# Varsities In Ukraine



## juvela (Jul 21, 2021)

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						Schwinn identification - Bike Forums
					

Classic & Vintage - Schwinn identification - And now about Schwinn I understand this is ot Paramount :-) but are those good bikes (I know Varsity was one on most produced model) ? Any estimation on year? 1st 2nd



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## Oilit (Jul 21, 2021)

Makes you wonder what's the story, there can't be many '70's Varsities in the Ukraine. Maybe a high ranking party official had a secret Schwinn fetish? Come to think of it, there had to be bicycles in the USSR, but I've never heard of any. Considering some of the other consumer goods produced under the Soviets....


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## juvela (Jul 21, 2021)

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one possibility might be that they were the leavings of a U.S. embassy staffer who was rotated to another posting and did not wish to ship them...

unfortunately neither machine wears a shop transfer

would be fun if they exhibited one reading something such as "Boris' Bikes of Kiev"

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wrt Soviet marques -

one which comes up fairly often on fora as both a cycle name and a fittings name is the XB3/X3B marque

there was a factory in Ukraine for these during Soviet times





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						ХВЗ Tourist, a Soviet trekking bike - Bike Forums
					

Classic & Vintage - ХВЗ Tourist, a Soviet trekking bike - I was innocently browsing the classifieds around last June when I spotted a listing for two Soviet trekking bikes not that far away from where I live for 5  apiece. After driving to one of the most middle-of-the-nowhere locations I've ever



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						XB3 Russian Bike - Bike Forums
					

Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals. - XB3 Russian Bike - Dear Friends, I came across with this ad, the seller told me it is a Russian bike - he wants 140USD for it. Do you think it is a bike to restore and keep it for years ?



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						Some Soviet junk I have. - Bike Forums
					

Classic & Vintage - Some Soviet junk I have. - Hello everybody. I tought my weird collection of bikes might be interesting to people here, soviet bicycles seem to be quite undocumented here. Being from a ex USSR occupied country, we have alot of this stuff laying around here. I also have some...



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## Oilit (Jul 21, 2021)

juvela said:


> -----
> 
> one possibility might be that they were the leavings of a U.S. embassy staffer who was rotated to another posting and did not wish to ship them...
> 
> ...



Interesting reading, thanks for posting!


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## juvela (Jul 21, 2021)

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forgot to mention -

forum member @Bikerider007 owns a Soviet track machine

if recollect correctly it is in some way exotic - may have a titanium frame

do not recall if he has posted regarding it...


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## dnc1 (Jul 22, 2021)

Oilit said:


> Makes you wonder what's the story, there can't be many '70's Varsities in the Ukraine. Maybe a high ranking party official had a secret Schwinn fetish? Come to think of it, there had to be bicycles in the USSR, but I've never heard of any. Considering some of the other consumer goods produced under the Soviets....






juvela said:


> -----
> 
> one possibility might be that they were the leavings of a U.S. embassy staffer who was rotated to another posting and did not wish to ship them...
> 
> ...





I, quite frankly, lust after soviet era track racing bicycles. 
'HVZ' and 'Takhion' are brands that I can only dream of!
I am the current custodian of an 'RVR Riga' roadster from 1957. A fairly standard european style roadster, single speed, rear coaster hub brake; think 1950's British style, semi-drop bars, but a little heavier.
Here's the owners manual cover....






...RVR Riga were Latvian,  and subsequently, post WW2, one of the largest Soviet era cycle manufacturers. 
It's currently stripped down awaiting wheel rebuilds. It came off of a Russian container ship into the port of Hull in the east of England and it's a little patinated; just how I like them , lol!

If anyone else comes across a  Russian, or Soviet bloc bicycle, or is just interested, this is the go to website for information, images and manuals. 
It is an excellent resource and is available in English too.....



			http://veloretro.ru/getList.php?tag=67&lang=en&shop=


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## juvela (Jul 22, 2021)

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member   @Bikerider007  has shown me images of his example;  the marques mentioned twig a memory

you could send him a pm to ask anent his example

might take a spell for a response as he visits the forum only intermittantly...


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## Goldenrod (Jul 22, 2021)

The biggest problem for the USSR was keeping the Comrades from escaping.  They made bikes so they could ride to the boarder?  Most bike rides would have been frosty?  Maybe they had a Varsity to copy it.  
The Chinese copied the Japanese occupation bikes until Giant made modern models for us.  When I was in China they had football size parking lots crammed with bikes that looked all alike.  Steal one and they hunt you down and this is a country that has too many people.  You must prove your innocence in court.  Being dim-witted is dangerous.  An old man ran into me while I was crossing a road and I held up his bike and his frail body.  He looked at me like I was from other space.  Giant, valuable, foreigner was damaged by him?  He wanted to melt.  It was like getting hit by a lief.


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## dnc1 (Jul 22, 2021)

Although down south, by the Black Sea it's pretty hot in the Summer months.


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## Goldenrod (Jul 22, 2021)

dnc1 said:


> I, quite frankly, lust after soviet era track racing bicycles.
> 'HVZ' and 'Takhion' are brands that I can only dream of!
> I am the current custodian of an 'RVR Riga' roadster from 1957. A fairly standard european style roadster, single speed, rear coaster hub brake; think 1950's British style, semi-drop bars, but a little heavier.
> Here's the owners manual cover....
> ...




Looks like a Raleigh to me. They would use the tubes to carry their booze.


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## dnc1 (Jul 22, 2021)

I'll start a thread on it soon.
It's the only Soviet bloc built bicycle that I've seen 'in the flesh'.
It's all there but, as I said, it's loaded with patina (rust).
Interestingly one of our Veteran-Cycle Club members has a Latvian son-in-law who is very interested in it. He's never seen one either!


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## juvela (Jul 22, 2021)

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IIRC there is an online vintage cycle museum based in Tallinn which may include some Soviet product -

[searchin']  ah, har she be...






						Front page | Eesti Jalgrattamuuseum
					






					www.velomuseum.ee
				









						Soviet bicycles | Eesti Jalgrattamuuseum
					






					www.velomuseum.ee
				





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