The Rahmi M. Koç Museum has expanded its bicycle collection with a special selection brought from England, offering visitors a chronological look at the bicycle’s 200-year evolution, from early pedal-free wooden models to modern designs.

The museum added the "Ward Brothers Bicycle Collection,” acquired from renowned British collectors Daniel and Toby Ward, to its road transportation section.

The collection traces the development of bicycles through a range of designs, including early wooden models without pedals, three-wheelers, iconic British bicycles with oversized front wheels and contemporary models.

Alongside the expanded collection, the museum has published a 234-page book, "Pedaldan Motora” ("From Pedal to Motor”), examining the evolution of bicycles and motorcycles among objects in the museum’s collection.

The book provides a multifaceted account of the development of bicycles and motorcycles, covering their engineering, technological and cultural significance and serves as a resource on industrial history.

From 1818 to 2012

Selen Işyar, deputy general manager of the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the museum’s bicycle collection had been expanded with 23 historically significant pieces acquired as a group last year.

"This allowed us to expand the collection and present the history chronologically,” Işyar said. "We rearranged the objects, prepared their labels and displayed them in a way that visitors can easily understand.”

The Rahmi M. Koç Museum was established in 1994 in the historic Lengerhane building in Istanbul’s Hasköy district. The museum grew out of businessman Rahmi Koç’s interest in collecting, which began when he was a child with Märklin toy trains.

The museum’s expansion continued in 2001 with the addition of the historic Hasköy Shipyard.

Işyar said bicycles had always held an important place in the museum’s transportation collection. While bicycles are also displayed at the museum’s locations in Ankara and Ayvalık, the main expansion has taken place in Istanbul.

"At our Istanbul museum, we are presenting a history stretching from the 1810s to 2012 and giving visitors the chance to see different models together,” she said.

From transportation to culture

Işyar said the bicycle should be viewed as more than a means of transportation, noting its connection to freedom and play from childhood through adulthood.

"Because it is a vehicle we can continue using as we grow older, we can see its development alongside human history,” she said.

She added that bicycles remain relevant today as environmentally friendly transportation options and as tools for sports and physical activity.

The collection also provides an opportunity for students and cycling enthusiasts to examine bicycle technology and learn how different designs evolved over time.

From hobby horse to penny-farthing

Among the collection’s most significant pieces is the 1818 "Johnson Hobby Horse,” a wooden bicycle considered one of the earliest examples of the modern bicycle.

The model has no pedals. Riders propel themselves by pushing their feet against the ground.

A later development is the 1869 "Michaux Velociped,” which features pedals and a wider saddle.

The collection also includes the iconic "Penny Farthing,” characterized by a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel. The design emerged from attempts to determine whether a larger wheel could produce greater speed.

Although the design offered technical advantages, its high riding position made it difficult to balance. It was eventually used largely for acrobatic riding.

Different three-wheeled models in the collection also illustrate engineers’ efforts to improve stability, balance and speed. Some have two wheels positioned side by side, while others use a front-and-back arrangement.

The variations in wheel size and placement reflect the engineering challenges of the period, including efforts to find the right balance between power, stability and speed.

Women and the bicycle

The collection also highlights the bicycle’s role in changing social life and transportation culture.

The 1880 Coventry Rotary, a three-wheeled model operated using hand levers, was designed in part to encourage bicycle use among women.

Singer’s 1895 "Ladies’ Tricycle,” designed with greater comfort for female riders, became more widely popular after attracting the attention of Queen Victoria.

Another notable model, the 1889 "American Star,” was designed to shift the rider’s center of gravity backward and reduce the risk of falling. The bicycle gained attention for having been tested by being ridden down the steps of the U.S. Capitol.