The Epicurean Cyclist

I am in Bisbee, AZ right now and have had the great pleasure of meeting Ken Wallace, proprietor of the Bisbee Bike Brothel. Tucked away in the hills of southern Arizona, the Bicycle Brothel is an odd gem in this former mining town. It is called the bike brothel because its original location was adjacent to an old mining town brothel (and also because Ken has a wry sense of humor with a penchant for alliteration.)

The Bike Brothel consists of Ken’s personal collection of bicycles, bicycle parts, bicycle books, memorabilia and odd knickknacks. Most of it is not for sale. While Ken does some bike repair at the shop, the Bike Brothel is more of a museum than service center. It is open on Saturdays and by appointment only. Laura and I were lucky to get a great in-depth guided tour of his collection.

If you are anywhere near Southern Arizona and you love bicycles, you should make the trek out here. The historic town of Bisbee is fascinating in of itself and the Bike Brothel has enough for you to soak in for hours. Some pieces are rare and hard to find and some are whimsical - or in Ken’s words “some art and some ain’t.” Here are some highlights.