Figure 1.--After World War II when the Soviet economy can to improve somewhat we begin to see a few boys wiyh bikes. It was still not very common. Soviet steel production had expanded, but allocations fir consumer goos were limited. This looks to be neigborhood with single family houses or low rise apartments where bicycle onership was more fesible The bike in this 1956 anapshot here looks brand new. It maybhave been purchased for the boy. The boys are waering their school uniform.

We have been unable to find much information about Russian bicycles. We believe that brfore the Soviet era that ghe siutustion was like the rest of Europe. Workers could not afford cars, but some some purchased bikes for transport. There were probably fewer bikes owned by Russin wirkers thn wiotker in the west. Few in the rural peasantry had them. With the sadvent of the Soviet Union, again we have litte information. As far as we know. the Soviet Goverment msde no efffort to produce bicycles for the population. Our informtion is limited and we would love to hear from Russian readers about the bike situation in Russia. Generally speaking Soviet priorities was not to allocate the lkimited avaialble steel for consumer products. We brlieve that few Sovirt children had bikes or trikes befpore World War II. And as the Goverment began building high rise apartment blocks. Bucycles were not compatable even of theu were available. Where would you lkeep them in a small apartment. And children could not easily transdport them up and down stairwells -- beyond the first and second stories. After World War II and the economy improved somewhat we begin to see a few Soviet kids with bikes. A Soviet friendy source reports, "This, actually, was the area where whole USSR system flawed in a most ridiculous way. Look, the giant country which was able to compete with USA in cosmic branch, couldn't produce decent bicycle. Sure, such talented engineers like Reginald Vorontsov, were doing their best, however, there were many reasons why Olympic Soviet team rode Colnagos and the quality was among biggest ones. Anecdotal fact: Cameroon cycling team was using Soviet-made "Чемпион-шоссе" (better version of common "Старт-Шоссе") while the Soviet team itself rode Colnago. Takhions were made either of Tange or Columbus tubes. Some specimens were made of proprietary Soviet tubes from Nikopol' plant. I haven't ridden one but folks at local forums don't like them for whatever reason (I guess they are ok, steel is steel, still, it's just 'no brand' snobbery). Here you can watch interview with Vorontsov himself. Pity, you can't understand what this legendary man is saying and woe on that disrespectful spokesdude." Another source reports, "One thing you got to keep in mind is that some industries totally disappeared from certain countries, only to be totally focused in other places. For instance, Hungary was assigned 'trucks', so they made a lot of trucks, but no passenger cars. Likewise, Hungary--Csepel (later to be Schwinn in another curious move) made city bikes, whilst Czechoslovakia made sporty bikes, under the name Favorit. Favorit made everything in-house, from derailers to handlebars, and a fully loaded Favorit bike is a curious sight indeed." One sosirce claims aAround 1960 a number of 'Sputnik' bicycles were imported into the United States. We are not sure what the current situation in Russia is. We believe that trikes exist. Theu are samll enough that there may be soace ina n apartment. Bikes on the other hand face thd problem that so mamy Russians libe in small high-rise apartments without elevators.

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Created: 8:34 PM 10/20/2020
Last updated: 8:34 PM 10/20/2020