Over 100 bicycles spanning 200 years of history

Nearly 100 bicycles occupying an area of ​​1,000 square ^meters . This is how the Munich Museum of Technology decided to celebrate the 200-year history of the bicycle. The exhibition, which ended in the fall of 2018, was titled "Balanceakte." It's worth noting that initially planned for a year, it was ultimately extended several times due to its popularity! The title itself can perhaps be best translated as "balance point," which reflects the ambitions of its curators (Balanceakte is...). The point wasn't simply to show, in a chronological manner, how the idea of ​​traveling on two wheels evolved over time. Let us give the floor to Wolfgang M. Heckl, General Director of the Deutsches Museum, who said about the exhibition: "It fits well with our other special exhibitions such as 'Welcome to the Anthropocene' and 'Energy. Change', which have a lot to do with sustainability. The same goes for the exhibition 'Balanceakte', because the bicycle is generally the most sustainable means of transport." The exhibition was divided into 4 parts:

1. Prologue "Drais and His Times".

According to a controversial thesis, Karl Drais's (or rather, Baron von Dreis de Sauerbrun of Baden-Württemberg's) idea for a walking machine was... a response to an extraordinary climatic situation. In 1816, a volcanic eruption struck Europe, causing famine that affected not only humans. Horses were the primary victims, hence the need for an alternative form of transportation. Even if this is pure speculation, it still seems appropriate to begin an exhibition on the history of the machine, which may also be a response to today's climate challenges.

2. Technology and economics

Bicycles resembling today's designs date back to the Industrial Revolution. It's no surprise, then, that manufacturers we associate with the automotive industry began by producing bicycles. Standardization, mass production, and, above all, the resulting lower costs allowed for a surge in bicycle popularity. It's also interesting to look at bicycle products from brands that, if anything, aren't associated with bicycles today (MIELE!)

3. Culture and sports

Now forgotten, sports clubs once played a crucial role in popularizing cycling. It was there that fashion and the first trends associated with this new form of sporting activity and transportation were formed. Even today, cycling continues to inspire artists!

4. Mobility and transportation

It's not just in Germany that cycling is experiencing a resurgence of interest as a healthy and, above all, climate-neutral form of transportation. Although not so long ago, the situation was quite different. Under the banner "Bicycle Boom," the exhibition explores the ups and downs of bicycle use in Germany. And for dessert, numbers. Actually, a lot of interesting numbers that demonstrate the phenomenon of bicycle popularity in Germany and around the world.

• There are approximately 73 million bicycles in Germany, including approximately 3 million electric bicycles (2016, ZIV Association)
• 81.4 percent of German households own at least one bicycle (Destatis, Statistisches Jahrbuch)
• 98 percent of Germans have mastered cycling (Study "Cycling in Germany 2013" by Rose Versand GmbH)
• 38 percent of Germans use a bicycle every day or several times a week (Fahrradmonitor 2015)
• 51.5 hours is the current record for the 1,100 km route from Flensburg to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (road bike)
• The actual share of cycling in all individual transport in Germany in 2013 was 12.9 percent (German Mobility Panel 2014 and 2015, MOP)
• In 2014, 337,760 bicycle thefts were reported in Germany (police)
• In Germany in 2015, there were 78,341 accidents involving cyclists, over 60,000 people were injured and 383 died
• In 2013, 15 percent of Germans wore a helmet when cycling (Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure)
• The German bicycle industry generated €5.2 billion in sales in 2016 (ZIV)
• 643 euros was the average price of a bicycle in Germany in 2016 (ZIV)
• 51.80 euros per hour of work is the average in German bicycle workshops (barometer according to the SAZ-Bike trade magazine)

More generally:

• 2000 euros in healthcare costs per year saved by approximately 75 minutes of cycling per week (WHO)
• On average, 200 calories are burned per hour when riding at a speed of approximately 15 km/h (depending on body weight and height)
• The average difference in BMI between cyclists and drivers is 1.7 (London School of
• Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, LHSTM)
• The speed record achieved on a bicycle is 268.8 km / h (1995 Freda Rompelberg)
• 9,800 kilowatt-hours is the annual energy yield of a 70-meter-long solar-powered bicycle path in the Netherlands (SolaRoad)
• In 2016, 265,700 bicycles were registered in Copenhagen - for the first time more than cars (252,600) (report: Copenhagen Post Online on 9 November 2016)
• 0.05 percent is the share of cycling in the city with the fewest cyclists in the world (Istanbul)
• In 2015, 20.75 million bicycles were sold in Europe (statista.com)
• 17.4 million bicycles were sold in the US in 2015 (Statista.com)