The Závist high-wheel bicycle
The honorable member and technical leader of the Czech Club of Velocipedists 1880 has extended the numerous series of replicas of high-wheel bicycles in Bohemia and has constructed his own machine. It is a good thing that he sought inspiration for the design of the head in the machines of the Kohout family in nearby Smíchov.
The oldest Favorit
When, in the 1950’s, the comrades in the bicycle factory in Rokycany wanted to start up production of sports bicycles, they had to decide between two names: “BOREC” (athlete, champion) and “FAVORIT”. We now know which one they chose. This was followed by the production of four or five prototypes, which were to be destroyed after they were tested. One of them has been preserved and is now the property of the First Czech Cycling Museum in Nové Hrady.
A Czech First
The Czech Republic has the greatest number of manufacturers of replicas or more or less successful imitations of high-wheel bicycles in the world. It is a matter of opinion whether this is a good thing or not.
Antonín Perič
This is probably the most famous Czech manufacturer of bicycle frames (he constructed the first frame in approx. 1933/34 and the last in the 1970’s); his bicycles were amongst the most highly valued and sought after by collectors, not only from Bohemia and can be seen in unique period photographs.
“HAYNES ET JEFFERIS” in a single place
It is an exceptional collector’s experience to see a period product from the English manufacturer in Coventry, “Haynes et Jefferis”. However, there is only one place in the world where you can see almost the entire range of products, including tricycles. In the Dutch cycling museum in Nijmengen.
