The Swing Bike is a brand of bicycle which allowed for steering at both the front wheel and the rear wheel.[1][2] The design was patented by Ralph Belden in 1974,[3] brought to market in 1975, and discontinued by 1978.[4]

A swingbike or swing bike (common noun) has been genericized to come to mean any bike with a second steering axis in front of the saddle.[5][6] A new bicycle by the same name has been launched by Americas Bike Co. in San Diego, California.[7]

The original Swing Bike was in the wheelie bike style,[8] and the Swing Bike company also offered a normally-steered BMX bike in 1977.[9] An early working name for the Swing Bike as Pivicycle.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Swing Bike (original advertisement)". Boys' Life. August 1976. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  2. ^ "The Swing Bike Rider". 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  3. ^ "United States Patent #3,801,130: BICYCLE WITH PIVOTABLE REAR WHEEL". Retrieved 2012-07-19. A two wheeled, rider propelled vehicle having both wheels pivotably mounted upon a medial principal frame.
  4. ^ Bob Hufford (July 11, 2010). "Swing Bike: The Wackiest Thing on Two Wheels". Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  5. ^ Stephen Spillman (July 14, 2012). "Hockley County celebrates Settlers Day". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2012-07-19. Kyle Drennan rides his swing bike in the Hockley County Celebration parade in Levelland Saturday.
  6. ^ "Swing bike". Bicycle Forest. Retrieved 2012-07-19. This is George Aitken riding his swing bike in the Canada Day parade in Cambridge, Ontario.
  7. ^ Jerry Hirsch (December 13, 2007). "Wheels for swingers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-07-19. Americas Bike Co. is banking on its hinged design to catch on with riders.
  8. ^ "Swing Bike Brochure". Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  9. ^ "Swing Bike BMX Bike". Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  10. ^ "Early Swing Bike (Pivicycle) Magazine Reference!". American Bicyclist and Motorcyclist. 1971. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
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