Bicycle Museum of America

In late June I visited the Bicycle Museum of America in the little town of New Bremen, in Auglaze County, Ohio. New Bremen is actually a quaint little town with quite a history, but that’s for another website. Anyway, the museum is next to a public parking lot on the southwest corner of routes 66 and 274 in downtown New Bremen.

The cost is very reasonable for this expensive time we live in; I believe we paid three dollars per person. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly, and their knowledge improved our visit considerably.

This museum has many original bicycles from bygone days and a few replicas. Included is the forerunner to the bicycle, the Draisenne from 1816, a two wheeled contraption you straddle on a saddle and pushed back with your feet as you leaned forward. Also represented was an 1870 Shire Boneshaker, one of the earliest two wheelers to have pedals. Up to this point, the two wheels were the same size or nearly so.

About 1870 the first highwheelers where introduced, with the front wheel considerably larger than the back (the old fashion bike many people are familiar with because of old movies).

            There are plenty of bicycles which take you through history up to today’s composite bicycles, including Treks latest carbon fiber bicycle, and the current new phase of bamboo bicycles which are interesting, radical and show real potential.

Represented throughout the 3 levels of bicycles were different models from Schwinn, Murray, Kestrel, Trek, Columbia, Wright Brothers, Sears, Dayton, Huffy, Shelby, Roadmaster, and many others. Many of the current bicycles on display were bought at auction from the Schwinn family bicycle collection in Chicago. This collection was bought by Jim Dicke II of the Crown Equipment Corporation and moved to New Bremen to be near the Crown Equipment head office.

            This museum is well worth the time, the cost is negligible, and the staff very friendly. I took an old cycling friend of mine and we enjoyed the museum immensely. In my opinion, a must see for any cycling enthusiast!