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 Albert A. Pope, or Colonel Pope as he liked to be known, was a tireless promoter of his Columbia brand. In an effort to develop a premium product that would command higher prices, he developed the so-called “chainless” bicycle based on a driveshaft connected by beveled gears at each end. Although it worked well enough […]

Although Barberon & Meunier first patented the retro-direct system in 1869, the gear system was further developed and refined by other companies, including Manufrance, at the turn of the 20th century. The Hirondelle, or “swallow” (the bird) in French, was introduced in 1903 and became the leading example of the retro-direct gear system and the

The ladies’ Hirondelle model features slightly more modern features than its predecessor such as both front and rear brakes. It also offers a “basket weave” protection to keep ladies’ garments away from the rear spokes.   Later versions had 4 speeds, 2 forward and 2 in reverse, thanks to a front derailleur. The Hirondelle Retro–Direct

Danish inventor, musician, blacksmith, and cyclist, Mikael Pedersen (1855 – 1929), believed conventional bicycles were “weakest where they ought to be strongest and heaviest where they ought to be lightest.” He, therefore, restyled the conventional bicycle to resolve what he saw as the most troubling elements of design.   In this noticeably unusual product, patented

This is one of the first carbon fiber aero bikes built by James Trimble, one of the three bicycle producing Trimble Brothers. It had a small production run and is quite rare. It scored well in wind tunnel tests and is considered one of the most aerodynamic bikes ever built- no surprise since the frame

The 1990s was an exciting time in the bicycle industry with new materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber presenting new design possibilities. Many “non-traditional” designs, like the Zipp 2001, began entering the market. In 1997, the Zipp 3001 was offered in the limited quantity of 100 frames. Boron strips were added to the carbon

In response to the 1974 oil crisis, a small group of Swedish engineers obtained government funding to develop a bicycle completely composed of fiber-reinforced composite plastics (FRP). By 1980, the Itera Development Center AB was designing, producing, and marketing injection molded plastic bicycles to a seemingly interested market. However, when the first bicycles were delivered