'da Vinci's' bicycle goes on display in Manchester

A bicycle dreamed up by the world's greatest designer is on display in Manchester city centre. The da Vinci 'bicycle' which has caused much debate over the years and is widely regarded as a fake, has made it off the drawing board (Leonardo's or otherwise) and will no doubt stir more debate… well, okay, argument.

While it never made it  on to the piazzas of medieval Florence, and Leonardo's bike has most of the characteristics of the modern machine - one of the reasons for it being thought a fake in the first place.

This display model has been built by craftsmen in Italy and is on display in St Ann's Square as part of an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry – where they would seem to be believers.

Museum director Tony Hill told the Manchester Evening News: “Da Vinci's early bicycle is a great example of how he developed the ideas for so many inventions years ahead of their creation.

“Most of his works were never made but the exhibition allows visitors the chance to see the actual machines described in his sketches and notes.”

The exhibition shows 65 machines which have been created by Italian artisans from notes and designs done by Da Vinci.

Other machines in the exhibition include Da Vinci's glider and parachute, the forerunner to the modern military tank and a submarine.