This is a sample of our collection, we have over 100 classic bicycles in the museum. CMM is working to photograph and display the collection pictures on our image gallery. Your support through donations of funds or historical items will help expand the collection.
Click on a gallery image to enlarge.
1898 Acme Pennant, Model 12, Reading, PA , Acme Manufacturing Company
Women’s fix gear, in Maroon with gold filigree decals, Cast aluminum and bent wood chain guard,
Wood rims, cork grips, leather seat, tubular tires, 28” wheels. Carbide lantern, Badger Brass – Kenosha WI.
1898 Pierce Cycle Co. Fixed gear Safety Bicycle, Buffalo NY
Original black paint, nickel plated Pierce parts, recovered cut-out leather saddle,
solid white tires, coaster pegs, with lamp bracket.
Shows arrow and Tried & True on head badge.
Schwinn Bicycle Co., Paramount P-10 road bike, 1972, Chicago Illinois USA
This is a 63 cm Reynolds tubed hand-built race bicycle, equipped with a Campagnolo Record group, Cinelli bars and stem, Brooks Professional leather saddle, in orange with chrome lugs, fork crown and dropouts. Paramount was Schwinn’s top of the line series of models built for racing, touring or sport riding. Including many custom race frames for top race professionals over the years.
Mongoose, BMX Products Inc., Moosegoose BMX race bike, 1979
Raleigh, Modele Superbe 3-speed Roadster, ca. 1915
Chris Kvale Cycles, Road Bike, 1980
Hetchins Bicycle Specialists, English 2-speed track bike, 1936
Gendron Wheel Co., Girl's Tricycle, ca. 1900
Monark Silver King / Cycle King 1955
Made in Chicago, Illinois the Cycle King is an upper end cruiser style bicycle. It includes full painted fenders, headlight, rear rack, springer fork, chain guard and horn in the tank. All steel construction with pneumatic tires, chrome components and a leather covered saddle.
Collection Item of Juston Anderson
Westfield Manufacturing Co., Columbia Work Bike, 1970
Columbus Bicycle Co., Columbia Lady's Pneumatic Safety Bicycle, ca. 1897
Breeze Cycles, Breezer "Jeff Hall" Lightning, ca. 1996 / Breezer Mountain Bicycle
Joe Breeze started building custom steel road racing bicycle in 1974. In 1977 he built what he claims were the first production mountain bicycles. This is a custom built Breezer built in 1996 as sponsorship for Jeff Hall who was a Minnesota professional mountain bike racer. Made in Mount Tamalpais, California of CrMo double butted steel tubing and equipped with top-of-the-line Shimano components.
Collection of the Cycling Museum of Minnesota
Daniel Rudge and Co., 60" High Wheel Bicycle, ca. 1885
Raleigh Professional Track Bicycle
Carlton Factory, Nottingham England
1972, 67cm, light blue. 531 Reynolds steel tubing
Equipped with Campagnolo Record Track Gruppo, Brooks leather saddle, Brooks toe clips, and Campy toe straps. In 1886 on Raleigh Street in Nottingham England two partners started production of diamond-frame safety bicycles at about three per week. In 1887 Frank Bowden an attorney who was an enthusiastic cyclist bought the shop and in 1888 founded The Raleigh Cycle Co.
Adopted CCM bike by Cynthia McArthur
Iver Johnson & Co., Lovell Diamond fixed-gear safety bike, 1893
Monark Silver King / For Montgomery Ward
Manufactured in Chicago, Illinois about 1936.
The Monark Silver King Company was a short-lived but innovative Chicago bicycle manufacturer that operated from 1934 through the 1950s.They were luxurious and expensive with all aluminum construction and innovative aero cast lugs that were unique to Monark. This woman's bicycle was made for the Montgomery Ward Stores. The model was designed around 24" wheels to fit the smaller ladies sizing but made to handle and ride like the 26" men's models. The smaller wheels lowered the center of gravity which improved stability as well as making the ground easier to reach with shorter legs. But they maintained the longer wheelbase of the larger wheeled models which improved handling.
Unfortunately, many of the bikes haven't survived -- many were recycled in WWII for the aluminum. They are one of the favorites of classic bicycle collectors.
Collection of the Cycling Museum of Minnesota
Donated and adopted by Sally Nygren.
1901 Rainmaker, Minneapolis Bicycle Company
Built and raced by A. A. Hansen
Hansen was a successful bicycle and motorcycle racer in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s who had the reputation of when he showed up to race it would rain. Other racers nicknamed him the Rain Maker. He specialized in long distance endurance events where he set some records. He was also a bike builder at the Minneapolis Bicycle Company and went on to start his own company. He built this bicycle in Minneapolis for himself in 1901. This bike is reported to have been raced by him in a 6-day race in the Minneapolis Armory in 1906.
Donated in memory of Elmer Sorensen by his son Pat.
Trek Bicycle Co
1982 720 Touring Bicycle
Waterloo, Wisconsin USA
Trek was started in 1976 in a small building referred to today as the barn in Waterloo WI. This very small production hand build bicycle frame company grew to the largest quality bicycle manufacturer in the US. Their most popular models in the early years were designed for touring and this 720 was the top of the line. Made with a long wheelbase, lower angles and a low center of gravity it was very stable, smooth, and controllable even when heavily loaded. The components included a wide gear range for climbing and powerful brakes for descending mountain roads.
Duravia Duralumin Touring Bicycle
French manufactured about 1950 by Metal Aviation, Mecadural
This step through French city bike has an alloy lugged and tubed frame, three speed rear derailleur gearing by Simplex, alloy fenders, 650B tires, Dynamo lights, and a rare Maxi Plume crankset.
Collection of the Cycling Museum of Minnesota
1940’s European Pathracer / Track Bike / Single Speed
Presumed to be French, with a stylized M in the head lug, wooden tubular 700c rims, Lauterwasser-esque steel bars, steel stem, and cottered steel crank. Green with red stenciling that matches the head tube lug.
1983 Trek 850 Custom
In 1983 Trek’s first production Mountain bike was the 850, this is the pre-production prototype. It was custom made in the Team Race Shop for Jim Werket who worked for Trek in sales and product, he was a nationally ranked bike racer and speedskater. It is 100% original with all the parts and graphics of the 83 production model. With painted panels instead of stickers. This early design was made in standard road tubing and lugs with long chainstays and relaxed angles, thinking stability over rough terrain. But this proved to lack climbing traction out of the saddle so following years saw shortened wheelbase along with oversized tubes for added strength. Signed by the builder, and with Jim’s name.
On Long Term Loan to the Collection of the Cycling Museum of Minnesota by Jim Werket
1980’s Schwinn Madison Track Bike
Greenville, Mississippi USA factory
In the mid 80’s Pat Sorensen of Penn Cycle was invited to be on a quality advisory board and traveled with Rudy & Rick Schwinn to the new Greenville, Mississippi plant. To thank Pat, they gave him this bicycle that came off the line while he was there. This New Old Stock bicycle is donated to CMM by Pat Sorensen, who was in the bicycle business for 52 years; getting people on bikes.
Campus Bikes Shop Sign
Steel & Plexiglass, Fluorescent Backlit, 46” H X 54” W
This is the sign from Campus Bikes in Dinkytown, near the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. It was well known and loved by students for many years. This store was owned by Ed Nicholson who also owned Rice Street Bikes and Midwest Bicycle Supply and was in the bicycle industry for over sixty years. Ed Nicholson donated his sign and other memorabilia to CMM when he closed his store and retired. EdNicholson passed away on February11, 2020 at the age of 84. CMM is very appreciative of the donations by the Ed Nicholson family.
1930’s Hawthorne Bicycle made for Montgomery Wards
This one owner lady’s step through steel framed bike was given as a gift to a young girl who rode it into her 80’s. She added the child’s seat and carried her children and then her grandchildren in it. With one inch pitch chain, front suspension fork, mid-weight tires, painted and pinstriped rims and rear rack that match the frame, stock headlight, this is a deluxe model for the day.
