Need help identifying make/model of 3-wheel cycle
 

Hey guys,

New to the forum, but I think I've come to the right place! I purchased an old 3-wheel cycle a few weeks ago. The guy I bought it from told me it was a Schwinn and it had vintage Schwinn handlebars and seat. However, the serial number was not in any of the usual spots and when I did find it, it was not in a Schwinn format. Still a good price so I bought it.

Seems to be somewhere between early 70s and mid 80s. Has a sticker on the rear gear hub that reads "ADULT THREE WHEEL CYCLE MODEL NO. TW-I-5-24 Double V Engineering Co., Inc Aurora 8X011 (numbers faded), U.S.A." (picture attached). I did a good half hour or more of Googling and couldn't come up with anything from that sticker. There's a picture too of the residue left from the original badge, clearly not the shape of a Schwinn. Lastly, it has a "Shimano Eagle" shift on the back.

I've attached some pictures, let me know if there is any thing else you would suggest to measure, look at, etc. if you think that'll help me figure out what this is!

Thanks guys

I did some Googling and found this captioned picture.

Valerie Valentine daughter of double V Engineering president Henry... News Photo | Getty Images

JUN 4 1974, JUN 7 1974, JUN 9 1974; Valerie Valentine, daughter of double V Engineering president, Henry (*****) Valentine, ****** group of partly assembled Tri ***** in aurora plant
http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/161...QveM4i7g%3d%3d

Good find, guess you're better at Googling than I am! That picture just makes this even more tantalizing! The Denver Post only has online archives going back to 1989, so until my next visit to my sister in Denver I don't think I'll learn anything more from that picture.

So the Double V Engineering company certainly did exist in Aurora, CO it would appear. Does no one really know / ever heard about these bikes? After reading through some more "mystery frame" posts I can't imagine that a few guys on this forum don't know something about this bike if you guys can casually discuss which Italian sub-contractors made a bracket 40 years ago. I know this isn't really a "mystery frame" since we know who made it, but does anyone know anything about this Double V company? As someone born in the early 90s, it's hard for me to grasp that I can't find anything on these guys on Google!

I've found some newspaper articles, all from newspapers in surrounding states of Colorado from 1973. Looks like this Double V Engineering company was looking for people to sell their bikes, and a few of them mention a "Bravado" bike that they apparently made as well. Articles attached.

So I bought this bike in Wichita, Kansas. Based on these newspaper articles the bike could have been originally bought anywhere in the Midwest if Double V was successful in getting retail outlets to see their bikes.

I'm just interested to know if Double V Engineering actually MADE this bike or if they simply sold them. And it would be really cool to know whatever happen to this company, especially since they mysteriously have no info on them online!

I have one of these bikes also and my rear axle recently broke. Did you by any chance find out anymore information on the manufacturer? I could really use a new axle.

I have the same trike!!
 

Amazing that I found this ten years later. Have the same bike with the same tag (but even less legible than yours, I never would have pieced it together without finding your post) on the gearbox. It also has a Shimano Stem Shifter 333, which can be a spendy collectible part I see. Mine also has an emblem where yours appears to be missing, on the handlebar frame post. Little aluminum shield that looks glued on rather than riveted. And it has “Valentine” on the seat frame post. My seat is about as old as yours but it does not say Schwinn or “S” on it. This was an estate sale find two months ago (June 2025) up in Billings Montana. Could be a custom made or short run made refinery bike, which would make sense in my area, got three large refineries within 20 miles of each other and I have seen similar bikes used for that purpose. Also explains why it has an engineering firm tag on it. Maybe a firm that specifically made such things for plants and factories. Or an oil refinery contractor that made its own equipment. Haven’t researched that firm yet. The Valentine name and emblem (Fancy letter V) could just be the maker of some of the parts or maybe the nickname for the mode or I don’t know what else. Maybe related to the “V” in “Double V Engineering”. At this estate sale I also picked up a couple 1960s Schwinns in excellent shape. This trike definitely saw much more use and was occasionally outside in weather even, again makes sense for a refinery. Lots of surface rust on the chromed parts. Mine is also missing its basket.