A bit of recumbent history

[steveindenmark]

I was visiting a motorcycle museum in Alsace, France this week and came upon this recumbent. I thought I would post it for those who have an interest in the history of recumbents. It was beautifully restored.

Ravat went on to make motorcycles up to 600 cc.

 

[andytheflyer]

Blimey - not much has changed! My bent looks a lot like this!

 

[FrankCrank]

....great example of 'nothing new under the sun'. The so called movers and shakers in the bike industry really struggle to come up with anything truly groundbreaking, just something done decades ago, rehashed, rebadged and mighty expensive. I mean, 80 years on - that looks like it was made yesterday........

 

[numbnuts]

Thanks for sharing

 

[Saluki]

It just goes to show that a good design goes on forever.

 

[BlackPanther]

Now that's what you call a short wheelbase!

 

[ufkacbln]

This may seem ungrateful and weird

When I started riding recumbents 25 years ago there was a limited number of designs and they were all evolving

The manufacturers learned from mistakes and we would get a replacement frame with modifications

My eary Linear had a rear frame they would bend to one side

Bending back into place caused stress fractures. This was fixed with a reinforced arch

My original 1994 Trice had several frame failures and the one that I had 10 years later bore no resemblance to the original

In some ways the polished and refined designs of modern machines are much better, but I do (Bizarrely) miss the feeling of being a "pioneer" and contributing to the design development

 

[Scoosh]

An interesting very short wheel-base - in fact it looks shorter then most DF bikes from then or now !

Thanks, @steveindenmark

 

[GrumpyGregry]

That short wheelbase combined with a fairly upright riding position might make for an interesting ride no?

 

[Scoosh]

I wonder if the wheelbase is so short to prevent/ much reduce heel-strike, something we just get used to these days ...

 

[FrankCrank]

.....a little evolution of the design must have been needed, heel-strike being preferable to ball-bashing.....