Read this excerpt from Wheels of Change by Sue Macy. That said, it's hard to grasp the full extent of the bicycle's impact on Americans in the late 19th century—particularly female Americans. Imagine a population imprisoned by their very clothing; the stiff corsets, heavy skirts, and voluminous petticoats that made it difficult to take a deep breath, let alone exercise. Add to that the laws and social conventions that cemented a man's place as head of the household and holder of the purse strings. How suffocated women must have felt. And how liberated they must have been as they pedaled their wheels toward new horizons. What is the central idea of the excerpt?

The central idea of this excerpt from Wheels of Change, by Sue Macy, is the extent of the bicycle's impact on Americans in the late 19th century, especially in the women.

Explanation:

The excerpt explain how important was the incorporation of the bicycle in Americans lives, especially for women who were not used to feel free in that society. The way they dressed and how they would be now able to choose their own way, being in charge of the wheels, ti was a big change for them. For the first time they didn't feel that they depended on men to go somewhere.