Is 28 years a long time? For a bicycle model? The Ranger from Patria was already "Bicycle of the Year" in 1985. And could easily do so again today. The mid-1980s was a time when a new type of bike from the USA was fuelling the scene in Germany. Many people rediscovered the two-wheeler as an everyday vehicle. New manufacturers entered a developing market: VSF Fahrradmanufaktur, Patria, Utopia - convinced bicycle fans took heart, took money in their hands, if available, and built the bicycles themselves that were not available elsewhere. At that time, for the first time, a large number of high-quality everyday and touring bikes were created out of the simple deficit that such bikes were hard to buy.
Some of these newly designed bicycle models from back then still exist today. In addition to the Patria Ranger mentioned above, Utopia's Crane or the T-700 from the bicycle manufacturer are also such evergreens. However, the Pedersen is even older and more venerable: its design is a kind of stunted branch of bicycle history - created back in 1893, when bicycle development was still completely open. A good 100 years later, the German frame builder Michael Kemper developed a fascination for this technical archetype and transposed the concept into the present day with great commitment. He has been doing this for another quarter of a century. The Bielefeld-based manufacturer Gudereit has also shown great staying power: The family-run company is one of the few survivors in the former bicycle stronghold in Westphalia.
The bikes in the test:
