# Russian Bicycles



## filmonger (Jan 10, 2016)

I am curious - does anybody know anything about Old Russian Bicycles? there had to have been quite a few makes and many of the pro riders of the day used to go there to race.

Here is a Russian picture of Bicycles as a FYI.


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## militarymonark (Jan 13, 2016)

There is a Cabe member from russia.ive talked to him a few times. I think he's on the members map.


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## how (Jan 13, 2016)

I traveled back and forth to Moscow for 1991 to 1996.
While being there I bought a Russian bicycle. It was kind of like a single speed
Schwinn Racer but even heavier with a crummier paint job. I also had a folding Russian bike
that I brought back here. I know right now in Moscow
there is a big fixed gear movement.
At the time I was there no one was riding bikes in Moscow.
I would get the strangest looks riding there.
People had bikes , but mostly at their dachas(cottages) outside of Moscow.
When you bought a bike there you had to go through it and fix everything wrong with it
even though it was new lol.


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## mickeyc (Jan 13, 2016)

*Russian "bike".*

The Indian motorcycle that appears here on my messages is an Indian model 741, made for the U.S. military only.  After the war (II) it and a lot of military hardware was left where it was.  This motorcycle wound up with the Russians.  After the Cold War melted, a guy (unknown to me) went there and bought a bunch of stuff like this.  I bought it on eBay in 2005.  I have never in my life seen anything that was so cobbled up.  I realize they had no access to parts, but the workmanship (?) on the repairs was something to behold.  Had to junk the engine and the trans was WORN OUT!  Gears had no teeth left.  HUGE gobs of welding, etc.  Can only imagine what older bikes from there would look like.
Anyhow, my story.


Mike


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## filmonger (Jan 15, 2016)

I have found a little information on some of the manufacturers.

Here is one of their bicycle badges from TOC by Alexander Leutner





Picture of the man himself ( 1864-1923 )





*Most of this information is from B-cozz.com and translated from http://www.old-velo.ru/ros.shtml*

Alexander Leutner & Co, Bicycle Factory “Rossiya”, was one of the first manufacturers of bicycles and motorcycles, and a pioneer of automobiles in the Russian Empire. The firm also produced firearms. Alexander Leutner – a German-descendent engineer and founder of “Alexander Leutner’s Cycle Manufactory” in Riga in 1886. Alexander Leutner was born in Kurland, Latvia and can be regarded as one of the first motorcycling and motoring pioneers of the time. He took part in the first motor race in St. Petersbourg, in tzarist Russia before the turn of the century. Alexander Leutner test-drove the world’s first production motorcycle: the “Hildebrand and Wolfmueller”. He was a friend of Gottlieb Daimler – the German automobile genius – and hosted Daimler’s visit to Riga.

After graduating high school in the early 1880's, Alexander Leutner  apprenticed as a mechanic in Riga.  He then went to France to further his education and ended up in Lyon where he toured a bicycle factory which sparked his interest.  He then went to Coventry, England and Aachen, Germany to study bicycle mechanics.  In the late 1880's he returned to Riga and opened a bicycle workshop.  His bicycle business expanded rapidly to become the largest bicycle factory in the Russian Empire and it was the start of what became a very large enterprise that ultimately built motorcycles, cars, boats, and armaments.  The Russian military commissioned Leutner to make a folding bike for military use after they had initially tested the French Captain Gerard folding bike (see main Folding Bike History page) and found it lacking.  The Russian military generals also found it troublesome to be procuring bikes from a foreign power.  During WWI Leutner's factory was relocated to the Ukraine to keep it from falling into German hands.  His folding bike design did end up being built in other factories later under the "Dux" name, specifically the "Dux-Battle" military model.

Factory merchant Alexander Alexandrovich Leitner was founded in Riga in 1886 . Initially it was a small rented workshop on Gertrudinskoy street where three workers collected bikes such as " spider ." Gradually , the company expanded . Increase the number of employees they have the necessary tools, a new building was leased on the Suvorov street. The quality and quantity of produced bicycles grew steadily.

An important milestone in the company's history began in 1896. That's when Alexander decided to enter the national market. He does this is not the easiest, but the most reliable way - taking his products to the Russian exhibition-fair in Nizhny Novgorod. At the stand of the factory bike _ 'Russia "was presented ten road and two racing cars. All in all, the factory produced about 15 models of bicycles! The exhibition Leitner was awarded a gold medal with the following wording: "For a good work and a clean finish bicycles, as well as the initiative of the bicycle industry in Russia." Better recognition could not be obtained.

In January next year in Moscow , at the corner of Peter's lines and directions Neglinny opened bike shop and warehouse , " Russia ." This event then wrote the Moscow magazine " Tsiklist ." Alexander constantly improve the design of bicycles, guided by foreign models . So in 1899, in his car , and he appeared self-lubricating bushings protected from dust and the carriage , which was very progressive innovation. 

In the early twentieth century, Leitner took the bail already purchased land at the Alexander Street, d. 129/131, large loans from banks for the construction of a new factory. It was built a whole complex of three-storey brick building in the shape of a quadrangle, which houses shops, warehouses, materials and finished products, electroplating shop, a smithy, shop, exhibition hall and other facilities. Administration building, overlooks the street the Alexander crowning weather vane in the form of a bicycle. (By the way, almost the entire range of factory buildings preserved to this day, including the vane.)

1914 Leitner Bicycle - Military folding bicycle





In 1896 or 1897 it became a limited liability company Alexander Leutner & Co., with stocks being held by Leutner, two Riga German merchants, and three professors from the Riga Polytechnicum. Like many other well-known bicycle manufacturers, Leutner yielded to the temptation to try his hand at producing motorcycles. The first five machines were ready in early 1899. They were tricycles with French-built De Dion Bouton 1.25hp engines. A little later the factory started to turn more sophisticated machines of the “Russia” marque. One of these machines still exists and is in the possession of our the collector, Mr Juris Ramba.

In time, A.Leutner & Co. grew to be not only the largest bicycle manufacturer in Riga, but also in the whole of the Russian Empire. Annual production in 1907 was 5000 bicycles. The company had 130 employees, who were subjected to scientific management methods in order to boost productivity. The company began producing a range of automobiles, its first truck rolled off assembly line in 1912. During World War 1 (1915) the Leutner factory was evacuated to Kharkov in the Ukraine, to protect it from falling into the hands of advancing German Army.

Alexander Leutner was a truly great man with international connections and associations. He studied bicycle production and trade in Coventry, England; in Lyon, France; and in Aachen, Germany. His factory tooling was of American origin. His dealerships were in Moscow, St. Petersbourg, Nizny Novgorod, Warsaw and Paris. He used French De Dion Bouton and German Fafnir engines in his machines.

Alexander Leutner died in 1923 at a health resort in Italy.





Another Russian bicycle works was founded by Yuri Meller, “Dux”, in Moscow, also tried to build motorcycles. Between 1910 and 1913 it produced machines with Swiss-built two-cylinder Motoreve engines of 2.5hp.


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## barracuda (Jan 15, 2016)

I know nothing about Russian bikes, but this remarkable Russian stayer was on ebay for a month or so and I couldn't keep my eyes off it...


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## filmonger (Jan 15, 2016)

Some of the above and below has been translated from  http://www.old-velo.ru/ros.shtml - they were the fantastic researchers for this company!

By the time the factory has reached the highest levels of culture and quality of production. In 1901, it was issued on 20 models of bicycles: road male and female , legkodorozhnye , racing , children's , cargo tricycles , tandems of two models , triplets , quadruplets and bikes driven by a propeller shaft . This factory was taken over the manufacturing of any custom bike . Prices ranged from 130 to 200 rubles , mnogomestki worth up to 450 , and beztsepnaya model - 225 rubles. Starting from 1908 bicycles " Russia "









From 1903 to 1907 , the company has released a motorcycle (like the French , the brothers Werner construction ) with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine " Fafnir " of 250 cubic meters. cm and a capacity of 2.5 hp Motor-cycle curb weighed 74 kg and speeds up to 40 km / h . Rear-wheel drive was carried out using the V-belt . It was one of the first motorcycles made ​​in Russia , especially for our roads.









In October 1913 the factory received by the Chief Military-Technical Department (GVTU) an order to produce bicycles for the army. I must say that the Russian Empire War Department orders were very much appreciated by industrialists and factory owners. Firstly, they are always good and timely paid, and secondly, it was the best advertisement for the manufacturer. Military department of public money into the wind does not throw, always scrupulously thoroughly assessing the quality and suitability of the purchased products. In 1914 GVTU acquired a factory Leitner 10,000 men road bike. This fact, as well as a desire to give a new order GVTU determined its fate.

By this time, the company employed 450 people. Only in 1300 it was involved veloproizvodstve machines. Issue volume reached 8,000 bikes per year and annual turnover - 400,000 rubles. Also in 1914 the factory got a new name - " Leitner " . It was connected with the fact that Alexander Alexandrovich no longer need to sounding name " Russia " to attract buyers - the production of its factory and the already known all over the country . Writing own name the factory , he had every right - in fact it was entirely his brainchild .

In the summer of 1915, when the front came close to Riga, the evacuation of enterprises of military importance . Attaching great importance to the military order on bicycles, GVTU had ordered the evacuation of equipment and factory workers . In addition, persons who worked in a factory , let's reservations on military service .

The order was received by 10 July 1915 , and on 24 July the property was sent to the factory from station Revel in Kharkov, where housed in a former factory Gelferiks Sad Korsikovskoy on the street . After that, Alexander Leitner returned to Riga . Acting Director in Kharkov was the former head of production Kasparovich Alexander Feldman - a man with a rare talent as an organiser .

February 9, 1916 in Kharkov in the name of Leitner from Moscow was transferred to a patent , the technical documentation and a sample for the production of collapsible military bicycle model " Dux Battle " design MM Shipanova . March 16 has been contracted to manufacture 3000 , " Dux Martial " for GVTU . In Kharkov factory he worked until the end of November 1917 . All in all, a bike " Dux Fighting " was produced 3600 pieces.

In 31 years of its existence, " The factory bikes and cars," Russia " A. Leitner and K ' ' has gone from a small handicraft workshop to the largest companies in the industry . During this time it was issued more than 100,000 bicycles 60 models , 5 models of motorcycles and tricycles , several options for vehicles.

Today we know the remaining 14 bicycles ( 5 of them in the collection of the author of these lines ) , 2 motorcycle factory Leitner , cars , unfortunately , did not reach us .









Factory 1910


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## fordmike65 (Jan 15, 2016)

Great info! Not to take this thread off track, but the pic you posted above almost looks "post mortem' :eek:  Wonder what Patric has to say...


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## filmonger (Jan 15, 2016)

It does kind of look like that!!! LOL

Here is a Video of one of Leutner's High Wheelers (_ called " the Spider "_ )

[video=youtube_share;6pTDMLwrmUA]https://youtu.be/6pTDMLwrmUA[/video]


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## pkleppert (Jan 15, 2016)

The first girl is Princess Olga of Russia and the third rider is Princess Zenia of Russia.  1897


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## filmonger (Mar 5, 2016)




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## filmonger (Mar 6, 2016)




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## filmonger (Mar 10, 2016)

This is one Serg added .....  Interesting.


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