Industrial Bicycles
 

Fully lugged steel frame, drum brakes, affordable U.S. made bikes...Huh? Who knew?

Has anyone heard of Worksman bicycles? They make industrial bikes (the ones you see post doc students riding around particle accelerators) and were the first makers of Good Humor Ice Cream cycles.
They seem to be Dutch bikes made in the U.S.A. and for a reasonable price ($300-$600 range)

They make all sorts of frame styles, mostly geared to working bikes.

http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_s...tdoors-300.jpg
http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_s...askets-200.jpg
http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_s...lowgravity.jpg

Yes, I knew about it. I almost posted this link once from Lab Safety Supply in one of threads on this in the last year. . . I have seen better pictures in the catolog. One of our plants have some of the trikes around.

McMaster-Carr also has them.

They use them at the Alcoa Plant that I am currently working at, some of them are pretty ugly in terms of welding. They just got a new fleet of trikes in and the welding looked like a first day student did them:eek: But they do have a pretty strong warranty on the frame. FWIW the bike fleet at this particular plant probably numbers close to 100 with all of them being single speed work bikes, about 1/3 or so are trikes. Some are original to the plant which would make them around 20 years old. According to the purchasing agent they buy 5-10 a year on average. My old favorite was the Chicago built Schwinn Heavy Duty with a cantilever frame, I had one for my paper route and still regret selling that yellow monster, it would roll with over 200# of newspapers on board.


Aaron:)

They purchase steel framed bikes at Alcoa? Now, I know they manufacture other products besides aluminum, but...

Like this? :) They're hardly postdocs though - one of those men has a Nobel prize.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/397/bethebikeru0.jpg

I so want one now, but I don't still know the difference between the industrial and recreation.
What other industrial bikes are there? Worksman, the schwinn heavy duty(duti), the summit version of the heavy duty.
EDIT: And would it be possible to put on a gear case too?

Most of the "industrial" bikes increase their strength by adding material. They are OK for riding short distances around flat plants and carrying heavy loads but they are much too heavy for recreational use. Most expedition touring bikes are lighter, built with more care and much better materials.

Got a fleet of three Workman trikes sitting right here in front of me!

The Postal Service uses quite a few. They come with a 'bench' step, for lack of a better term, which the mechanics use to carry around tools.

East Hill

Yeah, there are a bunch at each Naval Shipyard.

I like them because they are made in USA.
Also, they have a job opening for an assembler on the 'employment' page.
If I was in NY that might be a cool departurture from all this nuclear engineer
stuff I do now :p

I knew'ed about 'em because I see lots of their bicycle delivery bikes around me in Astoria, NY (it's in Queens) and so I googled them up a while back. They are pretty sweet for a haulin' fixie.

Probably because they don't make aluminum framed bikes in the US?;) I suspect it has more to do with what is available. 90% of what I have seen at the plant are Worksman and another brand (and d*mned if I can recall which one it is) with the occasional odd cruiser thrown in. The new trikes were definitely Worksman with solid tires on them:eek: :p I will try and take some pictures next week if I get the chance. Also FWIW the current Pacific Cycles Schwinn Heavi Duti is no comparison to the Chicago built one, name only.

Aaron:)

Yep, rode Worksman for 40 yrs in the factory I retired from.
I like them so much I bought a Worksman PAV 3sp for myself
as a retirment gift. :D :D

You will have to go a long way to find,if you can, a nicer bunch of
folks who build very tough quality cycles for industry, recreaction
and especially the handicapped. Not fast, not light, but bulletproof
dependable cycles at a bargain prices for what you get. ;) ;)

Yeah, these things are made in Queens or Brooklyn which surprised me. They're freaking tanks.

Azor Bicycles is a Dutch company that makes work and town bikes for the EU market. Here is their U.S. distributor.

All the adult tikes sold in Wal-mart are Worksman bicycles. Who knew you could buy a quality bike in Wal-mart!
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=2189247

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/02/02/37...95_500X500.jpg

Wow, I did not know that. Thank you, n4zou, I actually have a friend who is looking for a trike but has budget problems. I think you have helped solve her dilemma.

Donna,
IIRC they are running close to $300 at the Walmart near here...personally I would prefer to buy them direct rather than give my money to Wally.

Aaron:)

Dutch Work bikes resting. Amsterdam 1999 or 2000

Long live the Ashtabula!

Yes, this trike is Worksman lightest duty "folding" consumer product. It's NOT intended for
industrial duty but is still Worksman quality. All of the Worksman recreational & industrial
products CAN be custom built to your specs whereas none of the consumer line can.

So they'll sell their product to Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers of bicycle frames, but not buy them back? :lol:

Me, too, but I'm talking about a friend who is living on SSI and food stamps. :(

Make sure you have extreme patience before ordering here. The owner is more into teaching high school students on how to build bikes than he is building them for costumers. I bought a Phaser and was promised it would be ready in 8-10 weeks so that I could pick it up when I traveled through Oregon (no shipping charge). The bike was finally ready after 7 months and I got charged about $240 extra for shipping.

I do like the bent and the owners desire to teach the kids is noble.