If you missed it in fall, be sure to catch the historic bike exhibit in Downtown Davis before it closes this February.
The display, “Swiftwalkers to Streamliners: Bicycles 1823-2008,” features bicycles representing every era of the development of the bicycle.
Because the California Bike Museum does not have its own home, the City of Davis allowed the exhibit to be displayed temporarily in the basement of the Teen Center at Third and B Streets.
After Feb. 15, all of the bicycles in the display will go back into storage indefinitely until a permanent home can be found.
Though small, the exhibit presents a number of rare and unique machines, such as an 1823 Draisienne, one of the earliest widely used two-wheeled self-propelled machines. Built out of wood and iron, the Draisienne had no pedals and no mechanical drive – the rider simply pushed along the ground with his or her feet.
Sleek informational panels explain the history behind each bicycle and how it influenced the future of bicycle history.
Other impressive holdings include the bicycle used by Davis native Dave Scott, a six-time victor of the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon between 1980 and 1987, as well as a 1978 example of the “Woodsie,” the precursor to the modern mountain bike developed by a UC Davis professor.
The items on display come from the Pierce Miller Bicycle Collection, which is owned by the University of California.
What: California Bicycle Museum exhibit
Where: Teen Center basement, Third Street and B Street
When: 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays
Cost: Free
More info: (530) 752-2453
Online: groups.dcn.org/cbm
– Text by JEREMY OGUL
– Photo by JOEY KUNI
