Via Cygnus Recument (Vanguard Clone?)

[Wolverbob]

Anybody ever heard of a Via Cygnus? Someone has it on E-Bay right now and it looks like a Ryan
Vanguard clone.

The link is... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3628142340&category=7298

Bob Krzewinski

 

[Masterblaster]

"Wolverbob" wrote

> Anybody ever heard of a Via Cygnus? Someone has it on E-Bay right now and it looks like a Ryan
> Vanguard clone.
>
> The link is... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3628142340&category=7298
>
> Bob Krzewinski

The only reference I could find (besides a Japanese bike store using a similar name Via Cycles
Village) is this:

http://www.ihpva.org/mailing_lists/hpv/archive/1997q3/v04.n1080

From: Bob Dillard Date: Mon, 04 Aug 1997 21:08:20 -0500 Subject: [hpv] Re: re 16" tyres

Hi Tony: Thanks for the info on the 340 tire. Its front wheel on my lwb uss bent made in Houston
Texas about 10 years ago. Company name is VIA CYCLES. there out of business now . I found two sorces
from list which is great. One in California, and People movers in Iowa I think. I have one on the
way here in South Texas now, thanks to you folks on the hpv list.
- --
===========================================================
Bob Dillard http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/1646

 

[John Riley]

Actually it is closer to the Avatar (16" front wheel) which was the predecessor of the Vanguard.
Also I think this bike predated the Vanguard, or perhaps they were contemporaries. I am guessing
this bike is from the mid-80's.

Since I first posted about this, I found a couple sheets (no pics though) in my files. The XC model
is on both sheets. The older sheet lists the price as $450. The later one lists it as $550. Frame is
hi-ten steel.

They also had a more expensive model for $1,850! Cro-mo frame, 21 speed, canti brakes, campy
dropouts....

John Riley 1 at rogers dot com

[email protected] (Wolverbob) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Anybody ever heard of a Via Cygnus? Someone has it on E-Bay right now and it looks like a Ryan
> Vanguard clone.
>
> The link is... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3628142340&category=7298
>
> Bob Krzewinski

 

[Skip]

"Wolverbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Anybody ever heard of a Via Cygnus? Someone has it on E-Bay right now and
it
> looks like a Ryan Vanguard clone.
>
I've know of it. Can't give you specifically accurate information, but my faded recollection is that
the Via was a custom made long wheelbase originating in a LBS somewhere - maybe Ohio - some 15 or 20
years ago. Not many were made - primarily custom orders I think. It's a quality bike, but outdated.
If the price is right and someone could tolerate not riding the current hot fashion recumbent it
could be a real deal. Disclaimer: <This advice if offered by someone who has a certain fondness, not
often shared by others, for old bikes with character>

One more bit of trivia, it was a Via that Martin whathisname (strange how I can remember the bike's
name but not his) of Cycle America fame rode cross country after his head trauma problem.

skip

 

[Gary Herbst]

"skip" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Wolverbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Anybody ever heard of a Via Cygnus? Someone has it on E-Bay right now and
> it
> > looks like a Ryan Vanguard clone.
> >
> I've know of it. Can't give you specifically accurate information, but my faded recollection is
> that the Via was a custom made long wheelbase originating in a LBS somewhere - maybe Ohio - some
> 15 or 20 years ago. Not many were made - primarily custom orders I think. It's a quality bike, but
> outdated. If the price is right and someone could tolerate not riding the current hot fashion
> recumbent it could be a real deal. Disclaimer: <This advice if offered by someone who has a
> certain fondness, not often shared by others, for old bikes with character>
>
> One more bit of trivia, it was a Via that Martin whathisname (strange how I can remember the
> bike's name but not his) of Cycle America fame rode cross country after his head trauma problem.
>
> skip
I think one of the Ohio LWBs that you are talking about was the LEMLE made in Swanton, OH by Gene
Lemle and called the Lighting Tailwind. I have one and it is a very nice riding LWB that I have
upgraded some parts of. The other was made for BikeNashBar, but I have not been able to find out by
whom, about the same time and was really very crud. Gary

 

[John Riley]

"skip" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> I've know of it. Can't give you specifically accurate information, but my faded recollection is
> that the Via was a custom made long wheelbase originating in a LBS somewhere - maybe Ohio -

Pearland, TX, actually.

>One more bit of trivia, it was a Via that Martin whathisname (strange how I can remember the bike's
>name but not his) of Cycle America fame rode cross country after his head trauma problem.

Indeed. There is a small grainy photo here:

http://www.bikeroute.com/AwakeAgain/

John Riley

 

[Skip]

"Gary Herbst" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I think one of the Ohio LWBs that you are talking about was the LEMLE made in Swanton, OH by Gene
> Lemle and called the Lighting Tailwind. I have one and it is a very nice riding LWB that I have
> upgraded some parts of. The other was made for BikeNashBar, but I have not been able to find out
> by whom, about the same time and was really very crud. Gary

I was on one of the state bike rides and a fellow from Ohio let me take his light blue Lightning
Tailwind for a short ride. I remember it as a nice smooth riding well built bike. If I were you I'd
hold on to it - good uss lwb bikes are hard to come by these days.

I've often wondered if Lemle came up with the Lightning name before Lightning Cycle Dynamics did. I
know he was using the Tailwind name before Rans started using it. I bet John Riley would know.

skip

 

[Bentbiker]

Yes, Lemle did come up with both names first.

skip wrote:
> "Gary Herbst" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>>I think one of the Ohio LWBs that you are talking about was the LEMLE made in Swanton, OH by Gene
>>Lemle and called the Lighting Tailwind. I have one and it is a very nice riding LWB that I have
>>upgraded some parts of. The other was made for BikeNashBar, but I have not been able to find out
>>by whom, about the same time and was really very crud. Gary
>
>
> I was on one of the state bike rides and a fellow from Ohio let me take his light blue Lightning
> Tailwind for a short ride. I remember it as a nice smooth riding well built bike. If I were you
> I'd hold on to it - good uss lwb bikes are hard to come by these days.
>
> I've often wondered if Lemle came up with the Lightning name before Lightning Cycle Dynamics did.
> I know he was using the Tailwind name before Rans started using it. I bet John Riley would know.
>
> skip

 

[Richard Ryan]

The Via was built in Texas, saw them at Interbike back in the eighties, they also had a small
version for kids. Very nice semi-clone of the Avatar.

**** Ryan

 

[John Riley]

"skip" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Gary Herbst" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > I think one of the Ohio LWBs that you are talking about was the LEMLE made in Swanton, OH by
> > Gene Lemle and called the Lighting Tailwind. I have one and it is a very nice riding LWB that I
> > have upgraded some parts of. The other was made for BikeNashBar, but I have not been able to
> > find out by whom, about the same time and was really very crud. Gary
>
> I was on one of the state bike rides and a fellow from Ohio let me take his light blue Lightning
> Tailwind for a short ride. I remember it as a nice smooth riding well built bike. If I were you
> I'd hold on to it - good uss lwb bikes are hard to come by these days.
>
> I've often wondered if Lemle came up with the Lightning name before Lightning Cycle Dynamics did.
> I know he was using the Tailwind name before Rans started using it. I bet John Riley would know.
>
> skip

I wasn't sure about the Tailwind part. The square tube Rans Tailwinds go back quite aways.

Lemle's patent is dated 1989, but I associate the Lightning name with Tim Brummer back to earlier in
the 80's. I definitely remember thinking that was an issue when I first saw Lemle using the name.

The Lemle's were nice bikes, BTW. Several clever features. I probably would have bought one if he
had used larger diameter tubing. I thought it was too flexible because of the small tubes.

Two other early LWB classics were the Infinity out of Mooresville, IN and the Defelice out of New
Palestine, IN.

I wish I would have dated all these old brochures :-(

john riley 1 at rogers dot com