We have a collection of fifty cycles on permanent display. The earliest is an 1821 replica Hobby Horse, without pedals, brakes, or gears and with wooden wheels resembling those on a farm cart. Other exhibits show inventions, which enabled the technical development of the Safety bicycle, which we recognise today. Many inventions were dead ends and commercial failures.

The collection contains nineteenth-century tricycles and quadricycles with different combinations of large and small wheels. In the 1890s some tandems had the riders sitting side by side so they could chat. Thus, these tandems were called ‘Companion’ cycles. The fashionable long skirts favoured by Victorian ladies had previously made cycling impractical, but Ladies did ride Companions.

We believe that our collection is one of the top five cycle museums in the country, so if you have not seen it, you have a treat awaiting you.

New Exhibit

Come and see the bicycle pictured above built by William Morris when he received his first commission in the mid-1890s.

44 years after selling the bicycle to Mr Pritchard, the Rector of St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford, Morris bought it back. By then he had become Lord Nuffield.

The bicycle will be on show in the Morris Museum until September by kind permission of the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire.

The Faulkner Cycle Collection

We have a unique collection of 40 historic cycles on exhibition, upstairs in the Morris Museum, mainly nineteenth century bicycles, including a Penny Farthing and a Singleton English velocipede, or ‘boneshaker’.

Bicycles are synonymous with Oxford, especially amongst students. It was students’ enthusiasm for cycling that led William Morris to repair and then build bicycles (prior to moving into car repair, hire and finally manufacture).

Our museum has had a few cycles over the years, so when we were offered loan of a collection owned by Mr Faulkner and a purpose built display area devoted to them, it seemed a natural progression to include these wonderful cycles at the museum.

It wouldn't be Oxford without bikes !

Click on the link below for a list of the Historic Cycle Collection

Please press the button below to go to the National Cycle museum website