Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Bikes in Space #1

The Velocipede Races

Rate this book
Emmeline Escot knows that she was born to ride in Seren’s cutthroat velocipede races. The only problem: She’s female in a world where women lead tightly laced lives. Emmeline watches her twin brother gain success as a professional racing jockey while her own life grows increasingly narrow. Ever more stifled by rules, corsets, and her upcoming marriage of convenience to a brusque stranger, Emmy rebels—with stunning consequences. Can her dream to race survive scandal, scrutiny, and heartbreak?

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2013

3 people are currently reading
1099 people want to read

About the author

Emily June Street

21 books35 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
56 (29%)
4 stars
82 (43%)
3 stars
39 (20%)
2 stars
6 (3%)
1 star
4 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Stewart Tame.
2,479 reviews121 followers
September 9, 2022
At least one person of my acquaintance, when seeing me reading this book, proved unaware that "velocipede" is another word for "bicycle." No shame. It happens. But I feel like I should point that out, just in case.

Billed as steampunk, this novel is set in the fictional city-state of Seren. It's loosely analogous to early 20th century London, though there are parallels to other European capitals as well. Emmeline Escot dreams of competing in the velocipede races like her twin brother, Gabriel. But well-born ladies simply don't *do* such things, not even attend the races. To do so would be uncivilized. Emmy is chafing against the bonds of society, and not even a hasty marriage to a man she hardly knows will stop her from pursuing her dreams …

This was lots of fun. Emmy is a great character, and I was rooting for her all the way. The world is an interesting one. There are details and characters that seem like they might eventually lead to a future where women are no longer second class citizens. I got the sense of a movement bubbling below the surface, just waiting for someone like Emmy to provide the spark that sets it in motion.

Yes, if certain characters would just talk to each other, events would proceed much more smoothly. But where's the fun in that? I seem to recall reading that this is the first book in a series. Which is good, because I'd love to read more about this world and these characters.

I note that "Emmy" could also be short for "Emily," and speculate that perhaps there might be a bit of the author, Emily June Street, in the main character. Note also the author photo at the back of the book. Nothing wrong with that, obviously. Just pointing it out.

I was also tickled to note that … okay, so I got this book used. Folks who follow my reviews will be aware that I win a fair amount of Goodreads giveaways. So, upon opening this book, I found a little slip of paper inside from the publisher congratulating the reader--the book's former owner, presumably--for winning it in a Goodreads giveaway. Small world.

Anyway, excellent book! Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Aaron Wilson.
2 reviews
June 6, 2016
Velocipede Races is victorian steam punk fantasy focused on bicycle racing with an ample helping of feminist activism and a touch of awkward romance. I loved every moment in this novel. I loved the bike racing, which was well detailed and realized. I loved the shop talk, the parts of the bike, the way the tack is built, the race rules, and culture of gambling on the jockeys - very well researched!

But I also loved the melodrama, the romance, the intrigue, and the scandals - oh, the scandals! A woman who wants to race in a velodrome on a velo. A woman that tosses aside the restrictive fashions. A woman who is equal if not a superior athlete to her male competitors.

Street's writing is infectious. The pacing of the novel is like the races within it's pages. The first chapters are fast but well paced, but then there is the ding, we're off charging toward the end. I could not put it down until I was finished, and I want to read it again! Here is one of the best paragraphs, there are many, but this one will stick with me forever:

"This is what I am. I'm a jockey. I ride velos. I ride velos as well as any man. If I stay quite, if I keep it a secret, I'm just being a coward. Don't you see how it is? Someone has to break the box. If I don't show them what I can do, if I pretend to be a man forever, the box is not broken. But If I say, yes, I'm a woman, and I did this thing that on one believed I could do, then I've made room for someone else to do it, too. I have to make space where there is none, just like in a velocipede race" (p. 212).

If you are looking for the perfect summer read, this is it. Go. Get yourself a copy of this gem. I loved it. You will, too.

Now, I think it is time for a ride.
109 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2017
OK, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but this is a really strong debut novel. Emmeline is an extremely well-drawn character, and her intensity, drive and almost obsessive need to ride is very believable. The book contains some of the best writing about the mental (spiritual?) experience of physical exertion that I've come across. The discipline of this story mirrors that of the heroine. There are no wasted words, but the world in which the story is set nonetheless comes through Emmeline's eyes more clearly than if the author had engaged in more traditional "world-building" with extended descriptive passages. In a more extended work I would have liked to learn more about several of the peripheral characters, but given the natural limitations of the point-of-view from which the story is told, even their limited depth seemed appropriate. Among the secondary characters, Gabriel seemed the most real to me (and I could completely relate to his difficulties making decisions at the ice shop . . .).

I could picture this book being read in a high school literature class. There's a universal quality to Emmeline's particular journey, and the overarching themes of the book are important and timely, but not too deeply buried.
Profile Image for Tamara Shoemaker.
Author 28 books53 followers
October 4, 2015
A delightful story with touches of foreign culture that pulls the reader in from the get-go.

The Velocipede Races is set in a world where only men can race and women are expected to stay at home and/or find husbands. Emmeline Escot struggles against these restrictions with all of her racing-loving soul, and every chance she gets, she uses her brother's velocipede racer to practice.

Besides the incredible world-building of a society that exists in a sort of side-dimension from the ones in which we, the readers, dwell, the heart of struggle against adversity and the difficulty of overcoming the odds stands out in this story. Those very conflicts on the pages bring the content directly to the reader's front door, so to speak, as we all do battle with the same issues in our different ways.

Heart-pounding competition, phenomenal big-picture scenes at the track, even the blush of romance are all ensconced in this vivid story of a young girl who fights the tide of expectations to change her society as a whole.

Really enjoyed this read. Five stars.
Profile Image for Taru Luojola.
Author 18 books23 followers
December 28, 2017
Suoraviivaisesti etenevä yhden asian romaani, jota voisi luonnehtia velopunkiksi: Eletään oman maailmamme 1900-luvun taitetta muistuttavaa rinnakkaismaailmaa, jonka teknologiasta tunnetaan harvinaiset ja ylelliset uudet bensiinivaunut sekä mitä monenlaisimmat polkupyörät, ja nimenomaan polkupyörien typologiaa elaboroidaan yhtään tarkemmin. Kaupunkilaiset jakautuvat aateliin, kapitalisteihin ja työläisiin, ja etenkin aatelisnaisten toiminta on hyvin kontrolloitua. Päähenkilö Emmeline kasvaa kaksoisveljensä varjossa ja kadehtii tämän kilpauraa. Salaa hän harjoittelee ja kilpailee itsekin. Kuinka sattuukaan, hän päätyy kömmähdysten kautta naimisiin polkupyörätehtailijan ja kilpa-ajosponsorin kanssa. Vapautuuko päähenkilömme sukupuolensa ja yläluokkansa kahleista? Koska kyseessä on voimauttava ya-romaani, niin totta kai.
Profile Image for Nina Test.
265 reviews16 followers
August 23, 2017
I received this for free through a good reads giveaway and i am over the moon about it.

I put off reading it for a while ...which was a mistake because I loved this story! Women breaking barriers and having passion and dreams and not letting anyone stop them , well thats what i live for
Profile Image for Laurie.
973 reviews48 followers
October 31, 2016
Emmy lives in a world similar to late Victorian England, but in her world, bicycle races are the big thing that men bet on. Women don’t bet, or ride. Or do much of anything. The upper class women are corseted and cossetted, pressed into marriage early and trained only in things like embroidery. Emmy hates this way of life; she wants to ride, like her twin brother Gabriel. Her brother is reluctantly following a career in professional riding; the family is in poverty because of their father’s gambling and few avenues are considered honorable for the upper class. The pittance he earns allows them to eat and purchase the things he needs for his racing; the rest is gambled by his father. Emmy trains in secret, doing the same body building exercises as Gabriel and sneaking out in his old riding clothing to ride. If she was ever caught, she’d be ruined for life.

Emmy’s mother is extremely happy when she catches Emmy and a stranger in a ‘compromising’ position- Emmy almost faints from her tightly laced corset. She’s forced to marry the stranger- who is quite wealthy- with the expectation that she will get him to give her family money and/or sponsor her brother as a racer. But all she cares about is being able to continue to ride, which will be tricky living in her husband’s house. Can she follow her dreams? Can Gabriel manage to support the family?

The book is partly coming of age and partly a feminist tale, with romance and sport thrown in. The subservient position of women is given a thorough going over, with lower class women taking to wearing split skirts to ride to work (something no upper class woman could do) and skipping corsets for “Mod dress” which I assume is like the Rational Dress of our own past. The prejudice against women who ride is intense, just as the prejudice against the women of our world was when they started demanding equal rights.

Emmy is a good character but I wish more time had been spent on the other characters. Gabriel has some depth to him, and there are hints about Emmy’s husband’s past, but that’s about it. I would have liked to have seen more of the women’s rights activists, as well as knowing why the husband did some of the things he did. They are used simply as props in Emmy’s story. While Emmy is a good heroine for the young adult readers, it’s a little hollow.
Profile Image for Betsy Streeter.
Author 28 books17 followers
January 25, 2015

Have you ever wanted to punch an inanimate object in the face, even though you knew it had no face? That's how I felt about a certain corset in Emily June Street's "The Velo Races." Vivid characterizations like this are part of the charm of this richly-imagined story.

"The Velo Races" is about the struggle of its main character, Emmeline Escot, to be true to her nature while inhabiting diametrically opposed realities. The story deftly contrasts societal constraints with the physical liberation of velo racing, and that conflict shows up in both her main character's mind and body. In some scenes Emmeline must gulp air to keep from passing out in the dreaded "Whittler" corset, while in others she experiences the physical liberation of the road or the racetrack.

Social change is not easy, and Street illustrates that it is ordinary people, making difficult decisions in their daily lives, who achieve this change. The story stays close to the characters and does not rely on easy plot devices to progress.

This is a thinking person's feminist tale, bringing together society drama and exciting racing action. I found myself rooting for Emmeline in both settings, all the way through.

- Betsy Streeter, author, "Silverwood"
Profile Image for dirt.
348 reviews26 followers
March 23, 2016
An exciting book you can't help but barrel through.
Profile Image for Keira.
389 reviews9 followers
August 12, 2025
This was possibly one of the best finds of my reading life! I loved it and it's publisher! It was captivating and stunning and I can't wait to read anything else Emily June Street might write.
Profile Image for Brianna.
1 review
July 1, 2017
Reasons to Read:
- Steampunk-esque setting
- Woman in a male-dominated sport
- Female empowerment
- Fast-paced plot
- Author’s own inventive words

“Meh” Moments:
- Plot hinges on an arranged marriage spurred from a mother’s outrage
- Everett’s generosity toward Emmeline, a stranger
- Twin brother’s role was a bit predictable

Quick Thoughts:
Despite not being into any sort of sport myself, I rather enjoyed the competition-fueled storyline. I admired Emmeline’s ambition to make it at all costs in a man’s world–without shame. The romance element was mildly unrealistic, but still cute. A great read to inspire females and minorities everywhere.

Favorite Quotes:
“Someone has to break the box. If I don’t show them what I can do, if I pretend to be a man forever, the box isn’t broken. But if I say yes, I’m a woman, and I did this thing that no one believed I could do, then I’ve made room for someone else to do it, too.” (page 212)

“One of the worst things about my situation as a woman was having no recourse to get what I wanted for myself. I never had the freedom to simply make my choice and act—always, always, there were strings.” (page 158)

I won this book on GoodReads thanks to Microcosm Publishing!
Profile Image for Heather.
996 reviews23 followers
October 7, 2017
Read this for the Women Bike Book Club for October at my library. Once the story got going, I really enjoyed it. The early parts of the book felt a bit repetitive: 1) Emmy doesn't like corsets and the restrictive gender roles of her society, 2) she wants to ride bikes. 3) it's not fair her brother gets to ride bikes 4) ugh corsets are the worst 5) Emmy wants to ride bikes. 6) corsets suck. And so on. Over and over the first many pages.

I think I'd like more description of the setting. How is this place different than 18th century America/England? It's supposed to be "steampunk" but the only difference I see is the names of days of the week and "velos" being "bikes." At the end there are mentions of other cities which are similar to Seren but might have different laws (eg stoning women would be legal in one of them). Are they cities in the same country/state? How far away are they? Are they in different countries? More setting please. I'm rather interested in the rules of this made-up world.

The story was obvious in places (of course the husband would have been supportive from the get go) but it was fun. Definitely couldn't put it down at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Travis.
215 reviews24 followers
May 24, 2018
"How can I explain what it was like to ride a racing velo for the first time out of doors? You could only understand my exhilaration if you had experienced a long-term denial of your greatest desire. I had been forced to observe a thrilling game, but never been allowed to play. Suddenly I had a place on the field. The air caressed my face. A mania captured me; as Gabriel and I pedaled out the city gates into the western hills, I let loose a yell, a shout of triumph and joy that reverberated in the pit of my soul. Gabriel rode faster. I matched him, keeping time with the rhythm of his legs. We moved together like a body and its reflection in a mirror. We did not need to speak to know which way to turn, when to brake, when to accelerate. We were the two halves of a whole, and riding was what we had been born to do together."
63 reviews1 follower
January 27, 2018
I really liked this book! I wasn't sure I would at first because I am neither into steampunk nor bike racing, but I love stories styled around the Victorian era and there was enough of that in this book to keep me glued to each page.
Profile Image for Virginia.
6 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2018
An fun romp written by someone who understands what it is to love racing a bike and possibly the frustration of racing in what can be a mans world. As fast paced as the races it describes, this book captures one womans passion to be true to herself.
Profile Image for Hassan.
296 reviews4 followers
October 28, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Fantastic pace. The world is crafted with a delicate touch to make it feel slightly foreign/exotic and yet obviously close to our own. A protagonist you will cheer, literally and loudly.
Profile Image for Christa Torrens.
165 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2017
This was more romance-y than most books I read and enjoy: but it was also fun, funny and highly entertaining. A good, quick read.
Profile Image for Book Reader.
75 reviews10 followers
June 27, 2017
What an enjoyable, interesting read. I wasn't sure if I would like the book at first but I loved it!
Profile Image for Janet.
1,461 reviews41 followers
June 28, 2017
This was a great journey. This was a Goodreads giveaway winner.
Profile Image for Sandee.
547 reviews
July 11, 2017
Romancy book with a cycling theme. Fun summer read.
Profile Image for Xochitl.
80 reviews6 followers
July 26, 2018
I'm not a big fan of historical fiction but this book was something else. I couldn't get enough of it. Emmeline's persistent perseverance to race in her restricted society completely awed me.
Profile Image for Lily McLaughlin.
Author 3 books8 followers
March 27, 2022
4.5, binging season 2 of bridgerton and then speed reading this has made me so !!
Profile Image for Lou.
20 reviews1 follower
August 18, 2022
This book was alright. I thoroughly enjoyed the racing scenes, and the descriptions of the world were pretty decent, but the characters weren’t super compelling. I would recommend this to a 16-17yo.
Profile Image for Alexis.
2,488 reviews
March 27, 2025
Oh, wow. I was not expecting to like this one, but it surprisingly sucked me in quite quickly.
Profile Image for Mmeg16.
117 reviews2 followers
January 27, 2017
steampunk like, alternate history
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for American Mensa.
943 reviews72 followers
April 8, 2016
The Velocipede Races is an amazing book by Emily June Street. Personally, I believe that it’s written for the young adult and older audience because children won’t understand some of the references. The main character is Emmeline (Emmy) Escot, a girl born into the upper class of Seren, which is where the story takes place. Though she was born in the upper class, her family was poor, due to her father’s gambling and drinking habits. Her brother, Gabriel, and her fiancé, Cassius Everett are also main characters.
Emmy’s brother races velos, which are like bicycles, in the velocipede races. He earns money for his family that way. Emmy’s deepest wish is to ride as well. But girls aren't allowed to ride. Emmy rides secretly with Gabriel anyway. But secretly riding doesn't satisfy her. She needs to be in the velocipede races. Emmy and Cassius are forced to marry each other after she fainted into his arms because her corset was too tight. Emmy’s mother caught her in his arms and demanded he marry her because they were caught in a “compromising position”. Emmy continues to ride velos in secret. Cassius even takes her to watch the tournaments.

Everything changes when Gabriel crashes, injuring himself. He can’t continue to race, and that was his family’s source of money. Emmy jumps at the chance, and begs Gabriel to let her race in his place. With her growing love for Cassius, she knew she would ruin him if she was caught, but Emmy’s love for velos is too strong. Will she be caught or will she succeed in riding in the velocipede races?
I loved The Velocipede Races. Emmy was so easy to relate to. She’s extremely stubborn and determined, and isn't afraid to go against what society wants her to be. This book invoked a lot of emotions in me. It was so infuriating how sexist society was. They treated women horribly, like second class citizens. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars.
Review by Stephanie, age 12, Cleveland area Mensa
Profile Image for Taylor.
Author 4 books28 followers
June 21, 2016
This book is great fun! I tore through it in two sittings, excited to find out what would happen to our hero, her "borrowed" bicycles, and her tasty gentleman. The book takes place in an alternate reality in the roughly the Victorian era with sexist city-states and a heavy emphasis (at least for the primary characters) on their version of the bicycle.

It took me a few chapters to ease into the linguistic differences of the story, but the relationships between Emmeline & bicycles and Emmeline & Everett were consistently compelling. I don't have a need for speed, but I could easily connect with Emmeline's desire for independence and control over her own life. A great read for a summer afternoon before a bike ride!
Profile Image for Alicia.
8 reviews
June 1, 2017
I'm not much of a cyclist... I do absolutely love this book, though! This was one of those books that made me want to pause life so I could read it all at once. I would carry it everywhere with me and sneak pages in whenever I possibly could, I felt a bit like Emmy as if some rebel with a cause! Night after night I had to fight with myself to put it down well past midnight.

Since I finished it, I have been just aching to read more about the characters and the races! I truly hope this is the beginning of a long series and especially that the next installment comes soon.

Thank you for your hard work on this book, Ms. Street! I enjoyed every minute of it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.