Read the excerpt from the introduction to wheels of change . when i was a kid, i took great pleasure in jumping on my bike and riding to the corner candy store about half a mile away. although i had no knowledge of the part the bicycle had played as a vehicle of change for turn-of-the-20th-century women, i was acutely aware that it allowed this 1960s girl a unique measure of independence. on my bike, i could break free of the bonds that held me in my neighborhood to go buy necco wafers and candy necklaces and atomic fireballs. if i felt particularly adventurous, i could even ride a bit farther for a fresh ice-cream cone at applegate farm. which statement best characterizes this excerpt? the author describes the long-term effects of having a bicycle as a child. the author describes the long-term effects of women riding bicycles at the turn of the twentieth century. the author describes the short-term effects of having a bicycle as a child. the author describes the short-term effects of women riding bicycles at the turn of the twentieth century.