18 NOV 16 | it’s got wheels!

it’s got wheels!

crazy old bikes

Not to get all political, but if you voted here in Colorado this election, you may have noticed on your ballot a question regarding the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District tax renewal.  In a nutshell, the SCFD tax is a small tax that everyone pays when they buy something in certain counties. This tax helps fund organizations like the Denver Zoo, Museum of Nature and Science, Botanic Gardens, and other arts non-profits. It is this type of funding that allows organizations like these to host free entry nights.

I mention all of this because it just so happens that this past weekend was one of those free nights, so my wife and I decided to go check out the Forney Museum of Transportation. This museum hosts all kinds of vehicles from vintage cars to motorcycles, helicopters, planes, and of course my favorite–bicycles.

All of the bicycles at the Forney were spectacular and a testament to human ingenuity, but here are some of the ones that caught my attention because of their unique design.

long training bike
This 1899 quad pacing bicycle was built to help racers practice their pacing. The bike is so long I had to use the panoramic setting on my phone to capture it all.

Do you notice anything out of the ordinary with this bike?

tandem bike
This 1900 tandem Remington is special because it was designed so that it could be steered either from the front or the back. Check out the mechanism at the bottom of the rear steering head tube.

no chain bike
This 1900 Columbia Model 108 is powered by a shaft and not a traditional chain or belt. It reminds me of Marcel’s BMW motorcycle.

What makes these bikes unique is not only that they are classics, but that there is art in the details of their engineering.

crazy new bikes

While I was checking out cool bikes, I ran into some more contemporary pieces of two-wheeled art from local bike builder White Rhino Customs, a mission-driven art-bike company in Denver.

whiterhino-1

whiterhino-2

whiterhino-3
Images courtesy of White Rhino Customs

Don’t miss White Rhino’s event, The Art of Cycling, at McNichols Civil Center Building on December 14 at 6:30.

 

crazy sustainable bikes

A week ago, Nick, one of Marcel‘s old cycling friends came into the office for a quick visit. His company, Boo Bicycles, makes bamboo bikes. That’s right: performance bicycles made out of bamboo. Our office thought that was pretty cool.

boo bicycle
This is definitely a bike frame made out of bamboo

boo bicycle 2
It’s almost hard to notice the bamboo if you don’t know to look for it!

 

There’s no wrong way to bike!

 

THANKS FOR READING

Ivan Patino, Architectural Designer
18 November 2016