HandsomeRyan

is there such thing as a "vintage" recumbent or is that a new thing?

Dr.Deltron

There are some "vintage" recumbents such as a HyperCycle or an Avatar 2000.
The prior being a nearly homebuilt looking short wheelbase, underseat steering rig with a 16" front wheel and a 27" rear.
The latter being a machinists wet dream, long wheelbase w/underseat steering as well.
Very detailed machined bits for the steering and seat brackets.

There are likely others, as recumbents were banned by the UCI in 1932 or 1933. But most are likely to be one-offs and very hard to find.
There is an Avatar locally, but the widow isn't ready to part with hubby's pride & joy just yet.
And there are a few of us patiently waiting....

For the most part, production 'bents are not likely to be more than 25 years old.
Most were made in the last 15-20 years.

Are you looking for one, or do you have one???

Recumbomatic

Hmm, this question really should go in the Recumbent thread. Or try the Bent Rider Online forum.


Based on my limited knowledge of bent history:

Late 19th century - first recumbent bicycle

1930's - first recumbent with decent performance

1980's - first commercially produced "modern" recumbents

First bent I ever rode was a Ryan recumbent, around 1987-88.

Dr.Deltron

Not really! Most in that forum have limited knowledge of "vintage" bike issues, much less any knowledge of "vintage" recumbents!

Hey now!! Don't be chasing away BF members!
I'm over here, not over there!

And yes, Ryan offered the Vanguard, a design very similar to the Avatar 2000. I believe that someone from Avatar parted company and started Ryan. Thanks for adding that brand to the thread.

HandsomeRyan

i was just curious. i have a mountain bike, a road bike but if i were adding another pony to the stable it would be a recumbent. just wondered how long they'd been around.

(my brain is full of silly questions, a lot of them leak out through my fingertips all over the keyboard and wind up on these forums)

Hilarystone

Recumbents were made in the 1930s in commercial quantities. Vélocars made in France were made in quite reasonable numbers and survive in reasonable numbers too. It was this make that got the recumbent bike design banned by the UCI. Cyclo and Triumph Moller (made in Denmark with a steering wheel instead of bars) were made in reasonable numbers too. Enclosed are two pics of Vélocars. The picture with an Ordinary and conventional lightweight was taken at south London's famous track, Herne Hill in 2004 when a photogragh that appeared in a 1935 issue of Cycling magazine was recreated at the Veteran-Cycle Club's Herne Hill track day. The other pic is of a first pattern Vélocar that was originally imported into Britain in the 1930s. There are quite a few here today but most are recent imports from France. Vélocar started out by building pedal powered 4-wheel cars in the 1920s - thse continued to be available into the 1940s before they diversified into the Mochet microcar just after WWII. [IMG][/IMG]

wahoonc

Thanks Hilary! I love those pictures. Here are some more pictures and if you punch the next button it will take you up the progression of the Velo-car production.

Aaron

Mooo

Rans and Easyracers arrived at a similar design in the early '80's. I have seen mid 80's examples of both a Tour Easy and a Stratus for sale in the last 2-3 years.

Here's a link to a Rans article on the evolution of the Stratus: https://www.ransbikes.com/ITRStratus.htm
and a brochure from the late 80's: https://www.ransbikes.com/STBrochure.htm

Hilarystone

So I think you'll find this pic of Vélocars racing at the Internatrional Veteran Cycle Rally in 2005 slightly interesting...

Hilarystone

So I think you'll find this pic of Vélocars racing at the Internatrional Veteran Cycle Rally in 2005 slightly interesting...

Hilary

mozgj

Does this classify as a recumbent? That's a late 19th/early 20th century (don't remember correctly) tricycle in our local museum.

crank_addict

zombie awakening -




And its 2017, NFC division battle at the half, Packers are beating the Cowboys

steelbikeguy

the only tidbit that I can offer is an article from Bicycling magazine from the 60's or so. It was written by Dan Henry, who is best known for the symbols that he used to mark bike ride routes. He was a pretty creative guy, and built his own long-wheelbase recumbent, complete with suspension!!

Here's one page from the article, which includes a photo of Mr. Henry on his 'bent.....





Steve in Peoria
(with two 'bents in the stable, although much more recent vintage)

Jeff Wills

And the Cheeseheads won!

Geez, did you have to bring up a 10-year-old thread?

The bike in your photo resembles a current "crank-forward" bike more than anything else.

In terms of recumbent bicycle history:
There was a Peugeot recumbent in 1912 or thereabouts.
The MASA Slingshot (a recumbent trike) was sold in the mid-'70's.
I was building the Aerocoupe Cyclecar (also a trike) in the early '80's.
Commercial recumbents really didn't start going until the mid-late '90's.

martl

This is a recumbent design from 1902, Harold Jarvis of Buffalo, NY



Paul Rinkowski of Leipzig built (and pioneered) recumbents shortly after WW2. He invented many smaller and bigger bicycle-related things but never was able to produce or market them successfully due to the circumstances in the former GDR (walls don't work).
He even built his own tyres so successfully that he was asked to make the tires for the GDR team's track racers.

motogeek 

I remember from the late '70s or early '80s a commercially available recumbent called an Infinity, all aluminum square tubing that I think was made in Indiana.

martl

Do i spot the uncomparable incredible marvellous Patricia K. on that pic?

Salamandrine 

Obviously they go way back. AFA common use, they've been around and in use by at least a few folks in the USA since the early 70s bike boom. There have always been a few bents around for as long as I've been riding. I remember some at my first century in 1979. Granted I lived in hippy dippy (at that time) California.

T-Mar

Challand recumbent, 1896. Does this look like a proto Raleigh Chopper to anybody else?

Jeff Wills

In the late '70's-early '80's the IHPVA was pretty well organized in Southern California. I remember going to the International Human Powered Speed Championships at Ontario Motor Speedway (1980), then the Pomona Fairgrounds (1981), then participating at Orange Country International Raceway (1982). Those were heady times.

Commercial recumbents were stumbling forward in that era, but were steamrollered by the mountain bike boom of the mid-'80's.

steelbikeguy

There might be some similarity to the Chopper... but the thing that gets my attention is the distance from the rider to the ground. How do his feet reach the ground when stopped or starting??


Steve in Peoria

Salamandrine 

I found this pretty interesting mini article on the history of recumbents.

Jeff Wills

Should be captioned "Beards and Bell Bikers"

Fat Tire Trader 

Like this Aerocoupe?

repechage

yep, caused the UCI to outlaw them.