Worksman "KikShift" Rare Frame Find

[Mark Sr.]

Scored this interesting one today, anyone know anything about it?


It is pretty heavy, even by Worksman standards.




I'm told it is a 3-speed.

 

[Wildcat]

I've never seen that before, so I searched and all I could find is this reference to a 1981 catalog showing bikes like that. It stated the Kik Shift was short lived, and I couldn't read any of the text to see how many speeds it was.

Here's the link:
http://www.proteanpaper.com/scart_results.cgi?comp=howiebik&part=BDS 1981-00

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

It's like 1080p, I don't know what it is, but I know that I want it!
In all seriousness, I wonder if it functions like a kickback hub...looking forward to seeing what you find.
Cheers,
Dr. T


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Illiterite Wino]

be interesting to combine with a three speed rear hub

 

[kingfish254]

Found this RRB link in my googling.
Sounds like it is 3 speed
http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-does-a-kik-shift-work.5670/

 

[kingfish254]

Also found this trademark
http://www.trademarkia.com/kik-shift-73265419.html

 

[kingfish254]

and this article on the invention
http://www.trademarkia.com/kik-shift-73265419.html

 

[horsefarmer]

Throw a coaster on it and see how it works!

 

[RustySprockets]

This is the other link, and it speaks more of the creator than his device. It's a rare (and strange) piece of bike history to be sure. I can't even begin to imagine how it works on the inside.

http://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/11/22/Engineer-invents-foot-shift-bike/7408343717200/

 

[Bicycle808]

This is the other link, and it speaks more of the creator than his device. It's a rare (and strange) piece of bike history to be sure. I can't even begin to imagine how it works on the inside.

http://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/11/22/Engineer-invents-foot-shift-bike/7408343717200/

Thanks for the link. This little tidbit really struck a chord with me:

He said the derailleur shifting system, which became the bike rage of the 1960s, presented a repair challenge for even a graduate engineer like himself. Its delicate controls and cables required frequent adjustment.

Good one. I can see many completely valid reasons to criticize and avoid derailers, but if their maintenance and repair really present a significant challenge to a "graduate engineer", then we gotta assume some user error. Remember, this was 1980-- pretty much pre-indexing, aside from Shimano Positron. It doesn't get much simpler than friction-shifted derailers. (More likely, I'm thinking, this was some hyperbolic promotion of his new product.)

At any rate, I'm hoping that @Mark Sr. will take plenty of pictures, if he ever cracks that thing open.....