Bike night at Design Museum - 7 September

Hi all, I'm shop manager at Design Museum
On the evening of Friday 7 September the museum will be taken over and overrun by all things bike. We aim to deliver a rich and overwhelming programme of talks, demos, discussions, displays and screenings throughout the building. This is something we can only do with the generous support and participation of those passionately immersed in this subject.

Few other objects provoke such high amounts of enthusiasm as the humble bicycle. To celebrate this passion the Design Museum would like to invite some of the leading riders, designers and bike enthusiasts to tell their peers and the world what they’re about. This will be a celebration of biking excellence, sport, design, culture, innovation and fashion.

We need you to come along and get involved. As a starting point, we hope to host a number of short 20 minute presentations, informal interviews and group discussions. 

There will also be opportunity for handling products, test riding and one to one advice surgeries.

So far we’ve been talking to Brother Cycles, Brixton Cycles, Cosmic Bike Polo, Brooks, the Bicycle Academy, Matti Hemmings, Moulton, Charge Bikes, 14bike Co, Singular Cycles, Cotic, BFF and quite a few others - it should be a fun night!

The scope is vast, and as we want to make this as a great a night as we can we are starting to plan it now.

If you are keen to be involved; or if you have any suggestions for something we should be actively promoting, please email me

steven (at) designmuseum dot org

Look forward to it.

Forgot to add - we're producing a newspaper with a sheet of stickers to go along with the evening's events and we'd love to hear from any illustrators or designers who'd like to submit something we can add to the sticker sheet

Did you know that the spoked bicycle wheel hasn't, essentially, changed in 100+ years. How's that for innovation?

Forgot to add - we're producing a newspaper with a sheet of stickers to go along with the evening's events and we'd love to hear from any illustrators or designers who'd like to submit something we can add to the sticker sheet

Stickers huh? Beware of some LFGSS types offering contributions!

Did you know that the spoked bicycle wheel hasn't, essentially, changed in 100+ years. How's that for innovation?

what!? you don't call this innovation

Did you know that the spoked bicycle wheel hasn't, essentially, changed in 100+ years. How's that for innovation?

Ditto pneumatic tyres.
And yet the design has evolved in so many other areas. I'm particulary excited at the continuing evolution of polo bikes and how this is driven by the individual rider/player's needs.
That's what interests me the most - bikes are things that change us and we make changes to them too. Almost every cyclist has a fascinating story to tell about their bike and how they've made it their own.

Polo bikes certainly are innovative, so that's an interesting area (modification and function~design) to talk around. It'd be good to not let your event become yet another sponsorship/marketing event, so pursuing specific discussions could help it be more than that.

Approach Islabikes to do something around small people and women specific road, track and cross bikes. Not cheap, but Islas really have seen a gaping hole in the market and done well to provide proper design, like their brakes that actually work with childrens' grip strength, limited headsets and super mini geometry for 700 wheeled bikes.

Sounds like this could be fun.

Approach Islabikes to do something around small people and women specific road, track and cross bikes. Not cheap, but Islas really have seen a gaping hole in the market and done well to provide proper design, like their brakes that actually work with childrens' grip strength, limited headsets and super mini geometry for 700 wheeled bikes.

Great idea, I'll do that!

Polo bikes certainly are innovative, so that's an interesting area (modification and function~design) to talk around. It'd be good to not let your event become yet another sponsorship/marketing event, so pursuing specific discussions could help it be more than that.

Agreed; while obviously there is a marketing element (I want people to come to the Museum after all!) mostly we're looking to programme short, informal pop up talks & demos. Basically people like Cosmic rocking up with their bikes and talking about what makes them special & unique.

sounds great.

cant wait.

Cool. Keep bumping this thread with progress.

Todd Cosmic's beard is worth an evening all on its own

I would suggest that Union Cycle Works in Deptford is a good example of social entrepreneurship - seeking to effect change for the better in a bike related way. Perhaps one of their fine number could talk about what they are up to.

n.b. I know there are other examples of this in London and elsewhere as well that could equally well contribute.

Rick Smith (Yehuda Moon) has agreed to do a sticker - yay!
Hopefully shooting a video trailer with some BMXers & a circus cyclist next week
Stay tuned for more details!

subb'd + sounds ace

Wow, early preparation!
But I'm in also

How about having someone involved in accessible cycling talk about the modifications possible to the humble bike that can make it suitable to so many different needs?

+1 to accessible cycling - can recommend Wheels for Wellbeing (Isabelle is the Manager there now).

Hi all,
Although this thread's been quiet awhile; we've been working hard at this and have some cracking stuff confirmed.
As I mentioned up thread - we're doing a newspaper style publication to accompany the event and are producing a sticker sheet to go with it.
So - we have one space left on the sheet; who wants it?
Send your masterpieces (bike related & 'respectable' please!) in PDF to
steven (at) designmuseum dot org
and we'll pick a winner from the submissions.
Stickers will be full colour on water proof clear vinyl. No shape restrictions but needs to be around 5cm by 5cm
We're on a bit of a deadline so we'll need your efforts in by 18 July latest.

@ Little Heather; thanks for the tip - I've just spoken to Isabelle at Wheels for Wellbeing about coming down to the museum & doing a daytime talk in July.
I'll put up details once everything's confirmed.

Bikes!

^this