The Yankee Bicycle Company built bicycles in

West Chicago, Illinois West Chicago is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,086 at the 2010 census. It was formerly named Junction and later Turner, after its founder, John B. Turner, president of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroa ...

in 1991 and 1992. The bicycles were designed by Royce Husted incorporating his patented Rim Band Brake scheme as well as a Radial Gear concept for shifting through fifteen gears. The Yankee Bicycle has neither

rear Rear may refer to: Animals *Rear (horse), when a horse lifts its front legs off the ground *In stockbreeding, to breed and raise Humans *Parenting (child rearing), the process of promoting and supporting a child from infancy to adulthood *Gende ...

front Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * ''The Front'', 1976 film Music * The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...

derailleurs, internal hub, or

chainring The crankset (in the US) or chainset (in the UK), is the component of a bicycle drivetrain that converts the reciprocating motion of the rider's legs into rotational motion used to drive the chain or belt, which in turn drives the rear whee ...

. Instead, the Radial Gear scheme uses a single six-segment

sprocket A sprocket, sprocket-wheel or chainwheel is a profiled wheel with teeth that mesh with a chain, track or other perforated or indented material. The name 'sprocket' applies generally to any wheel upon which radial projections engage a chain passi ...

that expands and contracts establishing different gear diameters. Unlike with derailleur systems, Radial Gearing will not cause inter-gear slippage. In 1991, within Popular Sciences' Best of What's New issue, the Yankee Bicycle was awarded the Grand Award for Recreation. The entry of the Yankee Bicycle into the bicycle market highlighted the impression that the bicycle industry is reluctant to introduce new innovative technology unless it is rolled out by major industry leaders (e.g.,

Schwinn Bicycle Company The Schwinn Bicycle Company is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets bicycles under the eponymous brand name. The company was originally founded by Ignaz Schwinn (1860–1948) in Chicago in 1895. It became the dominant manuf ...

History

Starting in 1991, the company was in operation for a year. Being frustrated by bicycle manufacturers' reluctance to embrace new innovative bicycle technologies, Royce Husted, the founder, created his company and sold Yankee Bicycles out of a facility in West Chicago, Illinois. Husted would have preferred that others built and sold his bicycles. Royce Husted witnessed his family having problems when they rode their bicycles. As a person capable of holding several patents, he designed a whole new approach to shifting and braking bicycles. After being in operation for only one year, starting in 1991, the company and relevant patents were sold to NordicTrak in 1992.

Yankee Bicycle

Perhaps only 3,000 Yankee Bicycles were built. The unique elements were not readily accepted by the bike industry which, arguably, valued only industry leaders' innovations. The name was derived as a reference to "Yankee ingenuity". Unlike other regular recreational bikes, Yankee Bicycles use systems invented by the founder, Royce Husted, for its shifting and braking. Not using chainrings, Radial Gear has a single sprocket that expands and contracts in response to a single gear shift lever. The selection of the gear is based on the length of time the shift lever is depressed. The braking scheme uses a Kevlar-covered steel cable that completely encircles the rear wheel around an extra rim. Due to lack of available parts and limited production, the Yankee Bicycles have become a collectors item (see external link section).

References

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External links

Revolutionary Bicycle, circa 1992
YouTube ad by NordicTrack highlighting the new and innovative features of the Yankee Bicycle
Yankee Bicycle For Sale or Trade
Yankee Bicycle enthusiast posts interest in 2001. 1991 establishments in Illinois 1992 disestablishments in Illinois American companies disestablished in 1992 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1992 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1991 American companies established in 1991 Defunct manufacturing companies based in Illinois