The latter part of the nineteenth century saw a growing popularity of cycling in the Dutch East Indies. In addition to cycling races, cycling clubs like the Chinese Cyclists’ Association (Chinese Wielrijdersbond) and the Batavia Cyclists Club (Bataviasche Wielrijders Club) organised recreational tours. Consisting predominantly of young men, these clubs satisfied their desire for camaraderie. In the decades that followed, more and more women tourists began to explore their surroundings by bike, even on their own. The bike’s attraction lay in the opportunities it offered to go off the beaten tourist track.
1. Photo of Javanese nobles with their bicycles in Pontianak (in Borneo), around 1890. [KITLV 408308]
2. Cover of the travel guide Malang en omstreken vooruit. Wandel en fietstochten in de omgeving van Malang, [1936]. [KITLV M k 372 N]