National Cycle Collection facts for kids
The National Cycle Museum (which is Casgliad beicio cenedlaethol in Welsh) is a super interesting place in the UK. It's filled with bicycles from many different time periods! The museum first opened its doors in 1981. It was located near a big old house called Belton House, close to a town called Grantham.
Later, the museum had to move. This happened because Belton House was given to a group called the National Trust. So, the museum needed a new home and found one in Lincoln. After the person who started the museum, Raymond Fixter, passed away, three new people took charge. Their names were James Maynard, Edward Skeet, and Anthony Pickering.
The museum was very popular in Lincoln for several years. However, the local council in Lincoln stopped helping to pay for it. This meant the museum had to look for a new place to live. In 1997, a group in Wales that helps tourists saw a great chance. They decided to bring together three different collections of bikes: the National Cycle Museum's bikes, plus bikes from Tom Norton and David Higman. They offered a new building for the museum. That's why, even today, the museum is located in Llandrindod Wells, Wales.
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What You'll See at the Museum
The National Cycle Museum has a huge collection of bikes! You can see about 250 bicycles there. These bikes show how cycling has changed from 1818 all the way up to 2018.
Amazing Bikes
One of the coolest parts of the collection is the many penny-farthing bicycles. These are the bikes with one very tall front wheel and a tiny back wheel! You'll also see lots of "safety bicycles" that have solid tires. These were an important step towards the bikes we ride today.
More Than Just Bikes
Besides the bikes themselves, the museum also has many old cycling books. You can also find lots of accessories that cyclists used in the past. There's also other cool stuff related to cycling history. It's a great place to learn about how bikes and cycling have changed over the years!
The Museum Building
The building where the National Cycle Museum is located has its own interesting story. It used to be known as The Automobile Palace.
A Bicycle Shop's Dream
A bicycle shop owner named Tom Norton bought the land for this building in 1906. He wanted to make his growing business even bigger. The first part of the building was finished in 1911. It was built in a cool style called Art Deco.
Growing Bigger
Later, in 1919, the building was made three times bigger! It kept the same special Art Deco style. This building is very important for its history. It has a special "Grade II* heritage listing". This means it's a very old and important building that hasn't changed much over time. It's known for being one of the first buildings to use a steel frame in a grid pattern.
