An exhibit currently on display at the U of M’s Goldstein Museum of Design is showcasing the craftsmanship of Minnesota bike designers and exploring the state’s rich bicycling culture.
“Design Cycles: A Bike Show” features bikes, frames, tires, gear, and tools created by Minnesota companies and designers. It also includes a short history of early bicycles and early biking examples, such as a late-19th-century high-wheel bike.
To complement the exhibit, the museum is also convening local bike experts for a panel discussion, “Minnesota Bicycling: A Work in Progress,” on March 25 at Summit Brewery in St. Paul. The panel will feature CTS Scholar and Humphrey School of Public Affairs professor Greg Lindsey, who has conducted extensive research on bicycle traffic and infrastructure in Minnesota.
“The panel will cover topics that were difficult to get at in the exhibition, such as what it means to be a vehicular cyclist, challenges in planning bicycle facilities, the trajectory of cycling growth, and factors that prevent people interested in bicycling from being able to bicycle,” says exhibit curator Jean McElvain. “Even though Minnesota is highly regarded as a bicycle-friendly state, the work at integrating bicycles into a predominately vehicular landscape is ongoing.”
“Design Cycles: A Bike Show” is on display through May 10 at the Goldstein Museum on the St. Paul campus. For more information about the exhibit or the panel discussion, visit the Goldstein Museum website.
