What do guns and knives have to do with cycling innovation? A shared history of craftsmen skilled in metal work
Origin of species: the drasine, designed by Karl von Drais, was more strider than bicycle
In 1861 Pierre Michaux invented a bicycle with cranks mounted to the front wheel
A metal spoon brake pressed against the rear wheel to bring it to a stop, or at least slow it down
Since this early bicycle used cranks arms fixed to the front axle, riders placed their legs on these curved stirrups when speeds exceeded that which they could pedal
Not every part of a vintage bicycle ages with grace
Invented in 1885, the “safety bicycle” replaced the penny farthing. These bicycles had chain-driven drivetrains and wheels that were close to each other in diameter
Braking still left something to be desired
One more example of how nothing is new in cycling technology, early inventors were quick to experiment with suspension
Not all the bikes in this museum look so primitive. This Breezer, one of the world’s first mountain bikes, looks surprisingly modern, with its long top tube and relaxed head tube angle
Meanwhile, some bikes that are just a few years old can look dated in terms of wheelsize and geometry, such as Gee Atherton’s world cup winning downhill bike from 2010
Starting in 1995, Tatsu Sakimoto road this Cannondale on an epic four-year, 55,000km journey around the globe
This museum is as much a history of bicycle components as frame technology. Case in point: Shimano‘s early attempt using compressed air to actuate shifting
This Shimano Airlines-equipped downhill bike is clearly a favorite with school children who visit the museum
One of Andy Hampsten’s 7-Eleven team bikes from his 1988 Giro d’Italia win lives at the museum
If it wasn’t a museum, you would think someone had a very beautiful hoarding problem
The Eddie Merckx that Lance Armstrong rode to his 1993 world championship victory hangs in the rafters
As a company, Shimano has deep roots in Sakai, an industrial city with centuries of experience in metalworking.
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This expertise made the region a center for the development of weapons such as swords and firearms. Later, these same skills were put to use to produce many of Japan’s first bicycles.
What do guns and knives have to do with cycling innovation? A shared history of craftsmen skilled in metal workJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Sakai, part of the larger metropolis of Osaka, is the headquarters of Shimano and is also home to the Bicycle Museum Cycle Center.
Funded by Shimano, this museum holds 200 years of cycling innovation. From the examples of the first Drasines, to penny-farthings and onto modern bicycles, including some that have won world championships, grand tours and circumnavigated the globe.
One more example of how nothing is new in cycling technology, early inventors were quick to experiment with suspensionJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
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Take a tour of this gallery for a look at some of the most interesting bicycles from two centuries of innovation and experimentation.
