A Brief History of Cruzbike (at Twenty Years Old)

People often ask how Cruzbike got started. While the history of Cruzbike is still being written, I will give my take on how we got here.

In 2004-05 my wife, Maria, decided that she wanted to build on her marathon-running experience and start training for triathlons. She asked me to dust off my road bike and start riding with her. I was in my early 40s and had been busy building a medical practice and helping Maria raise our four kids. I hadn’t spent much time on a bike since I was in college. My first time out with Maria on my road bike was a pain-festival. I couldn’t believe I had ever ridden this bike and enjoyed it. I had gained a little weight over the years, but by no means was I obese. Nevertheless, my body-weight seemed to be crushing the tender parts of my pelvis that rested on the saddle. When I tried to shift the weight off the saddle, my wrists and shoulders began to ache.

I went back home and started searching the internet to see if my discomforts on the bicycle were unusual and if there was an alternative bicycle design that would be less painful and allow me to ride with Maria. I discovered that there is a plethora of evidence documenting the safety risks (head/neck injuries) and health dangers (ED, prostatitis, vulvar numbness, etc.) of standard road bikes, and that, indeed, there are safer alternative bike designs called recumbents.  I was tempted to buy one, but there was not a single recumbent design that appealed to me. They all had super long chains that looked heavy and inefficient. Some had a small wheel in the front and a large wheel in the rear (ugly… and requires packing spare tubes of different sizes). Some had a really long wheelbase (how can you carry that on your car?).  Some were very low (too close to the ground to see and be seen). Then I found the answer. A man named John Tolhurst in Australia created a kit that would convert a common mountain bike (MTB) into a front-wheel-drive recumbent. Short wheelbase: check! Short drive chain: check! Two full-size wheels: check! Comfortable and safe height above the ground: check!

I placed an order for the kit in 2005.  But before we get into what happened next, let’s fill in the back story of what inspired John Tolhurst to make that first kit. Innovators always build on the work of those who came before them, and in Mr. Tolhurt’s case, that innovator was Tom Traylor of Torrance, California. He not only invented the first front-wheel-drive “moving-bottom bracket” (FWD-MBB) bicycle, but proved their viability by winning many races on them back in the 1970s and 1980s. He is considered the “father” of this format of bicycle, though others were experimenting with similar designs, such as Olon Belcher, in Alabama in 1979.

ABOVE: Tom Traylor on one of his front wheel drive bicycles, circa 1974.

ABOVE: Tom Traylor, left, as Jim Parker holds a historic frame designed by Mr. Traylor (photo 2009).

ABOVE: In this photo, Genevieve Parker is testing one of Tom Traylor’s racing bikes while posing with Sima Traylor.

Mr. Traylor made his plans for his FWD bike available online, and over the years, a small following of people who like to weld and build their own bikes began to recognize significant advantages to his FWD-MBB design. In 2004, Mr. Traylor’s designs caught the attention of John Tolhurst, in Perth, Australia. Mr. Tolhurst wanted to build one, but without the need for welding. In a flash of genius, Mr. Tolhurst invented a simple method for converting an inexpensive “Y-frame” mountain bike (MTB) into a functional FWD-MBB recumbent. Only a few parts for the conversion were needed, and they would fit into a “Cruzbike-Conversion-kit” the approximate size of a breadbox. The kits were made and assembled in a small shop in Perth, and sold online.

Now back to 2005: I purchased one of the first kits sold in the United States, and built my first recumbent bicycle from the kit and an inexpensive MTB from a discount chain store. After learning to ride it, my enjoyment of cycling and my ability to ride farther reached new heights. One day, Maria and I were out on a ride. She had told me many times that she wouldn’t be caught dead on a recumbent. But the pain from her road bike finally overcame her recumbent-loathing, and she asked me if she could try my bike.

Immediately, Maria recognized the advantages to the Cruzbike-kit-bike. I ordered another kit and built a Cruzbike for her, too. We started riding our Cruzbikes together, and we couldn’t believe how much further we were riding and how comfortable we were. We felt like this was a secret that needed to be shared with the world. But the kit-bikes were not easy to build, and the proper “donor” bikes (the Y-frame MTBs) had fallen out of favor in the late 1990s and were getting hard to find.

I approached Mr. Tolhurst with a business proposition: let’s build a purpose-built FWD-MBB bicycle for the mass market— without the hose clamps and brackets that were a necessary part of the conversion kit. The result of the discussions was the founding of Cruzbike, Inc. in early 2006. Mr. Tolhurst sold his “current and forthcoming” designs to Cruzbike, Inc., becoming an equal shareholder with me in the new company. While Mr. Tolhurst traveled repeatedly to Taiwan and established an excellent relationship with Cruzbike’s new manufacturers and assemblers, Maria and I purchased a warehouse, stocked the bikes and kits imported from Taiwan, and shipped them from Lumberton, NC to all 50 US states and dozens of countries around the world.

The first “whole bike” that was produced by Cruzbike, Inc., was the robust and affordable “Sofrider”, which was built on a frame very much like a Y-frame MTB. In late 2006, the “Silvio” made its debut, and sported a suspension system that included flexible chainstays, a design borrowed from Johnson Chen, of YOAN Technologies, LTD, in Taiwan. Another significant contributor to the developing company was Doug Burton, of Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Burton’s technical knowledge of recumbent bicycles and his excellent communication skills made him an invaluable asset to Mr. Tolhurst, the Parkers, and all of Cruzbike’s first customers. Mr. Tolhurst’s design for the Silvio was awarded a US patent, as was his design of the conversion kit.

ABOVE: Jim Parker, Maria Parker, and John Tolhurst, at the Interbike Expo, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2006.

In 2007 and 2008, as “Cruzbikes” began to appear at more and more cycling events, they caused quite a stir in the small world of recumbent bicycles. Many people who switched to them from fixed-boom RWD recumbents made claims that they were now faster, especially when climbing. In 2009, Maria and I decided to put the claims to the test by entering a hilly race. Races sanctioned by the World UltraCycling Association, WUCA (formerly the UMCA), allow recumbents to race. That’s how we got involved in long-distance racing. Our first race was the 2009 12-hour race in Saratoga Springs, New York. Maria not only won overall, but set the course record (standard or recumbent) that still stands today. With that surprising performance, Maria next took aim at numerous world records and course records, which she currently holds in events such as the 100-mile, 200-mile, 12-hour, and 24-hour road event records as sanctioned by the WUCA. These performances were made easier by Mr. Tolhurst’s brilliant design of the Vendetta, a lighter, stiffer, and more reclined version of the Silvio.

In 2013, Maria was the overall fastest female racer in the 3000-mile Race Across America (RAAM), setting the record for women over 50 despite a serious car accident which destroyed two of her three bicycles, the main support van, and injured three crew members early in the race. This epic race is part of the origin story of Cruzbike. If you want to see the heart and soul of the company, watch the documentary, “Hope”, available for free at 3000milestoacure.com.

While Maria’s accomplishments on a Cruzbike have been amazing, a growing list of other racers have set records or won races on a Cruzbike, including Jason Perez, Cliff Federspiel, Larry Oslund, Kevin Gambill, and Matthew Lefthand.

Cruzbike, Inc., has produced nine models of bicycles since 2006:

This list does not include various small-batch prototype runs. Between 2010 and 2015, the Sofrider and Freerider models were phased out, as was production of the CB-kits. During those same years, sales began to slump and disagreements about design issues began to emerge between me and Mr. Tolhurst. Specifically, I wanted to discontinue the mono-shock in the front fork on the Silvio (and all our models). In my opinion, its benefits did not outweigh the extra weight, expense, and complexity of the design. Customers were constantly complaining about their front shock not working properly.  Also, Maria and I were not happy with the marketing efforts of Mr. Tolhurst, and wanted to hire our daughter, Lucia, who had a degree in journalism from UNC-Chapel and had proven brand-building skills that she developed while working at a Denver-based cosmetic company. She understood the rapidly developing world of the internet and was a great writer and digital content creator. We felt that having a revolutionary product was not enough. We needed someone who knew how to build an online community in the 21st century. These disputes eventually led to Mr. Tolhurst selling his Cruzbike shares to the Parkers in January 2015.

Maria and I attended the first-ever “Recumbent Cycle-Con” event in Pamona, California in 2011. There we met Robert Holler of Portland, Oregon. Robert is a recumbent bicycle and tricycle expert with years of industry experience. He joined the Cruzbike team shortly after the convention and has been an integral part of customer support. You’ve probably seen his “how-to” videos. Robert also is part of our design team and supervises the manufacturing process, making frequent trips to Taiwan to meet with our vendors. Cruzbike also benefited from collaboration with another Portland-based recumbent expert, Jonathon Garcia, who helped design and prototype the S40.  

Maria’s 2013 RAAM victory celebration at the Annapolis, Maryland finish line.

A history of Cruzbike would not be complete without describing the contributions of Larry Oslund, an early Cruzbike enthusiast, friend, and record-setting racer. Mr. Oslund built a large addition to his house to create the one and only Cruzbike museum, with the finest collection of vintage Cruzbikes anywhere in the world. He even found and restored my original kit-built bike, which I had the pleasure to ride once again while visiting him in Hilton Head, SC. Our greatest asset is our customers who make our efforts worthwhile. They have also contributed numerous bicycle and accessory design ideas that are now part of our lineup. John Crawford, Hardy Swinson, and Jason Perez come to mind in that regard.

Maria’s leadership of Cruzbike over the past 10 years, and Lucia’s marketing acumen, have certainly helped Cruzbike to become the #1 recumbent bicycle brand in the world.   Of course, none of it would be possible without our enthusiastic customers, and the great bicycles that they love to ride.

At a time when other recumbent companies were closing their doors or selling off their inventory, Cruzbike grew.

We don’t know what the future holds, but every few months Maria and I pause and ask each other if we are still having fun with Cruzbike. The answer is always a resounding “yes”.