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Press room - Encycleopedia Nr. 4
HP Velotechnik in the news: the following text is an excerpt from the English magazine Encycleopedia, volume 4 (1997). We recommend to order the complete magazine from the publishing house Open Road to read the whole story.
Wavey
Wave at the unfortunate occupants of traffic - jammed automobiles. Smile at their frustration as you enjoy your mobility. That's your reward for going by bike, and a bike called Wavey just adds to the pleasure.
It's designed as an inner-city jam-busting recumbent: agile, responsive and comfortable. And once a machine's been optimised for the cut-and-thrust of city traffic, it's usually a good general purpose machine for touring and commuting as well. So it is with the Wavey.
The compact design, with 20" wheels and above-seat steering, keeps the bike short and narrow. The seat height is chosen so that even smaller riders can get a foot firmly to the ground when stopping at the lights, and the fully-protected chain keeps clothes clean and presentable.
Quick-releases allow fast adjustment of seat and handlebars, so that several members of a household or business can use the same machine without compromising on ergonomics or safety.
Since the photographs were taken, the standard mesh seat has been slightly modified to improve comfort. The seat can be exchanged, if required, for almost any recumbent seat on the market. Seat fittings are scratch-resistant stainless steel.
Equipment can be chosen to suit most tastes: there is a wide range of options available including hydraulic brakes, front suspension, front fairings and lockable rear boxes, mudguards, stand, lights, carrier racks and more.
The Wavey is usually equipped with the Sachs 3x7 system with twistgrip shifters. The main frame is made from cromoly steel, and complete machines weigh from around 16kg, depending on the options chosen.
HP Velotechnik
Klaus Schröder designed the Wavey with the help of his friends at Veloladen, a cycle shop and 'bike culture centre' in Bergisch-Gladbach near Cologne. Veloladen have over ten years experience of riding and selling recumbents.
After producing the first few Waves themselves, Veloladen joined forces with the manufacturers of the Street Machine recumbent, HP Velotechnik, whose recumbent fairing appears in the 'Accessories' section of this Encycleopedia. The Street Machine was featured in Encycleopedia '96. HP Velotechnik now produce and market the Wavey, and work with Klaus on product development.
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