Bicycles: Powering Possibilities

In the 19th century, the bicycle introduced Americans to the freedom and power of personal transportation. Bikes remain a fixture in our lives today, and they inspire us to go as far as our own power will take us. Bicycles: Powering Possibilities traces the story of pedal-powered mobility through historic and contemporary bicycles, vintage accessories, archival documents and photos, interactive experiences for all ages, and profiles of important builders, riders and racers from the past 200 years.

Bicycles: Powering Possibilities is divided into six key areas:

• Origins
  Predecessor vehicles in the early 1800s hint at what the bicycle would become


• High Wheelers
  Big-wheel bikes carry riders faster and farther in the 1870s and 1880s


• Bicycle Boom
  Safety bicycles and chain drives power a bike fad in the 1890s


• Competitive Cycling
  Racers and record-setters capture headlines and captivate fans


• Children
  Young riders find independence on bicycles throughout the 1900s


• Resurgence
  Adults rediscover biking's pluses and pleasures in the 1970s to the present

Exhibition Highlights

Among the exhibition's 17 featured bikes is a c.1818 draisine that foreshadowed the modern cycle, an 1896 promotional bicycle built for 10, an 1898 Columbia driven by a shaft instead of a chain, a 1964 Huffy representing the five-millionth bike built by the famous brand, and a 1970 Schwinn Continental 10-speed that helped rekindle adults' love of cycling.

Profiled personalities include Albert A. Pope, who applied early mass-production techniques to bicycle manufacturing; Major Taylor, who wowed U.S. and European audiences with his speed sprints; Tillie Anderson, celebrated as one of the best competitive riders of her day; Frank Schwinn, who made his family's firm the premier name in American bikes; and Kevin Degen, who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars riding for charities.

Exhibition Interactives

• Materials: Compare the weight and strength of bicycle construction materials over time


• Gears: Find out which gear settings require more work but also enhance speed


• Embellishments: Test the sights, sounds and motion behind two methods of bike personalization


• POV Ride Video: Virtually ride through various scenic locations and trips to get a glimpse into the ways people currently use bicycles

Join us for a tour through two-wheeled history in the newest Collections Gallery exhibition at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

Bicycles: Powering Possibilities is curated by Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford.

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Use your membership for admission to Bicycles: Powering Possibilities along with benefits like discounts on shopping and dining, invitations to member previews of our exhibitions, free general admission to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village and free parking.

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