It's no secret that we're proud of our Wisconsin heritage. We're avid Packer fans, root for the UW Badgers and eat brats whenever possible. We're also proud to be headquartered in a state with a rich cycling history and are honored to be part of the story.
A few months back the Wisconsin Historical Society unveiled a new exhibit called "Shifting Gears: A Cyclical History of Badger Bicycling." The exhibit showcases Wisconsin's pivotal role in bicycling from past to present, including the state's long history of being an advocate for the bike. According to the historical society, Wisconsin had bike paths as early as the 1890s, was a tourist destination for cyclists and boasted a national bike-racing champion. The state has long been a leader in cycling for transportation, recreation, advocacy, manufacturing and tourism.
The unique exhibition pulls together a wide range of historic and contemporary bicycles and gear from familiar names such as Trek and Harley-Davidson, and includes Saris Cycling Group's very own bike racks and CycleOps indoor trainers. We were honored to have an entire display dedicated to our company history and 40 years of car rack innovation and commitment to Made in the USA. Other highlights include the massive monowheel and a velocipede from 1869. A more diverse collection of Wisconsin bicycles would be hard to come by.
Velocipede, ca. 1869, courtesy of Roger Charly of Budget Bicycle Center, Madison.
Wheelman Bugle: The original bike bell.
From wood to carbon: the progression of bicycles in one case.
The exhibit was co-developed by the author of Wheel Fever: How Wisconsin Became a Great Bicycling State and will be on display here in Madison through October 10th of 2015.