This looks as if it could be a good day out for anyone visiting Geneva this year. The Veteran-Cycle Club have been contacted with information about a temporary exhibition at the Musée Rath entitled “Vélo, équilibres en mouvement” – see http://institutions.ville-geneve.ch/fr/mhn/votre-visite/agenda/velo-equilibres-en-mouvement/. The exhibition includes a display of the internal parts of Sturmey Archer hubs.

The Museum Rath is the Swiss museum of natural history and science and one of its aims is to show links between nature, science and societies at the heart of the issues surrounding biodiversity and the major environmental challenges of tomorrow. It is open every day, EXCEPT TUESDAYS, Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year’s Day (January 1) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On December 24 and 31, the Museum closes at 4 p.m.

The Sturmey Archer gear was ubiquitous on machines worldwide and it is good to see that a city in Switzerland should include this British-made product as part this exhibition. In their advertisement the museum says, “Apparently simple, the bicycle is a revolutionary machine both technically and socially. Since its invention in the 19th century, the same questions have come up: What is its place in the city? Who makes our machines? Who buys them and why? Who do they make people dream? And more broadly: what is a bicycle? How does it work? Why can’t we balance on a stationary bicycle?”

If you can’t make it see the exhibition but are interested in the history and development of the Sturmey Archer gear why not read Tony Hadland’s book “The Hub of the Universe” published by the Veteran-Cycle Club. You can purchase a copy at https://v-cc.org.uk/product/the-hub-of-the-universe/