The Soviet era left behind a serious “bicycle legacy”. During the years of the USSR, a large number of bicycles were produced. Some of them are still collecting dust in garages, others have become collectibles. Unfortunately, many Soviet bicycles have already been forgotten.
"TACHYON"
Sports bicycles are the object of desire of any boy. Everyone dreamed that his friends would look at his bike with envy, that they would all ask to ride it. And, perhaps, the Tachyon sports road bicycle, created by Reginald Vorontsov, could best serve for these purposes. The name of this bicycle speaks for itself: a tachyon is a particle moving at a speed exceeding the speed of light in a vacuum. This means that the bicycle must be faster than its competitors and give the athlete an advantage on the track. “Tachyon” is a special brand of bicycle that was produced at the Kharkov Bicycle Plant. Its history goes back a little over 10 years, as it was produced between 1981 and 1992. When creating the bicycle, components from foreign manufacturers were used. Also, materials such as titanium and aluminum alloys were widely used, which are actively used by modern manufacturers, due to which its weight was 9.5 kg. There were about ten models in total, designed for road or track racing. Over the entire existence of the brand, about 400 bicycles with various technical characteristics have been produced. Unfortunately, ordinary citizens could not afford such a bicycle, since it was intended for training and competitions on the track and cost about 6.5 thousand rubles.
"ZICH-1"
What will happen if an aircraft factory starts producing bicycles? The result will be a magnificent model, which many will consider a masterpiece. This is exactly what the ZiCh-1 bicycle became, produced by the former Chkalov aviation plant. This model became the most desirable for children of the 40s. "ZiCh-1" was the most expensive and most technically advanced bicycle of that time. Only members of the intelligentsia, high-ranking military personnel, and wealthy members of the party nomenklatura could afford such an expensive purchase. The bicycle, which first saw the light of day in 1946, became a cult bike, as cycling enthusiasts considered it the best of all models of the 30s-70s. “ZiCh-1” had a unique design that immediately attracted buyers. In addition, it had a 3-gear shift system and hand brakes. This bike was perfect for those people who loved to ride at night, as it had a headlight on the front fender and an electricity generator to power the headlight.
"SATELLITE"
Probably everyone has heard many times about a bicycle called “Sputnik”. Many people had one, and some even kept it as a souvenir of the days of their youth. It was produced at the Kharkov Bicycle Plant, from where it was distributed throughout the country in the 60-70s of the last century. The bicycle had rims made of rolled aluminum. But steel ones could also be installed. Brakes with symmetrical thrust, reinforced pedals, improved gear shifters - all this made the Sputnik one of the most popular bicycles in the country. In addition, it was considered a men's light road bike. The bike came with a variety of “bonuses,” such as a pump, a bell, and a bag with a set of tools. The steering wheel installed on the Sputnik was of a sports type, thanks to which the bicycle was used not only for cycling, but also for sports training.
"SCHOOLBOY"
“Shkolnik” was the most popular model of children's bicycles in Soviet times. They were produced at the Gorky Bicycle Plant of the GAZ production association. This plant began its work back in 1940, initially being a workshop of the Gorky Automobile Plant for the production of “children’s cars” and their components. During World War II, the plant was retrained to produce military mines. But already in 1956, the production of the Shkolnik bicycle began. This model was intended for children 10-11 years old, and therefore was in great demand among the country's population. Every child whose parents could afford to buy him such a bicycle rode it with special pride, and treasured it as the most valuable treasure in his life. Probably thanks to this attitude, many copies of this model have been preserved. “Schoolboy” was also sold in many countries of the socialist camp. The bicycle was produced until 1993. Early models for boys had a closed frame, although this design was abandoned over time. The rear hub of the bike had free movement, the handlebars were high with an increased stem, the saddle was soft with a rigid frame.
"STORK"
When talking about Soviet-era bicycles, it is impossible to ignore the Aist brand bicycles. This brand at one time gained enormous distribution and incredible popularity, which allowed it to continue to exist to this day. These bicycles will be remembered by any person whose childhood occurred not only in the second half of the last century, but also at the beginning of this century. The Stork brand was created in 1947. Already in 1950, the hundred thousandth bicycle was sold. Simplicity of design, ease of repair, and ease of maintenance have made bicycles of this brand the most popular among bicycles of this type. At the moment, bicycles of this brand are produced by the Belarusian plant “Aist”. Nowadays, various models and types of bicycles are produced here, such as mountain, road, road, children's, etc. Now, however, bicycles are produced under the AIST brand. In 2008, eight-time world champion Natalya Tsilinskaya rode an AIST bicycle at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Of course it was not the Soviet “Stork”.
"MOSCOW-80"
The name of the bike speaks for itself - it was created specifically for the 1980 Olympics and was intended for the Soviet team, which, it is worth noting, never competed on these bikes. Ten copies of these bicycles were assembled especially for the 1980 Olympics. It was manufactured by the Kharkov Bicycle Plant. Experts quite rightly call this bike the best among the models of the 60-80s. "Moscow-80" was manufactured using domestic titanium and aluminum alloys. The model weighs just over 8 kilograms, which is the most optimal weight for cycling racing. The national teams of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, and Lithuania rode bicycles of this model. Many competitions have been won using these works of cycling art.
"Eaglet"
“Eaglet” is an iconic teenage bike of the 50s of the 20th century. It was produced at the Shuliai Bicycle and Motor Plant, in the Lithuanian SSR, in the city of Siauliai. It was a transitional stage from very childish models to adults and was considered a symbol of the beginning of growing up. Since it was with its help that they switched from a two-wheeled children's bicycle to an adult road bike. Boys and girls from seven to fourteen years old, for whom it was designed, rode it through the courtyards and streets. “Orlyonok” is considered one of the most reliable bicycles invented in the Soviet Union, since it has a unique frame design not found in models of the same class, and an extremely stable rear wheel. The bicycle appeared in the early 50s as a children's model, but soon they began to produce models for children of adolescence, which became the most popular and gained great fame. By and large, the model range consisted of only two models: for girls - “Swallow” (from Lithuanian “Kregzdute”) and for boys - “Eaglet” (“Ereliukas”).
