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SHIFTING GEARS: A CYCLICAL HISTORY OF BADGER BICYCLING
New Exhibition Showcases Wisconsin's Pivotal Role in Bicycling From Past to Present
February 27, 2015 through October 10th, 2015
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Cyclists ride past curious onlookers in Green Bay, ca. 1890.
Wisconsin Historical Society image ID #2001
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Cyclists ride past Monona Terrace in Madison.
Wisconsin Department of Tourism, Brian Malloy
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MADISON, WI- Would you like to be a Green Bay Packer and make the famous bicycle ride to training camp practice through legions of fans? Or pedal the historic 32-mile Elroy-Sparta Trail in under ten minutes? Wondering what in the world a velocipede made in 1869 looks like? Now is your opportunity with a new exhibition opening at the Wisconsin Historical Museum on February 27th.
Travel through 130 years of Wisconsin cycling history in Shifting Gears: A Cyclical History of Badger Bicycling. Showcasing the crucial role that Wisconsin has played in two national bicycling eras, Shifting Gears features historic bicycles and artifacts, intriguing images, and virtual interactive experiences. Discover how the long, colorful, and sometimes contentious story of the growth and development of cycling in Wisconsin in the late 1800s is once again playing out today.
Wisconsin has long been a leader in cycling for transportation and recreation, advocacy, manufacturing, and tourism. As early as the 1890s Wisconsin had bike paths, was a tourist destination for cyclists, and boasted a national bike racing champion. Today biking is again a top Wisconsin recreation, commuter, and industry innovator. The state's rich history of cycling can better inform us about the bicycle's shifting place in our cities and on our roads.
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Velocipede, ca. 1869. Credit: Courtesy of Budget Bicycle Center, Madison. Photo by Joel Heiman.
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Sparta's Ben Bikin' statue, near the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, is a tribute to the high-wheel and stands 32 feet tall. The Elroy-Sparta State Trail is the first rail-to-trail project in the United States. Wisconsin Department of Tourism, RJ & Linda Miller.
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This unique exhibition pulls together a wide range of historic and contemporary bicycles and gear from familiar names such as Trek and Harley-Davidson to intriguing rarities like the Monowheel - a machine in which the rider pedals from inside a massive wooden wheel! You won't see a rich and diverse collection of fascinating Wisconsin bicycles and stories anywhere else, and Wisconsinites will have two opportunities to see the show in 2015. 
Shifting Gears is co-created by the Wisconsin Historical Society and the History Museum at the Castle in Appleton, Wisconsin. The exhibit opens at the Wisconsin Historical Museum on February 27th, 2015 and runs through October 10th, 2015. It will open at the History Museum at the Castle in November 2015. Generous support for Shifting Gears: A Cyclical History of Badger Bicycling has been provided by Bemis Company Foundation; Eagle Supply and Plastics; Wisconsin Public Radio and the Wisconsin State Journal.
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Links to More Information
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About the Wisconsin Historical Museum
The Wisconsin Historical Museum is located at 30 N. Carroll St. on Madison's Capitol Square and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. Admission is by donation: $4 per adult, $3 per child or $10 per family. The Museum features four floors of exhibition space and a unique museum store. Call (608) 264-6555 for more information, or visit us online at www.WisconsinHistoricalMuseum.org.
For high-resolution images or interview requests, contact Ellen Pincus at (608) 264-6566 office, (608) 770-2013 cell or, ellen.pincus@wisconsinhistory.org
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