PEDERSEN
PEDERSEN Will a Pedersen sway you? At first glance the Pedersen looks pretty obscure. There are many tubes forming various triangles and in the middle of the frame there seems to be something like a hammock.
Mikael Pedersen (1855-1929)
PEDERSEN OF DENMARK Kalle and Gabby Kalkhoff of KGB in Oldenburg are the worldwide agents and they offer five frame sizes in 195 colours. You can choose from a wide range of components, and they also sell frames only. Prices for a complete Pedersen start from around 3 1,900. The powder-coated frame alone, including saddle and various fixtures, costs around 3 1,000. Contact Information Pedersen of Denmark, c/o KGB, Donnerschweerstr.45, Oldenburg 26123, Germany. Tel: +49 441 885 0389 Fax: +49 441 885 0388 e-mail: kgb.kalle@nwn.de Web: www.pedersen-fahrrad.de
First patented in 1893, by Danish inventor Mikael Pedersen, the original Pedersen bicycles were called “Dursleys” or “DursleyPedersens” because they were produced in Dursley, England. Mikael found leather saddles of his day simply uncomfortable, so he created a hammock-saddle. It may not look like a normal bicycle but it rides like one, albeit with a more comfortable seat. The hammock saddle takes a few hours to get used to, and the only way to fully experience and appreciate the difference is to ride one. There is a slight sensation of swaying to and fro, but once you get used to it you may never want to sit on a normal bicycle saddle again. The unusual frame construction which was specifically designed to accommodate the unusual saddle is also extremely strong – we know of one rider weighing 225kg (495lbs) who is overjoyed finally to have found a bike strong enough to take his weight. Alas, like many inventors and visionaries, Mikael Pedersen was a brilliant technician, but a poor businessman. In the end he was forced to sell his bicycle company and died in poverty in Copenhagen. Then in 1979 another Dane, Jesper Sølling, decided to produce these bicycles again. So far Jesper has produced 6000 frames, which have been sold all over the world. Most of these sales are in Germany, where there is a large Pedersen enthusiasts club, with annual meetings in various towns.
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