Bicycle Heaven — Attraction in Pittsburgh

Simply stunning! I had no expectations entering into this establishment. As I walked in I was assaulted with childhood nostalgia. Growing up in the 1970s and 80s a bike defined you. In my neighborhood in Tiffin OH everything was done on bicycle. Once you could ride you were free. If it was going to school, to pick up games of basketball, kickball, baseball, delivering newspapers, going to friends houses...everything was done on a bicycle. Seeing the large collection of Scwhinn and other period bikes I remembered kids I hadn't thought of in decades because those bikes brought back memories of riding through town or out to Hedges Boyer Park. Stingrays, Varsities, Colligiates, Typhoons, all there. Then there is the novelty stuff like Evil Kenievel bikes and the modified stingrays that became the first dirtbikes jumping over home made dirt and plywood ramps all without helmets. Its all there and a graphic flashback to a childhood that was defined by bicycle riding. For me it doesn't end there. I moved to PA in 1981 and the single speed that I easily rode in Ohio and the 10 speed Huffy didn't cut it. I moved into endurance athletics and bicycles were a natural extension. Seeing many American, European, and Japanese road bikes reminded me of those I rode, bought, or traded away from my teens forward. It also reminded me of the local shops here in Lewistown that were first Wildeware then Heidesports and finally the Ski Station where in the basement on Electric Avenue Bill Grove innovated, designed, and built the future of mountain bikes and awesome custom road and tandem frames. Seeing those xframes was another wash of nostalgia. Seeing a pristine Ross mountain bike very much like my garage sale sold Mt Washington made me wish I never liquidated a classic steel bike I rode all over central PA and beyond. There are a lot of other antiques, movie bikes, memorabilia, and promotional rarities to see and a fair amount of vintage bikes you could purchase. I'm just cataloging my reaction to encourage anyone with a love of bikes who happens to be in Pittsburgh should have a look at Bicycle Heaven. Make sure you stuff some bills in the donation box. Its a...

Bicycle Heaven (aka Bicycle Museum) is in a league all its own. We were brought by a local to tour a novel tourist attraction; our visit was not intended to purchase a bicycle or to have one repaired. As such, we cannot rate the latter two functions of this business.

The facility is cavernous; every nook and cranny is filled to the max with everything bicycle and then some. Despite the visual cacophony, there is a stylized order to everything, redolent in wit and whimsy. The owner somehow manages to make it all work. For as artifact-crammed as this place is, it is surprisingly clean and orderly—not a speck of dust anywhere.

It's kind of a DIY experience, aided by the tips of advice received from other visitors and friends in ones’ own group. We recommend touring the place with a group of friends, who will add to the experience as they discover and call out this place’s many hidden treasures. We were sufficiently impressed with the ground floor, but were encouraged by other guests who advised, “You've got to see the second floor!” On first blush, the second floor appeared to be more of the same from the first floor. That was until we opened the door to "heaven," which we would characterize as an "Alice in Wonderland" experience. We will leave the description at that to avoid spoiling the surprise element. We ended up spending nearly an hour on the second floor, where we were able to chat at length with Bicycle Heaven's owner, Craig Morrow.

One could speculate if all things bicycle represent a history worth capturing and preserving, but seeing this rich past out on display is a testament to Bicycle Heaven's place in America's history. Bicycle Heaven operates on a donation basis. We were so impressed by the experience, we gladly made a nice contribution...

This was an awesome stop for my family while traveling through Pittsburg, PA. It cost us nothing but our time and filled us with many memories of our past. This is a place that is fun for all ages young or old! They offer free parking in their lots. It is a place where you could spend as little as 30 mins looking at everything or as long as 2 hours or more viewing everything at your own pace. This is the largest bike museum I have ever seen. They had so bikes and ultra rare items with plenty of cool things to look at I can't even begin to describe!!!! It made me feel like a kid reminiscing on so many bikes I had, or wanted, or wished for, or that my older brothers had. I wish I still had some of the things I saw. The best part is if you are a collector, a seller, or a buyer this place has plenty of things for sale. You can even buy rare old bikes to re-live your childhood!!!! If you are restoring a new or older bike and looking for rare parts like original pedals, forks, crank, seat, lights, frames and so on this guy will most likely have it or can put you in the right direction to get it. They will even restore your bike or fix it for you. Again all I can say is WOW...... I got a chance to speak to the owner and his son I believe. They were stand up guys and took the time to have a great conversation with myself and my family. The owner even gave my 4 year old daughter a free toy as a gift. Class act people and a wonderful place for the area of Pittsburg! This is a must stop if anywhere in the neighborhood. I wish nothing but the best for this place...