Nieman, Nancy (Mrs. Baranet)
Cycling
b. 1933, Detroit, MI
A pioneer woman cyclist, Nieman got involved in bicycling in 1951 by taking an American Youth Hostel tour. She then began training for competitive racing and won the national women's road championship in 1953 and 1954.
At the time, she was racing in what was then called the "girls' division." Nieman complained to officials that she was twenty-one and no longer a girl, and the name was changed to "women's division."
Nieman went to Europe in 1955 because there were few opportunities for women to race in the United States and she tied the world record for the 200-meter sprint, 14.4 seconds. She returned to Europe to compete in a major eight-day stage race in France, finishing 14th among 40 finishers out of 87 starters.
After winning the U. S. women's road race again in 1956 and 1957, Nieman retired from competition. She served as the only woman officer of the American Bicycle League from 1956 through 1983 and she wrote two books, The Turned Down Bar, about her racing experiences in Europe, and Bicycling, a manual on recreational cycling.