# A visit to the Bicycle Museum of America



## Hjalti (Feb 26, 2004)

A visit to the Bicycle Museum of America

This isn't a ride report, but it is touring related, and about bicycles.

My mother gave me an assignment. Get your dad out of the house for at least three or four hours while I set up for his suprise party (Happy 75th).

What could I possibly do to take up that amount of time? The museum at Wright-Patterson AFB would take a lot longer than that to go through, and most other things we'd be interested in doing would take less time.

Hey, what about a small museum I heard about a while ago, the Bicycle Museum of America. It is only about an hour's drive to New Bremen Ohio, where it is located. I managed to convince my dad that a couple of quality hours was just what we needed, so off we went.

The museum was easy to find, the exit on the intersate being well marked with signs for it. It is located right in the middle of New Bremen, next to the bed of the old Miami-Erie canal. There is parking on both sides of the building.

We went in and were greeted by a docent who collected our fees ($3.00 Adult, $2.00 Senior), explained a bit about the layout and suggested we watch a short movie first. The movie was a recording of an riding demonstration of a hi-wheeler organization, maybe the Wheelmen? Lots of cool bikes of all varieties. Makes me want an ordinary (I'll have to add it to the list). 

They said we were welcome to take photos, so I snapped a few.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jpgorham/images/20060727_19.jpg"><br>Dad in downtown New Bremen.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_01.jpg"><br>Front of the building on Monroe St.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_02.jpg"><br>Just your basic way cool ordinary.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_03.jpg"><br>Military Bike. I was hoping to see a Spaulding, but there wasn't one on display. They did have a Swiss Army bike from 1943 as well as a BSA folding paratroop bike.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_04.jpg"><br>A strange vertical drive system.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_05.jpg"><br>I loved this. Front rack, ordinary style. Just the place to put your bedroll.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_06.jpg"><br>Dual headlights. Going through here I got the feeling that absolutly everything has been tried before.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_07.jpg"><br>Another example, the split saddle. I'm sure the wacky strap steel frame is the next big thing.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_08.jpg"><br>The Raquet Bike.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_09.jpg"><br>Front Suspension. The museum has several nice Victor Bicycles.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_10.jpg"><br>After the ordinaries, this might have been my favorite in the museum. I just really liked the wicker on the sidecar.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_11.jpg"><br>Big Ring.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_12.jpg"><br>Gary Boulanger's Gaansari St. Clair. Kind of cool to see the new with the old.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_13.jpg"><br>Another St. Clair, by the Wright Brothers, and the inspiration for Gary's bike above.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_14.jpg"><br>There were some neat small wheeled bikes too, like this interesting Huffy.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_15.jpg"><br>Another Huffy, with a strong resemblance to a Raleigh Twenty.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_16.jpg"><br>One more take on a small wheeled folder.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_17.jpg"><br>I thought this was a pretty stylin' bike too.

<img src="http://home.att.net/~jpgorham/images/20060727_18.jpg"><br>All in all a great trip. My dad wasn't too bored at the museum, I got to hear some neat stories from when he was younger, and the party later was a big suprise (sorry dad).

If you find yourself in western Ohio, this museum is well worth your time to visit.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

I was there last year. Nice way to spend a couple of hours. IIRC it's the Schwinn family's collection that started the place. 

Empty roads and cornfields, too. Nice place to ride to if you are anywhere near.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Outstanding photos, thanks for sharing! 

The bike with the "strange vertical drive system" probably uses a ratcheting mechanism for propulsion, I'm guessing. When I was a tot I had a Lakeside Cheetah that used the same concept, except that the pedals connected directly to ratcheting drums in the rear wheels, rather than going through the convoluted system of pulleys and linkages shown on the bicycle above. Attached is a photo of the Cheetah. 

If the ratchet drive sounds overly complicated, it did offer some advantages. My Cheetah was far, far faster than any of my peers' Big Wheels. With the ratchet drive, every time I pushed the pedal the ratcheting drum just spun faster. With a Big Wheel your speed was limited by the cadence you could maintain. 

In the days before derailleurs I can see why the ratchet drive would have been attactive. It would be as easy to pedal at low speeds as any of its single-speed contemporaries, while offering a much higher top speed.


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## janix (Mar 24, 2006)

happy birthday! Hehehe... nice museum


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## Velo Vol (Mar 9, 2005)

Cool. Do they have a hands-on exhibit? It would be fun to give the big wheel and big ring a try.


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## Hjalti (Feb 26, 2004)

*No but.....*



Velo Vol said:


> Cool. Do they have a hands-on exhibit? It would be fun to give the big wheel and big ring a try.


 You can't try the big ring'd Paramount, but they do have an Ordinary on rollers. You have to climb stairs to mount it.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*I want, I want, I want.*



Hjalti said:


> <img src="http://home.att.net/~jfgorham/images/20060727_17.jpg"><br>I thought this was a pretty stylin' bike too.


Just when I thought my Waterfords had cured me of bike lust you have to go and post this.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

There is a similar bike museum in Sparta, Wisconsin, which bills itself as the Bicycling Capital of the US.

http://www.bikesparta.com/whatscool.htm


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