For decades, Willard, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and many others, had been working toward increased political and economic rights for women. Now the bicycle brought a taste of independence to women on a very personal level, and some of them took the opportunity to express their discontent with old traditions and expectations. In August 1895, a cyclist named Ann Strong caused a stir when she compared the value of a bicycle to that of a husband in the Minneapolis Tribune.

—Wheels of Change,
Sue Macy

How does Sue Macy connect the idea that famous activists were fighting for women’s rights in the United States to the role of the bicycle?
A. by showing how the bicycle gave women increased political rights
B. by explaining that the bicycle let women experience freedom as individuals
C. by reflecting on the powerful actions of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
D. by comparing the value of a bicycle to the value of a husband