Vintage Bicycles

High wheel bicycle with brown leather seat.

About the Exhibit

Pedal through the history of Western New York’s cycles.

Buffalo was a hub of cycling innovation and races in the late 19th century thanks to an abundance of asphalt roads. The Museum is proud to display a collection of vintage bicycles unique to our region. You’ll find velocipedes, high wheel cycles, tricycles, and safety cycles. Many were manufactured here in Western New York by companies including Pierce Cycles, Buffalo Cycle, Buffalo Home Trainer, Buffalo Foot Cycle, Buffalo Tricycle Company, Chautauqua, Eclipse, Electric City, Heintz & Munschauer, Fenton, Favorite, Globe, Maid of the Mist, Punnett, Queen, Saturn, Straight, Tribune, and more.

The display includes items from the Sandoro collection (50+ years), the Burgwardt Family, the former Pedaling History Museum, and several donors. The acquisition of Western New York items from the Burgwardt Pedaling History Museum was made possible through contributions from Jim and Mary Ann Sandoro, the Wendt Foundation, and the Oishei Foundation.

Cycle Memorabilia

The museum’s bicycle collection includes extensive memorabilia depicting the vintage cycling era. Displayed are rare and unique signs, medals, bronze statues, trophies, lithographs, steins, photos, porcelain pieces and much more.

The hub lamp was a way to light the pathway. It was designed to be suspended from the hub of a high wheel cycle.

This miniature nickel plated hub lamp, made in Germany, served as a dance card. It would be pinned to a woman’s dress. The tiny pencil used to reserve a dance.