The banana seat bicycle makes an interesting alternative to the standard bicycle seat. These unusual looking seats have been around for some time and are available in many colors. This article describes what they are and how they have changed with time. If you are a bicycle rider who likes to stand out from the crowd, or you just like unusual things, this might be a seat that interests you. The banana seat bicycle makes an interesting alternative to the standard bicycle seat. These unusual looking seats have been around for some time and are available in many colors. This article describes what they are and how they have changed with time. If you are a bicycle rider who likes to stand out from the crowd, or you just like unusual things, this might be a seat that interests you.
The banana seat bicycles made a splash in the bicycle industry in 1963 when the famous Huffy Dragster started mass production on 2nd March. The long padded seats were about look on ordinary bikes but were merely about look on touring bikes. They were called long top-hut bikes (abbreviated as "TH" bikes in British English). They were originally designed to cater to the middle class, to provide cheap all-purpose bike seats to urban dwellers and to be suitable for urban commuting as well. Their major innovation was to include suspension on top of the seats. Today, suspension is still included but the tops of the seats have been covered with softer material, allowing more flexibility.
One of the first banana seat bicycles that I can recall had three curved handlebars, one on each side of the seat. The handlebars were below the saddle and the levers were below the handgrips. The seat was a little curved forward towards the peddles to provide a comfortable seating position. The actual seat could recline and also recline forward or backward. It had no breaks or any other kind of footrests. The handlebars had no safety or even indicator lights and were so large and bright that I would not have cared if someone was riding behind me if I didn't have sunglasses and wore reflective gear.
Later Schwinn improved on the banana seat bicycle by creating the huffer model, which used huffy styled handles. It was lighter in construction than the Schwinn stingray model and did have a footrest. But the biggest improvement came with the introduction of the Schwinn Stingray. This model was actually designed by accident. A child threw a rock and the seat split allowing the child to be thrown clear of the seat and onto the ground.
Later the banana seats were modified to accommodate adults and even kids. They could now be adjusted to sit upright, which is when they became known as upright bikes. Soon after this time frame construction changed drastically with the introduction of chopper motorcycles. Chopper bikes were taller and heavier than their earlier counterparts. This was to make them more practical to be ridden by people of average height who like to ride bicycles but enjoyed the feel of the bikes when they climbed into them. Chopper bikes also had higher handlebars and levers.
The styling of choppers was very similar to that of the banana bikes. They had large fenders on each side of the seat and had deep and wide tires. Chopper bicycles were also equipped with wide chrome handlebars, levers with deep and wide grips. Soon after the styling of these bikes took a turn for the worse, they were banned by the Federal government.
Today you can find banana seat frames for sale and those who are interested in restoring their old seats can do so through an online auction. If you are thinking about buying one of these chairs online then you should know that these are not cheap bikes. Their prices range from a few hundred dollars to several thousands depending on the year model and the condition of the frame.
If you are thinking about getting a banana seat bicycle but aren't sure whether it would look good on you then you should consider looking into the different types of existing models. Most of the older models had beautiful styling. Many of them still do and you can find them offered by a variety of sources online.
Post your comment