Location: Design Museum of Chicago at Expo 72, 72 E. Randolph St.

In 1897, Chicago companies produced more than 250,000 bikes, more than ⅔ of the bicycles made in America and continued to be one of the major centers of US bicycle production and culture for decades. Design and innovation both played fundamental roles in the success of bicycling in Chicago, from industrial design of bicycles to and fashion design in riding clothes, from manufacturing design in factories to graphic design in advertisements. Join bicycle historian and author Christopher Sweet as he puts Chicago bicycle design and innovation into the broader perspective of general bicycle and U.S. history. This event is free and open to the public, and will occur at the Expo 72 gallery at 72 E. Randolph.

Chicago Cycles is presented in conjunction with Keep Moving: Designing Chicago’s Bicycle Culture, which explores how Chicago design shaped the American image of the bicycle and design’s ongoing influence on Chicago bicycle culture.

Keep Moving is part of Art Design Chicago, an initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art exploring Chicago’s art and design legacy, with presenting partner The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Additional support for this exhibition comes from the Chicago Community Trust, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and SRAM.