Tennessee Is Home to a Unique Arched Sculpture Made Mostly Out of Bicycles

How many bicycles have you gotten rid of over the years? They all eventually go by the wayside, so surely there MUST be a better use for them once they're done than filling up landfills, right? In Cookeville TN, they have a fun answer for that question.

In the realm of arts & crafts or home decor, repurposing is the gift that keeps on giving. "Sure, that's a nice old campfire coffee pot, but won't it look better as a vase?" "I love these old-timey Coca Cola crates, but don't toss them out; they'll make awesome shadow boxes to hang on the wall."

The Spokes Sculpture in Cookeville TN

And then there's, "Look at all these old bicycles. Why don't we make a fun and quirky roadside attraction that will also make for fun photo ops?" And, sure enough, that's exactly what happened in Cookeville. The "bicycle arch" or Spokes Sculpture, as it is officially named, has been a reason folks have paused before leaving this city of nearly 36,000 about 80 miles east of Nashville.

The sculpture is located on the property of the Cookeville Rail Museum and is the centerpiece of the downtown area's historic district.

The sculpture, which is officially called "Spokes," was dedicated in 2018 and is 36 feet tall and 14 feet wide. It is the starting point for Putnam County's Tennessee Central Heritage Rail Trail, and it sees a ton of foot and--naturally--bicycle traffic.

So the next time you're headed east out of Nashville on Interstate 40, and you packed your bikes, don't miss an HOMAGE to them in Cookeville.