I nearly forgot to mention that I had the good fortune to be invited to a bash at Farren's Bicycle Museum last week. I've never seen this collection before—in fact, I didn't even know it existed—but I'm very glad I went along for a bit of a squiz.
It really is a unique and astonishing collection of human-powered vehicles, mostly from the late 1800s—high wheelers, tandems, tricycles, and even an old bone shaker. Every one a beautiful machine and most with some kind of cunning and ingenious design feature—I particularly liked some of the clever suspension systems dating from before pneumatic tyres (and a century before mountain bikes). I wanted to take every single one of them out for a spin, but alas that was not to be. (Maybe one day, if I'm lucky, I'll get the chance…?)
I must be a right nong because I had a camera with me but didn't remember to get it out and take some shots. Fortunately Peter Signorini of MBTC has [done so on a previous occasion][Farren's Bicycle m].
As far as I know this collection is not regularly open to the public, so if the opportunity to visit ever presents, take my tip and grab the chance with both hands and feet—you certainly won't be disappointed. I'd hazard a guess that anyone who's seen the collection will tell you the same.
Comments
That's the third time we've been invited along to view the collection - last Friday's invite-only event was in honor of Abbotsford Cycles five years (back) in business. Think you should remember mention that.