Retrovelo 2007

retrovelo − Mehlert & Patitz GbRGeorg-Schumann-Str. 228 / 230D-04159 LEIPZIGTel.: +49 (0) 341. 4792906 +49 (0) 341.58979060Fax: +49 (0) 341.58979063E-Mail: [email protected] www.retrovelo.de 2007

„THE WHEEL OF TIME KEEPS TURNING ... and after one round arrives back at the beginning!“

It is impressive to watch collectors at auctions talking about the last remaining bikes by an unknown manufacturer. German companies Brennabor and Triumph came up with the balloon tyre for bikes as early as 1926, shortly after this invention had revolutionised the automobile industry. Having been inspired by these almost forgotten gems from the golden age of bicycle making, our BALLOON RACERS are slowly becoming collectors‘ items and favourite bikes in the same way as the bikes of our grandparents were back then. Our joyful exploration of the shapes of the past is evident in the construction, the style and the range of models. The idea is to get to the bottom of things and to design them in a way that allows them to be the way they want to be. In contrast to today‘s faceless mass produced ready-mades, the bikes from back then were still individual, carried by the prestige and the company ethos of their producers. After a company history of only three years, our BALLOON RACERS can certainly not be considered classics yet. However, even within this very short period of time, the distinctive silhouette of their slender steel frame contrasted with voluminous tyres has established them as a brand for enthusiasts. A first few recent attempts to copy our Balloon Racers have failed to achieve the same unique combination of contemporary form and function with such subtlety and sophistication. Within this extremely short period of time, the Balloon Racer has become the yardstick for more than simply a trendy lifestyle. Throughout our development process, we have aimed at creating a bike that truly becomes a source of pleasure and appreciation. Stretching the limits of what is still doable today by producing them in manufactured series, their low quantity and the wide variety of optional fittings makes the Balloon Racers essentially unique. If it was up to us, we would like people to say: „It is a bike that one forgets is there, because it seems to work on its own.“ Matthias Mehlert & Frank Patitz

Retrovelo-DESIGN

In our understanding we take RETRO to refer to a return to precisely those values that RETRO in general – thanks to the loss of truly creative design as an enduring trend in marketing – seems to be lacking. Our understanding of RETRO then is not the simple copying of historical shapes, but the development and preservation of tried and tested parameters. This is also the main reason why our aesthetic expression will never be compatible with the taste of the mass market – thus ensuring outstanding quality and individual beauty. This makes us part of a long-standing regional manufacturing tradition that is currently redefining itself in order to set the course for the future in parallel with the industry. Yesterday was today and today is tomorrow. Everything has its time and therefore time is our most important tool. The sentimental cliché about typical German design is minimal, constructivist and sober. Form follows function. We develop form that not only follows function, but also our instincts. Our style is a minimalist mixture of the friendly playful design of the 50s and the irresistibly rebellious designs of the 60s and 70s. Back then a naïve design of the future was emerging that aimed at a youth that was obsessed with achievement and blended quality of life with the fulfilment of youthful dreams. Today, too, and maybe more than ever, people want to see their memories, desires and dreams fulfilled. As a result technically simple bikes, such as the beach cruiser, are often modelled on the designs of the 30s to 50s. The Balloon Racer continues this trend bringing it back to the cradle of fat tyre bikes, to Germany.

CLOUD STRIPES

Since the 50s FLAME patterns have been used at all South Californian SPRINT CAR races as symbols of speed and power. It is from here that their exuberant symbolicism started to emanate into many areas of design: countless customizing artists (e.g. Von Dutch, Ed Roth, George Cerney, Larry Watson) developed their own flame shapes and colours. Dean Jeffery created a subtle PIN STRIPE to go around the edge of the flames. The vivid interplay of the CLOUDSTRIPES draws on this particular graphic feature as much as on the flames themselves. Contrasts as well as softer, smoother shapes (GHOSTFLAMES, TRIBALS, etc.) developed into a cosmos of individualised ornamentation. The idea of the CLOUD pattern presents a reversal of the shape of the abstracted flame pattern: where MUSCLE power is symbolised instead of ENGINE power and BALLOONS instead of engines. Inspired by this history and in keeping with the idea of relaxed yet athletic CYCLING FUN, we started to develop our own stripe pattern as a tribute to the HOT WHEEL symbolicism. This freehand striping softens the austere appearance of the frame lending our BALLOON RACERS a unique personal touch. Frank Patitz, Graphic Designer

FAT FRANK – Cruising in Crème

The design of the profile was modelled on a blend from the archive of tyre manufacturers SCHWALBE – a high grip BMX tyre surface paired with a classic motorbike profile. Its fine diamond profile and puncture protection mean that „FAT FRANK“ is at the forefront of technological innovation – unlike many other wide tyres. Another aspect of this is that it is possible to ride the tyre at a very low air pressure. It may come as a surprise that in spite of all this, wider tyres actually roll more easily than others. A basic rule is: the wider the tyre the lower the friction. This is because a wider tyre has a shorter bearing surface in the direction of movement. This in turn decreases the levelling of the tyre, resulting in a tyre that deforms less, stays „rounder“ and rolls easier, yet retains an excellent level of traction thanks to its wide bearing surface. A further increase in puncture protection is achieved as a result of the tyres’ huge volume: „FAT FRANK“ offers much better protection from the dreaded „Snake Bite“ (grinding the tyre against the rim of the wheel). The wide tyres have even found a clever way of dealing with punctures: the balloon tyres „enclose“ sharp objects and „spit“ them out again after rolling off.

Seeing things differently: HOW DO MEN VIEW WOMEN‘S BIKES?

Really, it has always been about cutting a good figure under any circumstances. But each Zeitgeist produces its own aesthetic ideals. As with understated upmarket designer clothing, both detail and occasion are key to an item‘s acceptance and self-image. The main distinction of an elegant women‘s frame is maximum comfort and the typical low stand-over height. This leads to the obvious conclusion that a traditional so-called „swan‘s neck“ shaped frame would be too conservative and curvy while a sporty French Mixte-frame does not allow for a comfortable stand-over height. The wide range of open geometries between front and back of the frame made the creation of this elegant waistline particularly attractive. Our main focus was on achieving an ideal balance between a well-proportioned top tube and an elegant stand-over height. Another special feature is the position of the link between the top and the down tube, which separates the main frame into two triangles. By connecting the bold curve of the top tube with the down tube, this crowning touch defines the optical centre of the frame and the frame‘s waist. The irresistible elegance of what amounts to an essence of countless frame geometries was already demonstrated by the similar frame shape of the „women‘s military bikes“ from as far back as the model year 1897. Nonetheless the production of such a well-shaped women‘s frame today presented an unexpected challenge.

KLARA – the cool Mummy Racer – THREE SPEED WOMEN‘S BALLOON

Not only dads, but streetwise mums too, want to be smart and sprightly. While our subtle drivetrain concept with its three-speed internal gear hub may not be the stuff of racing competition miracles, it certainly ensures a comfortable cycling speed for everyday use in the city. It is precisely for this reason that the Zurich Goldsprint Champion of 2006 uses her racy three-speed companion every day. Because the modern worldly-wise lady is not primarily interested in technical gimmicks such as hydraulic breaks or the ultimate gear selection, we have found appropriate solutions to keep main-tenance requirements to a minimum. For the ideal BALLOON RACER pilot, the best is never enough – though she feels she does not have to prove her stylishness through races and world trips. She chooses to exert her stylishness everyday – in a way that‘s both understated and sprightly, be it with or without a kiddie seat.

PAULA – the bike for the opera – SEVEN SPEED WOMEN‘S RACER

To the beautiful the biggest threat are the more beautiful and among the Balloon Racers this time-honoured duel is fought out in-house among peers: this lady makes the gents look very old, indeed. It‘s almost a shame that no mechanical fragrance function exists for bikes, yet that might inspire people to make a cycling parade to the opera. The women‘s racer offers a seat more comfortable than any opera chair, creating a confident sense of ease, be it on opera parquet or any other turf. The upright, active posture ensures optimum vision for surveying any scene. Handlebar, arm and shoulder form the full circle that subtly outlines the cyclist‘s space. Forceful thrusts from the road surface can be effectively absorbed by the steel frame – smaller vibrations are transformed into a fabulously humming cycling sensation through the flexible fork and the voluminous tyres – preventing tiring of the arms, even without an armrest.

MAXI – the bike for honeymoon travels – LUXURY WOMEN‘S RACER

What has proven its worth luxuriously in our men‘s bike is certainly extravagant enough for our women‘s model. Though such an exquisitely aesthetic creation may not be designed for peak sporting performances, it will be reassuring for the worldly-wise lady to hear that it comes with similarly incomparable performance boosters. A lady‘s decision to commit to a bottom bracket drivetrain truly is a challenge to a life-long relationship. It is more than a coincidence that cycling book publisher Maxi Kutschera got to enjoy the outstanding luxury of our top model on her honeymoon trip as well as the attention of bystanders far and wide that comes along with it. Much like love itself, it was true stroke of luck that bike and bride be namesakes and added proof that the newly weds were fated to be sent on a maiden voyage on their honeymoon. Such a dream model inauguration is something – much like love – that money can‘t buy.

MAX – a wolf in sheep’s clothing– LUXURY RACER

…our MAX – not one for the faint-hearted – a veritable steel steed in „MUSCLE STYLE“, as though specially made for the quarter-mile! This is tuning without horsepower and laughing gas!This is unadulterated muscle power paired with the finest Swiss understatement: reliable as a Swiss watch, this high-speed-drive cranks up the gear spectrum of a simple three speed hub to an extreme 477%. This spectacular „turbo bottom bracket“, used serially for the first time here, corresponds to a gear ratio of 1.7 to 7.8 metres. With only six gears, this explosive drivetrain system equals that of a 24-speed-derailleur-gear system. This is how to achieve „being faster“ in the simplest and most unobtrusive manner possible!

PAUL – the gliding travel steed– SEVEN SPEED MAN‘S RACER

This is no bike for quick „A to Bs“, but one for gliding through scenic landscapes and upright appreciation of panoramic views. With its seven to eight state-of-the-art freewheel gears, it convinces without much ado and is ideally suited for medium distance tours. Even fully loaded you‘ll be gliding towards your destination with confidence. As everyone knows… those who are laughing at the finishing line are the ones who know the way – even if the cycling holiday you take on „PAUL“ is just the way to work.

KLAUS – the basic heavy duty bike – THREE SPEED MAN‘S BALLOON

Why does fear of bike theft make people buy trendy bikes for one season instead of bravely opting for a bike for life? The extravagant crown alone looks like it should be admired with awe – as one would admire the radiator grill of some art deco legend. The value of the everyday experience is reflected in the things that inspire us to get from one place to another. Our BALLOON RACER „KLAUS“ has been created for use in city traffic with precisely this in mind. Hang loose as you glide happily along the streets going about your everyday travels on 15 kg of solid energy.

FIXED FRITZ – the minimalist – EXTRA BALLOON

Experience cycling in its purest form and feel like one of the long-forgotten cycling heroes!Created for daring cyclists with a determination to achieve the ultimate unity between man and machine. A hot rod, a ‚fixie‘ with fat tyres – basic, fast and comfortable: a no frills option for the velo-aficionado. This way even the longest red light can be waited out while balancing the bike standing up.

Balloon Racer-EXTRAS

FRAME PACK made from natural tanned pig‘s leather, surface tanned, 2 compartments: 30cm x 40cm x 7 cm each with separate stainless steel buckles, fits most laptops, ring-binders2 Velcro straps allow quick and safe mounting to the down and seat tubeBalloon Racer-FRAME PACK from waterproof tarpaulin.

INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING for the hub dynamoIn keeping with our high aesthetic standards, we offer – exclusively and on demand – what must be the most intricate and safest current feed for a hub dynamo. As an alternative to the very obtrusive external cabling with cable binders, we feed the light cable directly from the hub dynamo through the right fork‘s blade. Additional reinforcing diamond-shaped cable guide braze-ons are soldered on top of the 5mm drill holes. Just below the plated fork crown, the cable is concealed at the insides of the fork leading directly inside the tube of the fork blade from underneath. Inside the tube of the fork blade, the cable runs through a double-slotted front-end cone next to the stud-bolt down to the exit drill hole that has also been reinforced with a braze-on. The cable is visible as it covers the short distance to the light switch inside the light case, then from there back to the rear light, it goes through the front-end and fork blade following the regular serial internal frame routing.

The high technical standard of BALLOON RACER BIKES

Technical innovations always had to prove their superiority in races in order to become accepted. Likewise, the BALLOON RACER has benefited from the hard development of the mountain-bike as well as the pure technology of a track or cross racer. We are reinterpreting those special demands for an urban environment and for bike trips and developing bikes for the ambitious cyclist through an ongoing process of testing. A clear language of shapes and materials as well as the reliable drivetrain systems of all models of our range form reference points for quality in contemporary bike manufacturing. Our components have been carefully put together with a lot of aesthetic sense to meet the high demands of everyday use.All components complement each other in a balanced and material saving interrelationship: from the smoothness of the long frame geometry with the well-proportioned partitioning of the handlebar down to the tips of the soft filaments of our rubber grips, one feel the sum quality of all parts. Each compromise in terms of weight is a concession to longevity and comfort. Sloped shoulder forks, with forged or lost-wax casting fork crowns, appear to be almost extinct today. For the necessary fork width of 70 mm there was really no alternative to a unicrown fork. Making a virtue out of necessi-ty, we developed our own trademark TRIPLE-PLATED FORK CROWN! This well-shaped plated fork crown has been adapted to the width of the balloon tyres and integrates easily and with stylistic confidence into the proportions of the lugs. Like the frames in the main tube set, the fork crown has been soldered in a time-consuming and gentle traditional way by hand. In its transparency, this construction method, combined with the flexibility of the long-butted fork blades and the excellent suspension of the wheel rim-balloon tyre-combination, reconfirms our definition of long-lived comfort.

Special features of the frame construction of BALLOON RACER-BIKES

A lug is a steel piece with precisely tailored borders in order to enclose the frame tubes. It allows us to connect the gently heated stretched tube to the socket with a steady solder flow. In addition steel lugs strengthen the connections between the tubes allowing for thinner tube walls. No other frame material than steel can fulfil the many demands of a bike in a more durable way. Steel has a higher density than other frame materials and combines suspension and durability with sufficient stiffness. The aesthetically and technically complex socket construction can, for example, only be used on steel frames and stands for the timeless uniqueness of a sophisticated bike frame. Everybody knows the lovingly hand-lined lugs that were made in the past with great technical expertise. These lovingly drawn outlines highlighted the inventive diversity of socket shapes and the high quality of their production quality. With our own finely stretched, pointed tongue lugs, we cultivate an understated, elegant, basic shape that underlines the exquisite style of our slender frame. This distinguishes our serial frames notably from the other work or military bikes with straight lugs that also belong to the family of balloon bikes. Your advantage lies not only in the timelessly aesthetic details, but in a reliable, long-living bike that makes for a gliding ride and, what‘s more, that not everybody else has! This should easily make up for the minimal additional weight of the frame (a safe lock alone weighs twice as much). This is where the decision for a BALLOON RACER becomes more than the decision for a beautiful bike.

FITTING DETAILS for all models 2007

Frame, ForkFrame HeightHandlebar BearingSaddleSeat PostCrank SetChainChainguardPedalsBrakesRimsTyresInner TubesFront EndHandlebarGripsBellBrake LeverDynamoFront LightRear LightMudguardsFender StrapsRack

Men‘s Model „KLAUS“ / Women‘s Model „KLARA“Shimano THREE-SPEED hub with coaster-brake or freewheel

Men‘s Model „PAUL“ / Women‘s Model „PAULA“Shimano SEVEN-SPEED hub with freewheel

Men‘s Model „MAX“ / Women‘s Model „MAXI“Shimano THREE-SPEED hub with freewheel plusSCHLUMPF „high-speed-drive“TWO SPEED-internal hub drivetrain

SERIAL COLOURS for all models 2007

RAL 1015 LIGHT IVORY (CREME) RAL 3012 BEIGE RED RAL 3009 OXIDE RED RAL 5014 DOVE BLUERAL 7008 KHAKI GREY (OLIVE)RAL 7030 STONE GREYRAL 9005 DEEP BLACK

Technical changes and misprints in specifications and images in the catalogue are possible and excepted.

CrMo-Steel (main tube set), hand-solderedWomen‘s 52 cm, Men‘s 56 cm1“ RITCHEY Logic blackBROOKS B 67, leather core saddle, honey or blackpatent post aluminium 300 mmaluminium SUGINO chainring 130 mm, 42 teeth with chainring guardKMC 1/2x3/32 silver/brownpowder-coated in frame colouraluminium with non-slip rubber surfaceShimano Roller Brake, BR-IM 41SCHOTTHORST-ST 32, stainless steel, powder-coated in cream or blackSchwalbe „FAT FRANK“ 26 x 2,35“, creme or blackSchwalber Schrader-valve (car valve)steel 80/100 mm, 25°, powder-coated in frame coloursteel 57/67 cm width, chrome-platedsoft filament profile, skin-friendly TPEbrass-safety bell, chrome-platedaluminium (silver-coloured coating)BASTA-Turbo sidewall or Shimano hub dynamoHalogen AXA-T5 brass or B&M LUMOTEC-N Retro, chrome-platedBusch & Müller SECULITE plus, LED with parking light, chrome-platedSteel – 65 mm galvanised, powder-coated in frame colourStainless steelTube rack, powder-coated in frame colour – from 2007

Herrenmodell „KLAUS“ / Damenmodell „KLARA“Shimano DREIGANG-Schaltnabe mit Rücktritt oder Freilauf

Herrenmodell „PAUL“ / Damenmodell „PAULA“Shimano SIEBENGANG-Schaltnabe mit Freilauf

Herrenmodell „MAX“ / Damenmodell „MAXI“Shimano DREIGANG-Schaltnabe mit Freilauf plusSCHLUMPF „high-speed-drive“ZWEIGANG-Tretlagergetriebe

retrovelo − Mehlert & Patitz GbRGeorg-Schumann-Str. 228 / 230D-04159 LEIPZIGTel.: +49 (0) 341. 4792906 +49 (0) 341.58979060Fax: +49 (0) 341.58979063E-Mail: [email protected] www.retrovelo.de 2007