I am down in Devon (& Cornwall) at the moment, getting to know the new motorbike.
I went to the British Cycling Museum today - I’d been once before, but with limited time to view.
They have exactly three unicycles in:
A Pashley 20, similar to my own UMX.
Another older Pashley - but with proper, well-made, bearing clamps.
An old noname with a smallish wheel.
I have offered them my 1959 vintage uni which I will never ride again, and I will probably also give them my old Pashley UMX, and some general background info about unicycling.
The museum is run by a pleasant middle-aged couple, John and Sue, who are vintage cycle enthusiasts. It runs in the family, because Sue is the sister of a member of Desford lane Pedallers - a vintage cycle club based near Leicester. In 1983, I went out for a ride with the club, including Sue’s brother, borrowing a penny farthing for the afternoon. Small world!
The museum has some fascinating exhibits, including conventional penny farthings, an American “Star” (a treadle-driven farthing-penny), a shaft-drive modern bicycle, a military folding bike, a hen and chickens (Post Office issue pentacycle!) as well as lots of modern stuff like limited edition Choppers, a couple of Stridas (Stridae?) and so on. In total, about 400 unicycles, bicycles, quadricycles and a pentacycle. There are solos, tandems, trailers, a bicycle with a handmade timber frame. All manner of stuff. Well worth a browse for an hour or so.
As a tourist trap, it’s a bit of a failure: no café, tiny gift shop, closed on Fridays and Saturdays (they opened up specially for me today!) and it’s a pity all the exhibits are static (i.e. I’d like to have had a go on some!) but as a place to spend some time the company of old bikes, it beats Ritzy’s on grab-a- granny night.
The Museum is at The Old Station, Camelford, Cornwall. That’s 1 mile north of Camelford on the B3266 Boscastle road. Phone/fax 01840 212811. No website: the proprietors are technophobes.
They tell me that (recently?) someone stopped there who was doing the end-to-end on a Coker. Some studenty-type from Wales. Anyone know who that was?
Recommended.
