Calling Itera owners - nobody there?

boly
boly Posts: 71
edited December 2012 in Road general
Has anybody actually ridden one of these Swedish plastic things from the 80's? Looks a bit like an NSU Quickly without the engine! I was offered one the other day and I can't resist owt for nowt - maybe I'll start an owners club with just me in it...[:D]

Comments

  • nashcom
    nashcom Posts: 255
    I had a test ride on one. I was probably a young teenager at the time, and my mum expressed an interest in one at a bikeshop in Lancaster (I think). I can't remember too much about it, apart from the usual sales pitch, and how flexy plastic handlebars were 'a good thing'. I seem to recall being told that Volvo had had a hand in its development. The only ones I saw were beige in colour.
  • A local bike shop has an Itera chained up amongst its secondhand bike selection and it's been there for months!
  • Mickle
    Mickle Posts: 995
    My workshop @ Company of Cyclists has one hanging from the roof (next to an A-bike). Its a lovely piece of industrial design history but its not a bicycle. It doesnt quite qualify.


    Dumbo.
    Elephants, schmeliphants.
  • boly
    boly Posts: 71
    Maybe I'll set it in concrete in the front garden and grow flowers up it....
  • thedoctor
    thedoctor Posts: 529
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by TractionControl</i>

    A local bike shop has an Itera chained up amongst its secondhand bike selection and it's been there for months!
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Hmmm. Might be interested in this (if only out of curiosity). Do you have the name / address of the shop?

    OK - I'll just have one more baby elephant...
  • Archcp
    Archcp Posts: 8,987
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Mickle</i>

    My workshop @ Company of Cyclists has one hanging from the roof (next to an A-bike). Its a lovely piece of industrial design history but its not a bicycle. It doesnt quite qualify.


    Dumbo.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Believe it or not, I saw someone actually riding an A-bike, over the Millennium Bridge, the other day...

    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
  • satanas
    satanas Posts: 1,303
    I had the "pleasure" of test riding an Itera at the Harrogate bike show in about 1982/83... I agree that it's an interesting piece of design, but somewhat heavy, dead feeling and flexy as a bicycle. They came in other colours too; I remember blue at least.

    As for saying it's not a bicycle, I disagree. There are *much* worse examples out there such as my personal most-loathed - the Strida (circa 1990); anti-ergonomic, will not turn corners successfully, is much flexier than the Itera (and in worse places too), contains very few normal bike parts, and creates maximum grief with anyone stupid or unfortunate enough to buy one.

    <i>Fixed gears work almost as well as fixed cats...</i>
  • thedoctor
    thedoctor Posts: 529
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by satanas</i>

    I had the "pleasure" of test riding an Itera at the Harrogate bike show in about 1982/83... I agree that it's an interesting piece of design, but somewhat heavy, dead feeling and flexy as a bicycle. They came in other colours too; I remember blue at least.

    As for saying it's not a bicycle, I disagree. There are *much* worse examples out there such as my personal most-loathed - the Strida (circa 1990); anti-ergonomic, will not turn corners successfully, is much flexier than the Itera (and in worse places too), contains very few normal bike parts, and creates maximum grief with anyone stupid or unfortunate enough to buy one.

    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    You're not a fan of Stridas then?[:D]
  • jakob_s
    jakob_s Posts: 477
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by boly</i>

    http://www.freewebs.com/propellerhead/index_cykel.htm
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    The text below probably says it it best:
    "The solution to a problem that never existed".



    FGG #2384
  • Just sumbled accross this old thread and I thought I'd bring it back to life - are there any Itera owners out there?
    I think the Itera is an awesome bike and I won't hear anything against it.

    That said, I also like; Keytars, Huey Lewis and the News, Rubick's cubes and Topgun. :-/