Pedaling Through History
If you have ever spent time at the Old Spokes Home bike shop in Burlington, you might have noticed some old bikes in the shop. Some very old bikes. Over the last few decades, former shop owner Glenn Eames has collected more than 60 vintage bikes, ranging from the 1884 “Expert” Penny-farthing model (shown here) with a 52-inch wheel and butcher hub cyclometer built in (this bike, by the way, has 12,000 miles on it) on up to racing bikes of the 1930s on up to bicycles that have set the course for what we ride today, such as the Salsa Mukluk fat bike.
This month, for the first time, Eames and the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury have curated items from the collection in a show that celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first bicycle patent. “Pedaling Through History: 150 Years of the Bicycle” traces the evolution of the bicycle from its inception until today, spotlighting the golden era at end of the 19th century, a time Eames calls “the most exciting time in bike design.”
After opening yesterda, the exhibit will run through October 16, 2016. Eames will be at the opening reception on June 23 and then on September 25 will lead a parade of high-wheelers and historic bikes through Middlebury. The exhibit will be open Tuesday through Saturday and costs $5 for adults, $3 for kids under 18. Watch for more on Glenn Eames and his collection in our next issue. www.henrysheldonmuseum.org