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Rare , unique, and elegant.

The only bike for those with back trouble.

The most  comfortable bike you’ll ever ride.

the most beautiful bicycle you have ever seen

 

 

 

 

Cheltenham Pedersen Manufacturer:

 

Hand made by Individual Bicycles Ltd. of Victoria Street, Cheltenham in 1986, 

 

(30 miles from the original Pedersen factory).

1  of only 180 they ever produced:

 

 frame number: 30 12 85

(production number 30 of 180, December 1985).

 

This unique Bicycle ,number 30, was assembled in Santa Monica California, returned to the UK;

 

Used , but virtually unused for 30 years.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheltenham Pedersen:  A rare and special machine, beloved by all who know a Pedersen:

 

The idea was comfort, eliminating back, neck and wrist strain, allowing one to ride in a more natural, upright position.

 

According to the Cheltenham Pedersen brochure they updated this design to offer even more comfort and claim it's the only bike for those with back trouble.

 

“The ride? Utterly Effortless! Sit down on the seat, you're in position to naturally push down with your legs and away you roll. It is amazing how easy these bikes are to ride and how comfortable they are! The bike, at rest, looks ungainly with the front up so high, but when you sit down on the seat it all seems perfectly natural and comfortable”. 

 

 

 

 

Background of the Cheltenham Pedersen:

 

The first Cheltenham Pedersen’s were in fact Copenhagen frames imported from Jesper Solling’s workshop in 1981.

 

Later Chris Margenout’s individual Bicycles Company built their own frames from superior Reynolds 531 tubing – but ceased production in late 1986.

 

Cheltenham, UK , is only about 30 miles from Dursley, where the originals were made a century ago.

 

Made with Reynolds 531, a superior build quality to Copenhagen Pedersens ( and rarer).

 

exceptionally high quality and labour intensive to build.

 

14 thin tubes , hand brazed in 57 places forming 21 triangles which provided exceptional support to the unique hammock saddle around which the frame is designed.


The Cheltenham-built frames have a distinctive hand made leather hammock saddle, with a little flap at the rear which covers the springs. The individual Bicycles logo is embossed on the flag.

 

 

 

 

 

History of this Cheltenham Pedersen:

 

 I had originally purchased a Cheltenham Pedersen from the manufactures, at a trade show in 1986, It must have been their first outing to the USA,( perhaps their only)..

 

During a servicing ,my  big yellow giraffe of a bike was stolen from the bike shop that had assembled the bikes Chris Margenout had brought out from the UK. They gave me as compensation the medium sized bike here on offer. This bike had been given to them by Chris Margenout as payment for assembling the bikes, and they now gave it to me as compensation for my stolen bike.

As big as it looks, it is too small for me to ride, and I have had it in storage for 20 years. The bike has really never been used to speak of.

It is a medium size, suited to a medium build individual.

 

It is totally original, other than having replaced the original Stumey Archer shift levers, with new Stumey Archer shift levers, and tires, tubes and shift cables.

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS:
Frame: Stoved enamel Reynolds 531 lightweight tubing, 26" wheel

Frame Size: Medium , for a inside leg of 26-31in  ,  71-79cm

with a seat suspension adjustment of 5"



Gear levers: Sturmey Archer: New

Cables: New

Handlebars: Original
Stem: Original
Seat and Strap: High quality saddle leather:  Original
Suspension: Stainless steel cable and adjuster: Original
Brakes: Weinmann 610: Original
Hub: is a scarce, original, Sturmey Archer 5-speed
: Original
Rims: original
Tires: New  26 x 1 ¼ ( & tubes new)
Mudguards: Original
Pedals: Original

Tool Bag: leather attached below seat:  Original

 

The height of this machine is :

Crank to head : 77cm

Crank to seat: 64cm

Rear wheel hub to head: 95cm

Floor to head: 105cm

 

 


*Note: I do not know the size rating of this bike. I am 6’4” and it is too small for me. I believe it to be  classed as a medium frame for those of 5' 4" to 5' 8".  There is a lot of adjustment room and believe it would accommodate comfortably a rider from %’ to 5’ to 6’

 

Essentially the small and medium frames accomodate  the same range of heights. Through seat adjustments the small frame extends to medium dimensions - medium to large

 

 

 

 

 

 

Praise for the CHELTENHAM PEDERSEN

 

 

This bicycle engenders passion, hence there is a lot of praise on the web,

Well put by Cotswold Curiosities:     

 

 


Hand made by Individual Bicycles Ltd. of Victoria Street, Cheltenham in 1986. One of only 180 they ever produced. Dubbed "The Aristocrat of Bicycles", and "The Royal Roadster" perhaps to appeal to the affluent few who could afford one. Then as in the Edwardian era when they first appeared were not widely available being of exceptionally high quality and labour intensive to build. 14 thin tubes had to be hand brazed in 57 places forming 21 triangles which provided exceptional support to the unique hammock saddle around which the frame was designed.

The Cheltenham Pedersen was based on the famous "Dursley" model patented by the Danish engineer of unique agricultural inventions - Mikael Pedersen in 1893. 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikael_Pedersen Using his experience as an engineer and cyclist he created an extraordinarily strong yet lightweight multi-triangular frame to support his still revolutionary suspended saddle. The idea was comfort, eliminating back, neck and wrist strain, allowing one to ride in a more natural, upright position. According to the Cheltenham Pedersen brochure they updated this design to offer even more comfort and claim it's the only bike for those with back trouble. The Cheltenham model led to reviews in the National Press and an invitation to entertain a visiting Chinese delegation by the Chamber of Commerce. 

Over the past 119 years the Pedersen has been used for commuting, cross-country races, and leisure riding in luxury. In the same year this was built, Individual Bicycles Ltd made two Cheltenham Pedersen's ridden in a 3,000 mile race across America for charity. The fact that Pedersen replicas are still being made by Kalkhoff in Germany, though with lesser parts, higher quantities, and a price tag over 2,000 Euros proves they are more than just a novelty like a penny-farthing. This model unique to Cheltenham, extremely limited in production,  incorporated some of the most aerodynamic and expensive parts available at the time and has been maintained in close to pristine condition. A rare and shining example of this futuristic yet classic, completely unique bicycle.

 

 

Highly recommend this site:

http://www.pedersenbicycles.com/form.htm

 

The Pedersen may be the most beautiful bicycle you have ever seen. With clean lines, an elegant shape, and a structure that appears delicate and sophisticated, the Pedersen is another wonderful example of scandinavian design.

The Pedersen frame is perhaps the machine's most striking feature. Pairs of structural tubes come together to form a truss which provides the anchor points for the hammock saddle. Patented in 1894 by Mikael Pedersen, the design is as daring and futuristic today as it was more than 100 years ago.

The simple straight lines of the truss structure are perfectly balanced by the graceful curves of the Royal handlebars. The result is a bicycle like no other. At once unique and exotic, simple yet compelling, the Pedersen can easily draw a crowd.

Most observers will question the age, and some will guess that it is european in origin. Everyone will want to know more...

 

 

The design priciples can be clearly seen in truss construction, where a rigid, load-bearing structure is desired. Pedersen's hammock saddle design required anchor points both front and rear, and the truss frame was a natural choice. The hammock is suspended from the frame and the loads on the structure are properly met and distributed. The forces on the frame members are resolved into either tension or compression, and bending forces are virtually eliminated.

Pavement as we know it today did not yet exist, and the Pedersen bicycle provided a comfortable ride over the roads and paths of the late 1890's.

 

http://www.pedersenbicycles.com/ergonomics.htm

 

The Pedersen Bicycle offers a unique driving experience. The upright position is very comfortable and the hammock saddle provides a very soft ride. The typical stress on the arms and hands are virtually eliminated. First-time riders are usually surprised at the upright position and sometimes need to be reminded that there is no need to hunch over the handlebars.

Instead of trying to make your existing bike more comfortable, why not start with a comfortable bike?