This site not affiliated in any way with the Swing Bike Company.





The Wackiest Thing on Two Wheels!

Visitors to take the Swing Bike Page around the block so far ...
From a back cover advertisement (Boy's Life, Aug. 1976):

"There's never been anything like it. It may look like a sleek "High-rise" ... but with the turn of a coupling, the rear wheel becomes steerable."




The Swing Bike is so unique that it was patented!

Invented by Ralph Belden of Cascade Locks, Oregon, USA sometime in the 1960s, the Swing Bike was granted a U.S. Patent in 1974 and, after further development and prototyping, went into production in Taiwan and was distributed "world wide" in late 1975. Initially owned and distributed by the E.B.M. Corporation of Santa Barbara, California, USA, the publicly traded company was soon to be moved to Logan, Utah, USA. The Swing Bike Company was headed by Patrick Hoggan, but most people remember the tie in with another family from Utah, the Osmonds. Advertised on the Donny and Marie Osmond TV Show, the Swing Bike became linked both in live action, radio and in print with the youngest Osmond entertainer, Jimmy Osmond. As the brochure stated, "With SWING BIKE, you can invent wacky maneuvers which leave everyone else bug-eyed in amazement!" The bike sold $98.50 in 1975, $119.00 in 1976, and was back down to $99.00 in 1978. The production colors were Yellow, Blue, Orange, and Green. The Swing Bike company would distribute intructions for how to run a Swing Bike Rodeo with competitions including slalom, obstacle course, pilons, curb ride, and, of course, the wheelie. This fun would continue until around 1978 or 1979. I don't know if the demise was coincidental with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) weighing in on bicycles in 1978 or too many kids' mothers left "bug-eyed in amazement", but the company gave up on the bikes and tried to move (unfortunately not along with their shareholders) into other products before folding (their trademark expired in 1983). Since most of the bikes were sold on consignment, many remaining Swing Bikes in dealer showrooms were abandoned by the Swing Bike company, moved to dealer back stock and not sold for (unfounded) fear of liability. This may explain why you do find a few new-in-box examples popping up every once in a while. Bikes that "swing" in a similar manner have come and gone over the years. June of 2004 brought us a new Swing Bike company that is producing a nearly identical Swing Bike (the grandson of the original Swing Bike Company's Sales Manager is the President). Let's hope it sticks around longer this time. (Note: The new Swing Bike Company's website expired on October 23, 2005. R.I.P.?)


Original (Feb 1997 - April 2005) version of this page (in case you want to reminisce).


Little Jimmy

Click on Jimmy to see an original Swing Bike brochure!

Click here to see a homegrown version of a Swing Bike!

Click here to see another homegrown version of a Swing Bike!

Click here to see a custom chrome Swing Bike!

Click here to see the original Swing Bike patent!

Click here to see an original Swing Bike dealer brochure!

Click here to see an original Swing Bike dealer parts list!

Click here to see some original Swing Bike print advertisements!

Click here to see some original Swing Bike dealer correspondence!

Click here to see a layout for a Swing Bike Rodeo!

Click here to see a Swing Bike BMX bike!

Click here to see 3 NOS Swing Bikes (one still in a box)!

Click here to see an original Swing Bike Warranty Card!

Click here to see a bunch of NOS Swing Bikes (just one out of the box)!

Click here to go to Dean Hickstein's Swing Bike web page!

Click here to view and hear the Jimmy Osmond recordings for Swing Bike!

Click here to view Mike Watson's homegrown Swing Bike!

Click here to view Logan Mackay's homegrown Swing Bike!

Click here to view an early Swing Bike Ad!

Click here to view Andy Sparkes' British Swing Bike!

Click here to view Brad Chupick's Early Chainguard Swing Bike!

Click here to view details regarding the Swing Bike Trade Mark!

Click here to view Brent Wulfenstein's homegrown Swing Bike!

Click here to view a Swing Bike ad from the 1978 Osmond Fan Fair Catalog!

Click here to view a Swing Bike birth (as it was when removed from the box)!

Click here to view the new United Kingdom Swing Bike site!

Click here to see Juan DeLeon and his Swing Bike on the cover of Texas magazine!

Click here to see the Swing Bike section of the Finest Raleigh Chopper Website in the World!

Click here to see Swing Industries new web site and custom Swing Bikes!

Click here to see the original prototype Swing Bikes!

Click here to see the newest iteration of the Swing Bike -- the Swxng Bike!

Click here to see a variation on the Swing Bike that is good for you -- the Snike (or Snaix) Bike!

Click here to see a home video of Brad Brown's first Swing Bike ride!

Click here to view Brad Brown's Swing Bike Restoration in Progress!

Click here to view Mike Watson's homegrown Swing Bike II!

Click here to view Jim Barnard and the New England Muscle Bicycle Museum's Swing Bike collection!

Click here to view the rebirth of the Original Swing Bike!

Click here to view the discussion area for the United Kingdom's Swing Bike Site!

Click here to view Jamma build Jake's custom Swing Bike!

Click here to have Shepard Bassett explain the differences in Swing Bike manufacturers!

Click here to view Steve's very early Australian Swing Bike!

Click here to see a New Way to Swing!

Click here to view the mid-1990s Joyride Swingbike brochures!

Click here to view the Swing Bike Gallery on Chris Bentley's Australian Dragster Bike Web Site!

Click here to view Nova & Randy's Kustom 24" x 20" Schwing Bike!

Click here to view a Swing Bike Gathering!

Click here to view the archived version of the new (now defunct?) Swing Bike Company's website!
Click here to view the New England Muscle Bicycle Museum's Swing Bike (plus many other cool bikes)!
Click here to view Swing Bikes at the Billing Raleigh Chopper Rally in the UK!

Click here to view a Swing Bike sold by Semcycle!

Click here to view Shepard Bassett's Swing Bike Rider's Page!

Click here to Read About a Newly Found Stash of Reproduction Swing Bikes!

Click here to watch an original (?) Swing Bike commercial on YouTube!

Click here to watch more Swing Bikes on YouTube!

Click here to find out about getting new Swing Bike badges and decals!

Click here to read the story of a stolen Swing Bike recovery and a dead Swing Bike brought back to life!

Click here to check out the latest generation of new swing bikes from Americas Bike Company!

Click here to read a great story of lost love and Swing Bike restoration!

Click here to see an Indonesian Swing Bike badged as a Dodsun!

Click here to see Paul Wackowski's homegrown Swing Bike!



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Other Bicycle Links

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Bob Hufford

Page last updated October 5, 2009