Bicycles "Start-Highway": characteristics and history

Anyone who has caught at least the 90s of the last century at a conscious age remembers that mountain bikes with gear shifting were inaccessible due to their high cost. The choice of amateurs mainly fell on those models that the Soviet bicycle industry left as a legacy. And those of them who craved speed did not pass by the famous "Start-Highway".

This is one of the few more modern models where instead of carbon and composite materials, steel is used as the main frame and forks. Manufacturer - Kharkiv Bicycle Plant named. GI Petrovsky, who has been working since 1923. In those pre-war years at the dawn of the USSR, there were no full-fledged conveyors that would allow for mass serial production of bicycle products. In 1926 the first road bike "Ukraine" was produced. But the mechanized conveyor was soon established, and the KhVZ surpassed all the expectations of the Soviet people, having released more than a million copies before the Second World War.

During the Great Patriotic War, KhVZ was sent to Bukhara, where he switched to military production. After returning to Kharkov, when the war ended, the plant resumed the production of bicycles. From that moment on, the Soviet bicycle industry has been focusing on the production of women's and children's models. Soviet designers K. S. Gladkoy and V. M. Mayboroda expanded the list of bike models by launching the production of racing models. "Tourist" and "Kharkov", presented for production in 1949, were produced until 1966, then "Kharkov" was updated, and its new modification became known as "Start-highway".

"Start-Highway" is a true "highway". It stands out sharply from other bicycles. It allows you to develop a significant speed - up to 45 km / h, and riding uphill on it is noticeably easier than on most even modern road and city bicycles. The steel frame, if broken, can be easily repaired using conventional welding. The thickness of the pipes from which it is welded allows to achieve a significant reduction in weight, not inferior to carbon counterparts. In addition, a full-fledged road bike "with a needle" today costs 50-150 thousand rubles. - but for much less money (10-15 thousand rubles) you can now find the already mentioned "Start-highway".

If you buy "Start-Highway" in an inoperative state, then with the prompt finding of suitable spare parts, it is not a problem to save another 2000-3000 rubles.

This model has long been - in 2002 - removed from production... Spare parts for it will only fit from other bikes. However, the Kharkov Bicycle Plant continues to produce other models of bicycles - the Ukrainian bicycle industry has not gone anywhere. In cities with a population of about one million or more, there are no problems with spare parts: each of them has at least one store that sells Kharkov bike mechanics, and competitors, including fans and simply lovers of Kharkov bikes, also support these stores. If it were not for the obsolescence of components, the production of KhVZ did not experience stagnation today, but was actively developing further.

Replacing a worn-out "native" rear wheel is the most problematic step in updating bike mechanics. "Start-highway" was 3-speed - its modern counterparts use 7 and more speeds. To install a high-speed cassette (multi-sprocket), it is necessary to move the rear frame tubes apart, which, without sufficient experience, will noticeably disrupt their correct position.

The technical characteristics of the models of the "Start-Highway" line are somewhat distinguishable.

Model B-553:

• frame and fork material - steel 30HGSA;
• material of assemblies and components - steel 30L;
• tip material - grade 10 steel;
• wheelbase distance - 104 or 106 cm;
• frame size - 56, 58 or 60 cm;
• "Recumbent" steering wheel;
• caliper brakes on the rims;
• bushing base material - B95 duralumin;
• bushings design - one-piece groove from a large flange;
• butted needles (thickened towards the ends);
• wheel rims - special aluminum alloy;
• tube-type tires "slick";
• aluminum pedal cranks (same brand);
• there is an opportunity to fix toe clips;
• 5-speed ratchet without brake on rear hub (sprockets with 13 to 21 teeth);
• 2-speed cassette on pedal hub (2 sprockets 47 and 50 teeth, or 48 and 51);
• saddle made of plastic on a steel frame;
• bike weight - at least 10 kg.

"Start-highway" B-555 differs from B-553 in the following parameters:

• wheelbase distance - 102 or 104 cm;
• frame size - 54 cm;
• stem height - 7.5 or 13 cm;
• double rims are used;
• bike weight - at least 11 kg.

Start-highway Moscow-80, timed to coincide with the 1980 Moscow Olympics, changed the frame and fork material from steel to titanium and aluminum. Butted pipes - have a variable wall thickness. The fork has taken on a new shape, the stem distance has increased. As rubber - single-tube tires: the chamber is covered with a thin-walled but wear-resistant tire, the whole structure is glued to the rim. The titanium axle has a void inside, which makes it lighter in weight.

The pedal cranks are lightweight. The titanium ratchet (including the sprockets) contributes to the overall roll. This model weighs only 8.25 kg - significantly lighter than previous Start-Highway revisions. These bicycles were produced for only two years - in 1981.the release of "Start-Highway" returned to the previous level, since they were never used at the Olympiad.

The only thing left of the "Start-Highway" at the present time is frame, fork and steering column from the past. Almost all modifications of this bike in use today are equipped with modern double box rims, as well as tires from Schwalbe and other prominent companies with a slick (treadless) treadmill, under which there is a powerful anti-puncture layer.

A bushing with a square mount is used as a pedal carriage. Some amateurs have changed the steering wheel "lounger" to a regular one, turning the "Start-Highway" into a modern bicycle hybrid - a kind of marching all-terrain vehicle on the HVZ frame.

Despite the protests of many cyclists, the release of Start-Highway was never revived. Perhaps someone, having access to turning and milling machines, is trying to build something that at least in general terms resembles this bicycle - but it still does not come out what they wanted. Plus, steel and titanium inspire confidence - unlike carbon, which bursts and crumbles when the frame falls at the wrong angle.

Next, watch the video review of the bike "Start-Highway" in the original assembly.