Help Me Identify this Brand?
 

I just bought an Optima Baron second-hand and taking it apart to clean and adjust everything. I'm new to bikes so don't know all the manufacturers yet. I've done a logo search on CiD and found nothing.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a6b612549b.jpg

Could that be a “W”?

Being disc, you may be in the wrong forum. :foo:

That said, we need many more pics for any kind of help, good ones of details, livery, lugs or joints, components, s/n, etc, etc, etc.

Also, you will never know "all the brands". ;)

Sorry for the lousy picture. I assumed this was a major component brand that would be instantly recognized by all but the totally clueless noob. The bike is a "low racing recumbent" called the Baron by Optima of the Netherlands circa 2010 or so. (Yes, I'm likely in the wrong forum.) Many of the components are Shimano 105. But this front hub and fork are perhaps MTB stuff? My bike is completely torn down at the moment but here is one I swiped off the internet. Notice that same weird CiD logo on the front fork?
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0831466cbb.jpg

What does the skewer handle say? Since the logo is also on the fork it is likely proprietary parts made for them

Bianchigirll Here is a view of the front hub skewer. The painted parts are cast aluminum. the axle rod is held in the pin hinge with a stamped divot so it can't be disassembled unfortunately. The only markings are on the skewer lever, "OPEN" on one side, "CLOSE" on the other, in English.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d51b56c683.jpg

No worries,

It may be a major brand but as I said, probably somewhat out of our "wheelhouse" ;).

I would encourage you to post over in the recumbent forum for better results.

That skewer is a generic one used by many, many brands.

I personally like them as they have some style and look far less kludgy to my eye.

I think I figured this out. Bianchigirll was correct. This is a proprietary component but for their sister company called "Dutch ID". Hence, the logo is DiD but with the first "D" backward facing (surely designed that way to confuse just me!) They no longer make recumbents moving on to more lucrative niches like E-bikes. It appears the Optima brand was so closely associated with recumbents they abandoned it. Here is the Dutch ID website link if anyone is interested: Dutch ID Bikes

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...daa5e7efdd.jpg

This is all I can contribute. :)

Interesting machine. I am not familiar with it, but reviews are pretty good: very stiff and fast bike, but you want to keep it on smooth tarmac if you value your dental fillings.

I’m moving to the recumbent forum. Glad you may have figured it out.

Nice bike! The fork and front wheel don't appear to be 'stock' items. It looks like the previous owner upgraded. The idlers look like Terracycle idlers, which are a really nice upgrade. My Baron is only my third-fastest bike; but then it's up against some fire-breathers. Still a very fast bike. On my first club ride on mine, I spotted everyone a head start on a sign sprint, then blew by them so hard that they all just sat down and coasted the rest of the way.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4adb4e0839.jpg

Hi all. My recently acquired Baron is the same orange color as the one in the photo. But it is largely stock. The prior owner, who bought it new, added an Optima headrest and panier bag which he passed on. The bike also was modified with a Rotor elliptical main and middle chainring. The return chain was dropped so it made a straight line from the chainring to the under seat drive idler (slicing across the right fork blade). I understand those were popular mods in the mid 2000's when these bikes were at their height. I have already replaced the original chainrings and plan to configure the chain path back to stock similar to Blazing Pedals bike. The seat is carbon but needs a replacement cushion and I'd like any advice on how I should do it. I understand these recumbent seat pads can absorb a lot of cranking power if they are too thick. I only weigh 140 pounds on my heaviest days so I don't need a lot of shock absorbing material. I really like the seat pad BlazingPedals has!

Here are some pictures of the bike when I was disassembling it for the trip home when purchased. It has sat for over ten years in the prior owners garage so I have it apart cleaning, adjusting and scrutinizing everything at the moment. The bike was ridden several thousand miles but the owner took good care of it.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ee813e1424.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c1d5f9c815.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...babd621d79.jpg

I had a beautiful blue 2004 Baron that I put thousands of miles on and then sold it to a friend who also put thousands of miles on it before selling it. For all I know, it’s still on the road somewhere.

It wasn’t the lightest, lowest, or most aero low racer that I owned but it was like the energizer bunny. Get it moving and it really rolled. A well thought out machine.

I ran my Baron with a dropped chain using a sliding chain tube on the fork. Worked fine.

Cratecruncher (and anyone else,)
I got my seat cushions from Don 'Airxxxwolf' Smith. He sells a lot of them for virtually every hard shell seat made, I think. They are cut and routed from zotefoam, which is a closed-cell, dense foam, and is very light. There are two thicknesses, 1/2" and 3/4". The chevrons cut into them don't provide much if any ventilation but they help with keeping the rider from sliding. He offers colored inserts that pop into the chevrons, at a slight upcharge. You can contact Don at airxxxwolf (at) yahoo (dot) com. He will need to know what brand and size your seat is.

I ran with my chain 'dropped' for many years. My aftermarket carbon fork is narrower so that it is no longer in the 'dropped' chainline. That's probably why yours has an aftermarket fork too -- the OEM fork is asymmetrical like a lowracer fork, but it's beefy like a BMX fork. I finally decided that the dropped configuration was really no faster than stock, so I returned it to original. I really enjoy the maneuverability this way.

I take it back about the fork being after-market. I went back and looked at old pics of my Baron and it's the same fork I got when my frame was replaced under warranty in 2008. I never looked closely at the logo and always just assumed it was an 'O'. Although mine came Shimano hubs, maybe the one shown was OEM for the later models?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...69950d71bc.jpg