Katherine T. “Kittie” Knox was a pioneering biracial Black cyclist who challenged racial and gender barriers. More than 150 years later, MassBike celebrated her life Friday with the fifth annual Kittie Knox ride.
Knox was born in 1874 in Cambridgeport. She was a founding member of the Riverside Cycling Club, the first Black cycling group in the United States. She gained attention and faced criticism, in part for riding mens’ bicycles and for wearing trousers she designed instead of the skirts women were expected to wear. In 1893, she joined the League of American Wheelmen.
“There was a huge cycling movement back in that era. Tens of thousands of people would come out and watch cycling races and be part of the cultural movement,” said Galen Mook, executive director of MassBike. “The cool thing about what Kittie did was that there were all these barriers that would have kept somebody like Kittie out of the movement.”
Indeed, the following year in 1894, LAW voted to prohibit membership by nonwhite people. Knox challenged that color bar by showing up to LAW’s annual meeting and presenting her membership certification. She was expelled from the meeting.
“She came back to Boston for one of the national meets and had a hero’s welcome,” said Lorenz Finison, who uncovered Knox’s almost-forgotten story while researching his book “Boston’s Cycling Craze, 1880-1900.” He connected with Knox’s family to get their stories. “She led some rides around Boston, but was also kept out of some of the rides. That whole tension was really laid out in all the newspapers.”
Knox’s impact today
The Friday event started at Mount Auburn Cemetery, where attendees heard Knox’s story from her family and historians. This year, it included a walk to the burial sites of Knox and her contemporaries.
“It’s Kittie Knox, Marshall Major Taylor and other cyclists that broke barriers for me to be able to ride and to ride long distance,” said Melanie Morris, leader of the Yellowjackets cycling group. “She was a biracial cyclist that really opened doors for me to ride and be the rider that I am today.”
“Kittie’s story is not only Black history, but American history,” Morris said. “Here’s a woman who made her own clothes, rode a man’s bike, and it’s important to share that information with the world, especially to our young people, and to let them know that this is our history and it’s American history.”
Knox’s story still offers lessons. “The inspiration of her just wanting to ride her bike and just pushing forward is what we want to really inspire people today to take off on their own,” Mook said.
“The vision for Mount Auburn was that this would be a place where people would come to visit the graves of the people buried here, to learn their stories, and remember our history and our past,” said Bree Harvey, vice president of cemetery and visitor services. “It’s just a great reminder about the human experience. A lot of things change and evolve over time, but the central qualities of being human don’t change much.”
Knox’s relatives had wisdom to share. “Look for the side story of people’s lives. They’re bound to be interesting, because we all have them,” Nancy Towle Millett said.
After the cemetery walk, riders departed on routes through Cambridge, Watertown, Waltham and Boston. They visited the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham, which features a permanent exhibit on the legacies of Knox and Taylor, as well as Waltham’s bicycle manufacturing history.
In addition to the annual ride, some Cambridge infrastructure honors Knox. The city named the Kittie Knox Bike Path in Kendall Square in her honor in 2019; the Kittie Knox Community Cycle Center opened in Cambridge Crossing in 2023.
June 5, 2022, was Kittie Knox Day in Boston.
To learn more about Knox’s life, listen to or watch her episode on Morris’ “Yellow Jacket Lady” podcast and read the Cambridge Black History Project’s profile.
Bike activities calendar
BCU Pride Ride. Boston Cyclists Union’s third Pride Ride is Saturday at 10 a.m. Join for a party-pace ride from Franklin Park to City Hall. Free. Register online.
Boston Cafe Bikers (recurring). Boston Cafe Bikers rides to Linger at the Speedway in Brighton on Saturday at 10 a.m. Free. Register on Partiful.
Big Adam Bikes the Block for Bike MS. Join Adam Bigelow (@big_adam_bikes) on Sunday for a BikeMS fundraising ride with a twist: biking laps around one city block, stacking up enough miles to “cross the country” together. Bigelow biked to every Dunkin’ in Boston last National Donut Day, and this year circles the Kendall Square Dunkin’. Donations to BikeMS. Register on Partiful.
Healthy Aging: Cycling series for adults 55 and older. The City of Cambridge hosts this series, with Thursday being the final date listed. Rides move at an easy pace, with dedicated social time before each outing to foster conversation and connection. Free, but register online.
Family Bike Ride. The sixth annual Summer 2026 Family Bike Ride is July 12 at 9:30 a.m. Featuring community, a safe curated ride, playground, ice cream, crafts stations, face painting, nail painting, bubbles and the Family Bike Ride collection of outdoor play equipment. Parents must accompany children at all times. Donations encouraged. Register online.
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