There's More to Bicycles Than You Think!

The Museum - Pedaling History Bicycle Museum, in Orchard Park, New York, features one of the world's largest collections of antique and classic American bicycles, including thousands of items of cycling-related memorabilia. From the antiques through the classics to modern bikes: social, design, manufacturing, marketing, and sports aspects are all reflected in our displays.

History of the Bicycle - Explore a brief history of the bicycle and how it impacted so many aspects of our lives.

History and Mission of the Museum - How Pedaling History Bicycle Museum came about.

Check out our New

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MUSEUM VIDEO !

A Brief video tour of the Museum with Carl Burgwardt

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+ ! ! ! MUSEUM NEWS ! ! ! +

-----> Buffalo Waterfront UPDATE <-----

Click here or on the "Museum Future" tab to the left

We're still working at it !

The Vision

1897 matures 2010 ?

The George N. Pierce Bicycle Company Pedaling History Bicycle Museum

the site

CHAINTREUIL | JENSEN | STARK ARCHITECTS

Come Learn More about this Vision & its Possibility

What, Where, When......

Visions of our Inner Harbor Possibilities….….

"Into the PAST Lane"

a Review of Buffalo's Transportation Heritage

power point presentation & short open discussion available

our NEXT Presentation could be YOURS !

You are invited to hear and see this 45 minute presentation at your Western New York group meeting or function of 25 or more people, at no cost.

We try to keep this presentation current with the ever-changing, developing, and ongoing progress of the Inner Harbor Historic District and lower Main Street re-development scene. Monitor our vision's hopeful participation and influence in that progress while we keep our dream alive.

The first phases of the Inner Harbor Historic District are finally now becoming a reality with the re-watering of the Commercial Slip already here. Next year, the remaining site-work and landscaping of the district will continue using the balance of the budgeted funding to complete the funded portion of Empire State Development Corporation's project. The result will then leave lower Main Street with a cleaned-up cobblestone streetscape, some designated foundation relics, a re-watered Commercial Slip, and a couple of new museum buildings for the relocated Naval & Servicemen's Park but little more to support a successful or dynamic tourism destination objective. Little has yet been announced or even discussed for what's to follow in the numerous development sites in the historic district. Buffalo and Western New York's dynamic and historic transportation heritages grew and spread from this waterfront leading America and the World not only on the water but from rails to roads, and from sprockets to rockets. Western New York could and should capitalize and showcase this theme to the world as this historic district is developed.

This talk “Into the PAST Lane” is presented by Carl F. Burgwardt generally followed by a short discussion.

Mr. Burgwardt is the co-owner and director of the Pedaling History Bicycle Museum in Orchard Park, NY, a life-long Western New Yorker and a retired Buffalo executive who, with his wife, is presently seeking to re-locate their museum to an appropriate historic site at the inner harbor.

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Need a Special Talk or Program for YOUR Group, Meeting or Entertainment ?

We'll take it to you.

The Burgwardts have several power point presentations available - Not all about bicycles but also on Buffalo History and Music

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We also have other

NEW

Power Point Presentations

By Carl F. Burgwardt

Fascinating - Entertaining, Locally Western New York Historical, Educational and quick moving programs to highlight your special meeting (or party).

Inquire 716-662-3853 or bicyclemus@aol.com

CLICK THE SIDE BAR TAB

"Special Presentation"

FOR MORE INFORMATION

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Special Events and Programs - Pedaling History Bicycle Museum occasionally has events and programs throughout the year on little known and interesting aspects of bicycling.

February - Every Saturday Every February

Two Feature-length Movies for Black History Month!
1.The Bicycle Corps: America's Black Army on Wheels
Tracks of Glory: Major Taylor, the first black athlete to hold a professional World Sports Title

May 2009 - Family Bike Ride - 9:30 A. M. Saturday - May 23, 2008

Our Annual Spring Rust-Buster - Starting from the museum at 9:45 A. M. - a 6 1/2 mile cruise around the Village of Orchard Park on your old cruiser, new hybrid or just your favorite bicycle. Anything that pedals, goes....except with training wheels [it's just a bit too long for those to slow us down]. A casual ride for every age visiting historical sites around the village. The Town Historian will provide background information at each stop. Ride ends at the museum at noon with an informal "Cook your own Hot Dog" picnic. $1.00 Hot dogs, $1.00 Sodas - along with Chips, Garnishes, and Chat. Ride supported by sag wagon with ice water and assistance as needed, so don't fret - six miles isn't that far on a bike over two hours time. Very casual, good exercise, a leisurely and non-aggressive social ride for all ages - Families Encouraged..... Riders get 1/2 Price Admission to Museum following lunch. Reservations would be appreciated [so we can plan food], but not necessary.

Bicycle Books - Check out our featured bicycle books. And there are many more bicycle-related titles in our online store.

International Bicycle History Conferences -This annual event attracts bicycle historians and scholars rom all over the world. The Conferences are intended to advance our knowledge of the roots of bicycling and to give due recognition to its pioneers. Much new information has been brought to light, often surprising, sometimes controversial.

Online Store - We have many bicycle-related books and posters. More bicycled-related items, including clothing, jewelry, and gift items, are being added to the store all the time.

The Wheelmen - The national organization of antique bicycle enthusiasts.

Bicycle Links - A few general links and some regional ones for your perusal...

Going on at the Museum Right Now:

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RACING EXHIBIT

The bicycle and story of Buffalo born, Buffalo Heritage Rider & National bicycle racer Champion, Pete Penseyres makes this a celebration of the 20th anniversary of his Record Setting Ride Across America [RAAM] in 1986.

Read it Below:

The Bicycle of Pete Penseyres

and his rides across America

It's All in the family …..

In the 1970s Pete, the great grandson of William H. Penseyres (see below), knew nothing of his family history when he met and married Joanne, who talked him into riding bicycles with her, instead of the motorcycle he'd been riding. Since then he's become addicted to bicycling and it has captured his and his family's lives. Pete's records include:

• Two record setting wins of RAAM (1984 & 1986), the Race Across AMerica, leaving a 1986 record setting speed of 15.40 mph still waiting to be broken;

7 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes.

• 11 National titles in Road & Tandem Racing with the United States Cycling Federation (USCF) [1993-2001]

• a 1993 RAAM Tandem Transcontinental Record – still standing.

• a 1993 US Master Road Championship

• a 1996 Team bicycling cross country record of 5 days,11 hours 21 minutes.

Pete has crossed America by bicycle more than 12 times and will be doing so again in 2007. A few of these trips were with his brother Jim.

A Century ago ….

In the 1880s and 1890s William H. Penseyres (Pete's great grandfather) and his brother John were prominent and successful bicycle racers in Buffalo, New York. A National Champion LAW Tandem Racer, William, later became a prominent Buffalo bicycle manufacturer, owning the Globe Bicycle Company on Broadway. In 1897, before the days of children's bicycling, he made a special bicycle [1] for his 2½ year old son “ Willie ” (William C.). Willie then was publicly promoted as the youngest bicycle rider in the world when he rode that bicycle one mile on racing training rollers in the front window of Globe Bicycles' Main Street store. Years later, Willie joined in business with his father, who had then already introduced and was operating Buffalo's first Electric trolley cars on Main Street. Willie expanded on that business by starting the Grand Island Transit that later combined to be the Buffalo Transit Company (now the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority, NFTA). Willie 's brother was Eugene Penseyres, a Buffalo bicycle messenger in the early 1900s and who a generation later was the father of Pete Penseyres , Buffalo born in the 1940s.

The rest of the Penseyres story …..

Pete's brother, Jim, is also an avid bicyclist and successful racer. Both presently live in Southern California, both cycle daily and were amazed to learn of the extent of their heritage in cycling.

19 th / 20 th Century - William & John -Penseyres- 20th / 21st Century – Pete & Jim

[1] This bicycle is also on display in this museum along with other Penseyres family photographs and Globe bicycles.

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February (every year) - Two Feature-length Movies for Black History Month!
The Bicycle Corps: America's Black Army on Wheels
Tracks of Glory: Major Taylor, the first black athlete to hold a professional World Sports Title

May 2008 - May is National Bike Month

See above - FAMILY BIKE RIDE - May 23, 2009