In the 1890s, bicycles became quite popular in the united states as the new "safety" bicycles replaced the older penny-farthing bicycles. On the penny-farthing bicycles, one wheel was much larger than the other, and these bicycles were not very stable; they were always falling over. On the new "safety" bicycles, both wheels were equal in size, and they were much easier to control. Many women also enjoyed these new "safety" bicycles, but they had to take measures to deal with their clothing while riding the bicycles. The fashion at the time was for long, full skirts that did not go well with bicycles. Some women put lead weights in their skirts to keep their skirts from blowing up. Other women changed from long skirts to bloomers, which were long, full, wide pants, but some people felt that bloomers were inappropriate for women to wear; in fact, some newspaper and magazines of the day criticized the new bicycles fashion as a danger to ladies’ morals