Classic & Vintage - 1974 PPV - Person Powered Vehicle

I hope this is the right place to post this - We got a 1974 PPV ( people powered vehicle) today and all I can say is it is fun! It is a 2 seater with a 3 speed on the floor. It does free wheel, so when my wife feels like not pedealing, she does not have too - LOL. I have NOS seat covers and a windshield template being shipped to me, so that will help the looks. You can also put a canopy on it, which I have not found but I think will have one made.
Hope you enjoy the picture. I have more on our Flickr page and if you are interested in any old bicycle newspaper ads, I have them listed under Old Bicycles Ads in our sets. Feel free to check all of our pictures out also.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20832301@N03/sets/

That is certainly different. Does the 3-on-the-floor connect to a regular Sturmey-Archer hub?

What kind of speeds are you able to reach?

John,
It is a whole different set up then a hub. I will try to get some pictures of the gears and chain for you and put the picture on here tomorrow.

I want.

Bob,
I am not quite sure. I took most of the day just to clean it up and my wife and I only rode it a small amount of time. I will see if I can get an estimate of the MPH when we take it out tomorrow.

Wonder if it would handle any quicker with BMX racing 20 and 24" rims and tires.

-Kurt

that is sooooooo cool!

thats what I need to take clients out looking at houses.... you know real estate.

I hope this is the right place to post this - We got a 1974 PPV ( people powered vehicle) today and all I can say is it is fun! It is a 2 seater with a 3 speed on the floor. It does free wheel, so when my wife feels like not pedealing, she does not have too - LOL. I have NOS seat covers and a windshield template being shipped to me, so that will help the looks. You can also put a canopy on it, which I have not found but I think will have one made.
Hope you enjoy the picture. I have more on our Flickr page and if you are interested in any old bicycle newspaper ads, I have them listed under Old Bicycles Ads in our sets. Feel free to check all of our pictures out also.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20832301@N03/sets/

Man! That takes me back! Back when I was a kid there was someone in my cousin's neighborhood that had about a half dozen who rented them out to neighborhood residents. What I remember is they were heavy mothers (But then again I was 7 or 8 at the time) and they broke easily.

Sirrus -You might be right about it felt heavy because of being younger. My wife and I unloaded it out of the truck and we feel it ws lighter then what we thought it wasgoing to be.

Thanks ofr all the other compliments!

John - Here are a few more pictures of the gears and chain.
I also had to put the Schwinn Town and Country 3 speed we got today in a picture!

I remember those, were they made in France?

The only time I remember ever seeing one of those was on a college campus. It was really a neat idea, but the wrong time and place. The one I remember seeing was slooow- probably going 10 mph or something. So even on a campus with 20 mph speed limits, there was no way you could keep up with traffic, and it was too wide for traffic to get around. Similar issues with the Rhoades cars and some of the other side-by-side trikes.

Wow! That brings me back! I remember seeing those in Canada somewhere when I was a kid! My Aunt had a Towne and Country three wheeler, looks great! Good Luck with it.

Stephen - You are right - I would say 10 MPH is about all you could get out of it with both people pedaling as fast as they can. Yes, they are wide. That is one reason the guy wanted to sell it, since they could not ride it on the side walks.
I am glad to see people are interested in the pictures!
I hope to have some of the items in the next week or so to put on the PPV ( windshield, seat covers) I am still unsure what to do with the rims - they where chrome but I know how much it costs to rechrome. I am also going to search for a place to make a canopy which they do have the brackets and rods in for a canopy.
We are having fun with the PPV and my wife and mother-in-law rode it a lot today.
Thanks again for the compliments and I am hoping everyone is enjoying the pictures on Flickr.

labrador,

This thing is just too kool, especially with the Kool Lemon Town and County. How do you brake, hand or foot? It looks like a drum brake in the front. Where do you live that we can come by for a spin.

The only time I remember ever seeing one of those was on a college campus. It was really a neat idea, but the wrong time and place. The one I remember seeing was slooow- probably going 10 mph or something. So even on a campus with 20 mph speed limits, there was no way you could keep up with traffic, and it was too wide for traffic to get around. Similar issues with the Rhoades cars and some of the other side-by-side trikes.

That's about what I remember of them growing up. 10 MPH is on the high side of top speed I think 5 mph is about the average.

It can only do 10?

Bob - You are more then welcomed to stop in and take it for a spin, if you are ever in the area ( York, PA). Just email me ( Lwiker@aol.com)if you are, and I will give you directions. It has one hand brake one the right side of the handle bars and yes, it does have a drum brake up front. Both the Town and Country where out and thought it would be neat to take a picture. I guess I should of brought all of my Kool Lemons (6 more) out for a picture with the PPV but I hope to buy a few more Kool Lemons before I get them all together. I need a old Speedster, Heavy Duti and I would like to find a boys and girls Stingray yet - then it will be time for a group picture!
I have been told that there where only about 5000 of the PPVs produced. I just wonder how many where trashed and left out for the trash.

mazda - Yes, I would think 10 MPH at tops and like Sirrus said, 5 MPH average.

Thanks again for checking out the pictures.
Doug

It can only do 10?

I suppose that the sky's the limit with different gear selections. I cannot readily see how the transmission works, though.

But it looks a lot like what we'll all be driving when OPEC gets through with its summit...

Bob - You are more then welcomed to stop in and take it for a spin, if you are ever in the area ( York, PA). Just email me ( Lwiker@aol.com)if you are, and I will give you directions. It has one hand brake one the right side of the handle bars and yes, it does have a drum brake up front. Both the Town and Country where out and thought it would be neat to take a picture. I guess I should of brought all of my Kool Lemons (6 more) out for a picture with the PPV but I hope to buy a few more Kool Lemons before I get them all together. I need a old Speedster, Heavy Duti and I would like to find a boys and girls Stingray yet - then it will be time for a group picture!
I have been told that there where only about 5000 of the PPVs produced. I just wonder how many where trashed and left out for the trash.

mazda - Yes, I would think 10 MPH at tops and like Sirrus said, 5 MPH average.

Thanks again for checking out the pictures.
Doug

I have a '73 paramount done up in cool lemon (or as close as waterford can get, nowadays). It's about my favorite vintage schwinn color.

...if you are ever in the area ( York, PA)...

I wondered if that was near you. Accidentally I clicked another album in your Flicker site and saw the Muddy Creek pictures. I grew up in Harford County, MD and my dad has cousins in the York area. I always liked the practical naming of "Muddy Creek." Although most times when we would be there, it was not muddy.

If I'm home to visit Dad and can get away for a few hours, I might head your way to see that future collection of Kool Lemons and the PPV! BTW, Kool Lemon Paramounts with their red decals and cable casings became the inspiration for selecting Sporty's color scheme; candy red with yellow decals and cable casings.

I had never seen one of those, nice.

You know with just the right wheels you might take that in the water, wonder if they made rod holders for it. :lol:

Bob- Muddy Creek is very close to us and like I said, you are more then welcom to come and visit. Just let me know ahead of time. Very small world.


seagull- I have heard that they can float - so maybe paddle wheels would work!!

luker - do you have any pics of the Paramount ( yellow)?

I had never seen one of those, nice.

You know with just the right wheels you might take that in the water, wonder if they made rod holders for it. :lol:

Better off taking a small paddleboat and modifying it for the job if you're looking for that.

-Kurt