The Bankies’ Bike, a giant sculpture (11' tall x 19' long) standing on the banks of the Forth and Clyde canal in Clydebank on National Cycle Network Route 7.
Designed by artist John Crosby, Clydebank, Scotland
Commissioned by West Dunbartonshire Council as part of the ‘Clydebank Rebuilt’ scheme
A replica of Singers Factory clock hands are also situated in this spot.
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire on the north bank of the River Clyde.
Until the late 19th century the area was largely rural consisting of villages and farms.
The Clyde Bank Shipbuilding Yard was set up here in 1871. Rapid growth of heavy industry, population and housing soon followed.
In 1882 the Singer Company moved their manufacturing base from Bridgeton, Glasgow to Clydebank. It quickly became the largest sewing machine factory in the world. It employed over 12,000 workers making domestic and industrial sewing machines that were shipped throughout the world.
During World War II, on 13 and 14 March 1941, Clydebank was a major target for German bombings. In what became known as the Clydebank Blitz, the town itself was seriously damaged as were the local shipyards and armaments factories such as the Dalnottar Oil depot and the Singer Sewing Machine Factory. Over the two days 528 civilians were killed, over 617 people were seriously injured and 4,000 homes were completely destroyed. More than 1000 bombs were dropped on the town by about 400 German planes. RAF fighters shot down two German bombers
The Singer factory closed in 1980 and was demolished in the early 1990s. The site is now largely occupied by a business park.