 year old, Ullrich made headlines when he was admitted to a rehab clinic. In 2023, a documentary series detailed his harrowing past, covering drugs, alcohol, and multiple near-death experiences. His doping history was also extensively discussed.

Armstrong recently revealed his battle with alcohol addiction, which is now under control, just as Ullrich turned his life around with Armstrong's help.

It was during the most difficult times that the two sought each other out. Armstrong visited Ullrich during his rehab and the two often hang out.

Jan Ullrich's new cycling festival takes place May 17 and 18 in Bad Dürrheim, where Ullrich has a museum.

The two will even ride together, just like they did in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In the Tour de France, they were fierce rivals, which saw some of the most animated ever recorded in professional cycling.

With their doping past put way behind them, they remain deeply engaged with the sport.

Armstrong, through his podcast The Move, regularly shares his opinions on cycling with ex-team mates and cycling friends.