A utility bicycle is a bicycle designed for practical transportation, as opposed to those primarily for recreation and competition, such as touring bicycles, racing bicycles, and mountain bicycles. Utility bicycles are the most common form globally, and comprise the vast majority found in the developing world.
Fuji Bikes is a brand of bicycles and cycling equipment currently owned by Advanced Sports International. The company is a descendant of Nichibei Fuji Cycle Company, Ltd. (日米富士自転車株式会社), a bicycle manufacturer originally established in Japan in 1899. The company took its name and logo from Mount Fuji, a Japanese symbol of strength and endurance.
Vehicles for human transport that have two wheels and require balancing by the rider date back to the early 19th century. The first means of transport making use of two wheels arranged consecutively, and thus the archetype of the bicycle, was the German draisine dating back to 1817. The term bicycle was coined in France in the 1860s, and the descriptive title "penny farthing", used to describe an "Ordinary Bicycle", is a 19th-century term.
The Schwinn Bicycle Company was founded by German-born mechanical engineer Ignaz Schwinn (1860–1945) in Chicago in 1895. It became the dominant manufacturer of American bicycles through most of the 20th century. After declaring bankruptcy in 1992, Schwinn has since been a sub-brand of Pacific Cycle, owned by the multi-national conglomerate, Dorel Industries.
Calfee Design, headquartered in La Selva Beach, California, is a designer and manufacturer of carbon fiber bicycle frames. Directed by Craig Calfee, the firm employs about 20 people building carbon and bamboo bicycle frames as well as repairing carbon frames from other makers. Calfee built his first carbon fiber bike in 1987, the first all carbon fiber frameset to be raced in the Tour de France for Greg LeMond in 1991.
Mike Burrows is a bicycle designer from Norwich, England.
Bike Friday is a brand of high performance travel, commuter, and folding bicycle made by Green Gear Cycling of Eugene, Oregon, United States. The company also builds tandem bicycles, cargo bikes, bicycles that adjust to different sizes, and custom bicycles for people with short stature.
Richard Ballantine was a cycling writer, journalist and cycling advocate. Born in America, the son of Ian and Betty Ballantine of Ballantine Books, and educated at the Browning School in New York and Columbia University, he principally resided in London, England. He is most famous for his 1972 Richard's Bicycle Book and its subsequent editions. He was also an editor at Rufus Publications and founded several magazines including Bicycle magazine.
The Avatar 2000 was an early and influential long-wheelbase recumbent bicycle designed by David Gordon Wilson.
Richard Sachs is an American bicycle framebuilder based in Chester, Connecticut since 1975. He builds road racing and cyclo-cross bicycles. His lug and fitting designs are employed by many other framebuilders. Richard Sachs designs and distributes racing cycle attire, accessories and accoutrements.
The Panasonic Sport Deluxe is a road sport bicycle by National, which was exported to the United States from 1971 to 1989. Originally built in Osaka, Japan, later bikes may be either of Japanese or Taiwanese origin.
Bohemian Bicycles is a bicycle manufacturer in Tucson, Arizona, USA. It makes handmade steel lugged frames. David Bohm, owner of Bohemian Bicycles, started the business in 1994. Bohemian also makes dropouts to fit Rohloff Speedhub and fits torque coupling to frames.
Dario Pegoretti was an Italian bicycle framebuilder based for many years in Caldonazzo, outside the town of Trento, in the Dolomites, Italy, and then later for a few years in Verona, Italy.
Witcomb Cycles, formerly known as Witcomb Lightweight Cycles, is the trading name of the Witcomb Trading Company. It was a British company based in Deptford, South London, specialising in custom handmade steel bicycle frames. The company was founded in 1949, by Ernie Witcomb and his wife Lily. The London shop closed in May 2009.
Remo Bertoni was an Italian professional road bicycle racer.
Merlin Metalworks, Inc. was a pioneer in titanium bicycle design and construction. Merlin introduced the first titanium alloy mountain bike, oversized tubesets, s-bend chain and seat stays for mountain bikes. For road bikes, Merlin commercialized the first titanium butted tubing and many other innovations.
Cyfac International is a manufacturer of bicycles in La Fuye, in the Loire Valley of France. The name is an acronym that translates from French to "Handmade Bicycle Frames". "Cy" represents cycle (bicycle), "f" for fabriqué (made), "a" for "artisanal" (artisan), and the final C stands for cadres (frame). The Cyfac Postural System is a bicycle fitting system based on research at Lyon Center of Sports Medicine.
Abici is an Italian bicycle manufacturer founded by entrepreneurs Giuseppe Marcheselli, Stefano Stelleti and Cristiano Gozzi in 2006. The company produces classic style bikes, handmade and tested in Italy. Abici has showrooms in Milan and Viadana.
