STORY & PHOTOS Dan R. Manning
I was met at the door of the Pedalers Bicycle Museum by its super-enthused, 72-year-old owner/curator James Allen. He immediately began talking about his favorite subject: bicycles. James has at least one story about every item in this museum, which is located in Springfield’s historic Commercial Street district.
His collection started 37 years ago when he was looking for a used bike for his five-year-old daughter at a swap meet. On impulse, he bought an antique bicycle for his wife. It wasn’t long before he started attending bicycle shows all over the country.
Now, there are nearly 800 two-wheelers in his collection that vary in condition from faded-paint originals with cracked tires, to pristine restorations. With all those bicycles and the stories that accompany them, tours at the museum can range from a few minutes to hours, depending on the viewer’s interest.
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As captain of Missouri Wheelmen, the state chapter of a national group that encourages antique bicycle restoration and riding, James love hitting the road with like-minded members on their century-old rides. “My most memorable journey on a high-wheel bicycle was from Springfield to the Wheelmen meet in 1995 at Greenfield Village, Henry Ford’s museum in Michigan.”
After learning about Thomas Stevens, the first person to ride across the United States on a high-wheel bicycle back in 1884, James trained for several months in 1999 and completed that same 3,270-mile journey from San Francisco to Boston. That arduous trip has been accomplished by only 37 wheelmen since 1884.
According to James, bicycles with equal-sized wheels, like those manufactured today, have been popular since the mid-1890s. At first, they were referred to as “safeties” because riding them was less dangerous than straddling the saddle of those with high wheels, which were called “ordinaries.”
My favorite display in the museum is the only known example of a 1911 bicycle manufactured by the Wright Brothers after they quit building aircraft. James has turned down generous offers from other collectors who would like to own it.
“I have too many bicycles to display all at once,” James says. “Many of them are in storage on the building’s top two floors. Some original parts I have are so hard to find that putting a value on them is impossible.”
In addition to old bicycles, artifacts at the Pedalers Bicycle Museum include photographs, posters, tools, magazines, and books. There’s even a cabinet filled with bicycle-themed, antique beer steins.
James is particularly proud of an 1897 bicycle on display in the museum. The US Department of Natural Resources called on his expertise to prepare matching bicycles for a 1,900-mile journey last July. The trip between Missoula, Montana, and St. Louis was originally made in 1897 by twenty “Buffalo Soldiers” in the 25th Infantry Regiment of the US Army Bicycle Corps.
Pedalers Bicycle Museum at 328 E. Commercial St. in Springfield is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 AM to 4 PM, or by arrangement for groups. There is no charge, but donations are gratefully accepted.
Whether you’re hoping to get a glimpse of a rare oddity, like a bicycle built for 12, or hope to reminisce over a Schwinn like the one that carried you through childhood, let the road lead you to the Pedalers Bicycle Museum.
This article was originally published in the May 2023 edition of Missouri Life magazine.
All photos courtesy of Dan R. Manning
