Slow'n Low Pedal Scrapers Forum -> A word from the Dyno Roadster designer!

A word from the Dyno Roadster designer!, READ THIS GUYS!!

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cruz-R

Posted: Sat Jan 27 2007 17:57 GMT +1

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"Sometimes you get a cookie without asking for it Gerd at Spokes in Holland were pleased to get the full story from Jeff Soucek, former GT designer. He's the guy who designed the Dyno Roadster..."

Here's the letter sent to Gerd at Spokes:

QUOTE

dd. 23-01-2007

Hi,
� �� I was just forwarded your website about the Dyno Roadster.� It is great to see an appreciation for this bike after all of these years.� Let me introduce myself, my name is Jeff Soucek and I actually designed that frame while working for GT bicycles between the years 1992 and 1998.� I thought I could share a little incite to the project and how it became.

� �� The idea of this Roadster frame actually was conceived after Sean Flickinger (one of the other GT Industrial Designers) designed the standard Dyno cruiser frame.� I was responsible for the geometry of that bike, and at the time we wanted a standard cruiser that would simply blow away the old Schwinn cruises that were so popular at that time.� We kept kicking the geometry back and slacking out the frame until it had �what we called at the time �6 pack geometry� This meant you could be half lit and still ride it to the liquor store and them back with one hand on the bar and a six pack of beer in the other.

� �� The next part of the story goes like this.� Bill Duehring (Director of R&D at GT, and now President of Felt Bicycles) knew we had just designed a great cruiser, and wanted to create something to stir up the excitement of this new �standard� cruiser.� We really wanted to highlight the new �six pack� geometry of the new bike.� There was a small custom builder in the Huntington Beach California area where our office was, called HB CRUISERS.� This guy had made some super stretched out cruisers that we had seen the locals riding down at the beach.� This gave us the idea to take our standard cruiser design and �six pack� geometry and stretch it out to the Roadster length, creating a �show bike� for the Interbike release that year in Aneheim California.� This would be such an obviously different bike that it would help draw attention to the �standard� cruiser line.

� � �� So I went to work hand building the first prototype of this Roadster with the help of Dan McGrew (master frame builder in the GT tooling room).� We hand formed, bent, flared and machined everything from scratch.� Next we had the front half of the frame chrome plated and painted it custom with classic chrome darts, electric blue pinstripes, and black from there back. Even the front fender and chainguard were half chromed and painted.� It was a beautiful job done by the Custom GT paintshop in Colorado responsible for all of the Custom frames made by GT at the time.� All of the other bits were triple chrome plated to car show quality, down to the 12 gage spokes and nipples.� It even had an internal generator front hub with a headlight and internal wiring.

� �� Once the bike was complete, everybody was freaking out about how cool it was, so it was time to show it to the boss Richard Long (owner and president of GT)� We approached him with the bike the day of the yearly sales meeting where all of the sales reps from the entire country were in the building.� We brought it up to the meeting and called Richard into the hallway were we had the bike sitting to surprise him, and as him for permission to show it to the Sales reps.� I still remember his words when he came out and saw it �Are you Fucking serious, you actually think you can sell those�.� We said �let us bring it in and show the sales reps and see what they say�.� He reluctantly agreed, and we left the meeting with the Reps cheering.� The bike was now set to be shown at the Interbike in Aneheim.� Needless to say the bike caused quite a stir at the show.� When we noticed the big guys from most of competition was in our booth checking it out, Richard had us pull the bike from the show after the first day and gave us the go-ahead to make a production bike.� The rest is history with this bike surprising all with the numbers sold over the few years it was in production.

� � � Pretty interesting side note:� Bill Duehring the director of GT R&D during this time is now the President of Felt Bicycles.� Some of the same guys who worked on these bikes at GT now work with Bill once again for Felt.� It is cool to see that the Felt Forks/Bars, Tires, cranks and other misc. parts you put on your custom cruiser are actually designed all by the same people.� It is almost like a continuation or evolution of the bike.

Thanks for keeping it alive and we would love to see more of your work.� Let me know if you have any questions.

Best Regards. Jeff

Jeff Soucek / Felt Bicycles
Senior Design Engineer

--------------------

Be who you are & say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind...

Visit my "MySpace" site at www.myspace.com/pedalscraper

cruz-R

Posted: Sat Jan 27 2007 18:12 GMT +1

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QUOTE

We kept kicking the geometry back and slacking out the frame until it had �what we called at the time �6 pack geometry� This meant you could be half lit and still ride it to the liquor store and them back with one hand on the bar and a six pack of beer in the other...

--------------------

Be who you are & say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind...

Visit my "MySpace" site at www.myspace.com/pedalscraper

JR-C	Posted: Sun Jan 28 2007 0:15 GMT +1
Bikepainter Group: Members Posts: 333 Member No.: 4 Joined: 3-December 06	What a story!!! This get's better every day Nice pic cruz --------------------

MaXXXwell	Posted: Mon Mar 10 2008 9:43 GMT +1
Old Timer! Group: Members Posts: 94 Member No.: 73 Joined: 22-October 07	The original prototype of which Jeff Soucek is talking in this story is spotted in Holland. It's as sweet as he described it!!! Chromed front... blue decals... black paint... Oh man! I couldn't believe my own eyes when I saw it I'm at work now but I will post pix as soon as I get home.

cruz-R

Posted: Mon Mar 10 2008 10:22 GMT +1

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Joined: 30-November 06

QUOTE (MaXXXwell @ Mon Mar 10 9:43 GMT +1)

The original prototype of which Jeff Soucek is talking in this story is spotted in Holland.

It's as sweet as he described it!!!

Chromed front... blue decals... black paint... Oh man! I couldn't believe my own eyes

when I saw it

I'm at work now but I will post pix as soon as I get home.

Come on! Give us the details!

cruz

--------------------

Be who you are & say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind...

Visit my "MySpace" site at www.myspace.com/pedalscraper

MaXXXwell	Posted: Mon Mar 10 2008 10:27 GMT +1
Old Timer! Group: Members Posts: 94 Member No.: 73 Joined: 22-October 07	I'll post some scoop-pix but will let the owner tell his story himself Check: CNN

Gdad	Posted: Mon Mar 10 2008 16:15 GMT +1
Old Timer! Group: Members Posts: 54 Member No.: 70 Joined: 10-October 07	Hi Guys interesting story about the stetched lowrider, But I read an article that said George Barris designed them for the TV series " The Adam`s Family " & after the first show viewer`s wanted to know were they could purchase one. Can anyone varify this...........Cheer`s Gdad

geniuz	Posted: Mon Mar 10 2008 16:43 GMT +1
Veterano! Group: Members Posts: 250 Member No.: 65 Joined: 6-September 07	George Barris built two automobiles for the show: "The Munster Koach", a hot rod built on a lengthened 1923 Ford Model T chassis with a custom hearse body. It was 18 feet long and cost almost $20,000 to build. Barris also built the DRAG-U-LA (which inspired a Rob Zombie song by the same name), a dragster built from a coffin, which Grandpa used to win back "The Munster Koach" after Herman lost it in a race. (According to Barris, a real coffin was, in fact, purchased for the car.) But the Sting-Ray became famous when George Barris customized the bike for Eddie Munster of the hit television series The Munsters. The 'Eddie Munster' Chain bike was made at the George Barris kustom shop around 1965. is this what you are thinking of Gdad ? -------------------- low n dirty bruunsykkel.no

MaXXXwell

Posted: Mon Mar 10 2008 17:46 GMT +1

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QUOTE (Gdad @ Mon Mar 10 16:15 GMT +1)

Hi� Guys interesting story about� the stetched lowrider, But I read an article that said George Barris designed them for the TV series " The Adam`s Family "� & after the first show viewer`s wanted to know were they could purchase one. Can anyone varify this...........Cheer`s Gdad�

I think you're off a little. Those were the Sting-Rays (I'm not completely sure but if Geniuz says so also...)

The original design of the Coaster/Roadster is from 1995 (Of this I'm not 100% sure either. It could be '94 too...

) They were first sold in 1995

El-Choppero	Posted: Mon Mar 10 2008 18:10 GMT +1
Old Timer! Group: Members Posts: 142 Member No.: 15 Joined: 8-January 07	That's a very interesting story,but it's more interesting to own that bike On ->CNN's Wazzup you can see the bike My CandyRed Coaster was also made in 95 And my Roadster's date of purchase was 25.04.2002 -------------------- El-Choppero KustomZ Space ECKustomZ.be

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