Bainbridge Island Bike Museum

Seattle Skyline from the ferry

Bainbridge Island

Visiting relatives in Seattle this week... took a ferry out to Bainbridge island for some kitchy shopping and wandering. Passed a bike shop en route to a store the lovely Mrs. 2wheel wanted to check out. Cool. I'll have to check out Classic Cycles a bit later when she's knee deep in the yarn store.

Walk in a little while later and thought "hey... nice shop." They have some old bikes up on the wall to my left, and an assortment of Treks, Specialized, and the like on the floor. "Hey... those are really NICE old bikes." See a sign in the back labeled "Bike Museum". Oh snap... I'm in heaven!

Spent the rest of the morning oooohing and aaaahing over some really cool bikes. Enjoy the show, and consider this my making up for not blogging in so long.

I can just imagine it. "Hey guys, I had this really cool
idea for a frame..."

Everyone rides a fixie in Seattle

High wheeler on the left

Sweet Rickshaw

I like this one, too. This heralded the advances to the modern-day
bicycle. The "safety bike" is what put the high wheelers out of business.
Look at that chain!

Early track bike. Many of these beauties have their original
wood hoops on the wheels.

Smooth. Like buttah.

Here's another one where I need the museum guide again. I read that this
belonged to one of the period's best and finest riders, and he had it
made especially for him. Notice the reversed fork.

Magnesium bike. Goofy.

Adjust the spectacles and look again...

How 'bout them rollers? The bike on them is a size 72...
I've never seen a longer head tube

Never seen so much white wall. Groovy cruiser section. I saw
they had taken a couple of blue ribbons in the Tour de Fat back in 2000

The book I'm holding held the explanations of
all the exhibits and their history

I wish I still had the book. A famous Bianchi racer rode this baby.
Fauso somebody or another?

Nice rear triangle

Supah-fly chain stays

This was my favorite. This is THE ACTUAL bike that broke
the land speed record back in 1935. YES... the one you see in
those old bike books with the gentleman drafting behind a car.
Crazy.

These were how they bent the bars bent into the right shape

Actual wheel used in the '94 or '95 Tour de France.
Can't remember the rider's name.

The chainrings in this place were crazy.
(Not to mention the bikes)

Crazy kid's trike

I saw one of these on ebay a while back. I believe it went for a couple grand.
I still don't quite get why the speedometer goes to 50.

Oops. Sideways early 80's Trek. High Tech to be sure.
Back in the day - this baby was $800 new

OK, last sideways picture. The museum boasted
many trainers of years past

Jerseys galore

I can't remember the history of this baby, but I think the
chain thingy added a lower gear. I think.

What to give Grumpy for his b-day. An old
wheel building chair

The shop was well integrated with the museum. The tires were kept
below this killer tandem

Believe it. A bicycle lawnmower. Cuts a nice 16" path

Schwinn made this to demonstrate how this "Shifting" thing worked

Old school hubs and other miscellaneous thingamabobs

Speaking of old school... the museum sported tons of gnarly head badges

16 Years and counting

Well as of today I've been in the Bike Business for 16 years!
I start at Cycle Sport Bicycle shop in North Platte on this date in 1991. Damn that a lot of bikes!
Cycle Sport at the time was one of the smallest shops in Nebraska.
The Bike Rack was the next shop. While I was there, The largest Bike Shops in the Midwest.(it might still be)
Highgear (AKA Midwest Cycling) was the next shop. The up and coming shop in the Midwest.
So I guess that its safe to say that I have seen the full range, smallest to largest. And the new up and comers in Nebraska.
Now I'm in Wisconsin, Cronometro, one of the top Custom Bike shops in the country.
Bike's have done a lot for me. I meet my wife, and have made friends for a lifetime while being in the bike business.
It has taken me to France, Twice. Seeing thing that I would have never gotten the chance to see.
I guess the long and short is. IT BEATS HAVING A REAL JOB!

To all those that I have meet Thank you! And for those of you I haven't meet, I hope to soon!
Here to another 16 years, at least!
Peace and Grease.
Grump