Rockabike
This is a rare machine. There's not much about it on the internet, and if your search has led you here then we can't add much. Going by the componentry it was made in 1984, give or take a year or two.
It is designed so that you can add the strength of your upper body to your legs to make it go. The pedals have to be going round for the rowing action to work.
This bike is owned by Ben Cooper of Kinetics. He was offered it after the original owner died. He took it to us for repairs. He could have done them himself, he has a bike shop. Anyway it was mostly straightforward, apart from replacing the broken spring in the rear gear mechanism. The tyres are a weird 25-540 size and came from SJS Cycles. We replaced the cables and brake pads, and lightly dusted it.
It's very well made, and clearly not the first one made, as it has none of the mistakes and awkwardness inevitable in designing and making something so complicated.
It is pointless. As was discovered about 1900, the most efficient way for a human to do work is to turn cranks with the legs at 60 to 100 rpm. The limiting factor for the energy a human can produce is the heart and lungs. Adding muscle groups doesn't help.
To ride it's easy enough. It can't be pedaled backwards to get the cranks in the right place, but the low seat helps with scooting off. On the road it attracts attention. It showed signs of developing speed wobble at about 15mph as the front wheel is lightly loaded and there's more slack in the steering than a normal bike.
This comment from Mick Allan on a closed Facebook group may give a lead to anyone who wants to do further research: "Norman (who started Covent Garden Cycles) Hillier's son had one and raved about it. He did a few charity rides on it: London to Brighton, East end to Southend etc and 'overtook everyone' on it. It was red too, maybe this was his? As Mike Burrows said of it at the time, the limit to how much power a human can generate is limited by how much oxygen you can take in. It's nice to know one of them survived anyway, even if it is a useless footnote."
It is designed so that you can add the strength of your upper body to your legs to make it go. The pedals have to be going round for the rowing action to work.
This bike is owned by Ben Cooper of Kinetics. He was offered it after the original owner died. He took it to us for repairs. He could have done them himself, he has a bike shop. Anyway it was mostly straightforward, apart from replacing the broken spring in the rear gear mechanism. The tyres are a weird 25-540 size and came from SJS Cycles. We replaced the cables and brake pads, and lightly dusted it.
It's very well made, and clearly not the first one made, as it has none of the mistakes and awkwardness inevitable in designing and making something so complicated.
It is pointless. As was discovered about 1900, the most efficient way for a human to do work is to turn cranks with the legs at 60 to 100 rpm. The limiting factor for the energy a human can produce is the heart and lungs. Adding muscle groups doesn't help.
To ride it's easy enough. It can't be pedaled backwards to get the cranks in the right place, but the low seat helps with scooting off. On the road it attracts attention. It showed signs of developing speed wobble at about 15mph as the front wheel is lightly loaded and there's more slack in the steering than a normal bike.
This comment from Mick Allan on a closed Facebook group may give a lead to anyone who wants to do further research: "Norman (who started Covent Garden Cycles) Hillier's son had one and raved about it. He did a few charity rides on it: London to Brighton, East end to Southend etc and 'overtook everyone' on it. It was red too, maybe this was his? As Mike Burrows said of it at the time, the limit to how much power a human can generate is limited by how much oxygen you can take in. It's nice to know one of them survived anyway, even if it is a useless footnote."
