Tricycle with 3,000 Christmas lights pedal through Cleveland

CLEVELAND - An unusual sight went pedaling down Euclid Avenue in Cleveland Wednesday evening.

Jimmy Kuehnle, an assistant professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art, rode his decked-out tricycle from Euclid to Cleveland State University. He calls it the “Twinkling Tricycle Tour of Enchantment” and it’s part of a SPACES gallery exhibit.

“I’m promoting the human condition and enjoyment,” Kuehnle said. “This is part of my trade. I do this at galleries.”

Kuehnle designed the pedal-powered contraption himself using antique tricycle from an Indianapolis warehouse. A battery, which can last about eight hours, fuels the 3,000 Christmas lights.

He said he enjoys the human connection that his light bike brings.

“Usually, I have to remind them that streets are for driving, not stopping and taking pictures,” he said. “There’s a lot of cheers and shouts."

His next stop is the Brite Winter Festival in Ohio City on Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. Kuehnle will also join Cleveland-area cyclists for Critical Mass on Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. in Public Square.