HellbentCycles.com
Title
The Hellbent Spitfire the best sports recumbent trike ever!!!
Contact
- Rickey Horwitz
-
- Campbell CA
- United States 95008
-
- +4085044388
Description
Welcome, my name is Rickey Horwitz and this is my web page. My experience building recumbent trikes goes back to 1993. Back then, I didn't know anything about recumbents or recumbent tricycles. However, I did know the basics of structural design, human ergonomics and bicycle mechanics. 80% of what I needed to know I learned on my own. It was a long and painful process, much of which was a stern lesson in humiliation. However, I persevered and was able to produce three successful series of the Zephyr trikes and the Thunderbolt trike. In 2003, I again released a new generation of trikes, called the Spitfire. Although my business dealings have not been totally successful, I remain one of the premier designers and pioneers of the recumbent trike industry.
My affair with human powered vehicles started back in 1981 while working for Lockheed Missiles and Space. At the time, I was involved with in-flight hardware used for nuclear warheads and satellites. Most of this hardware was titanium or some other type of strong exotic metallic alloy. Building up a vast supply of scrap material, I started building my own components for my bicycle. Eventually, it became a passion and I was soon given the prestigious title of "Gear Head" by my peers.
Back in 1983, I met a fellow riding an Avatar LWB recumbent. I had read about these bikes before, but had never seen one up close. I begged the guy to let me ride it. After much persuasion, he finally gave in. I hadn't ridden the bike half way across the parking lot before I crashed it. Luckily, no major damage to the bike or myself. It was at this time I envisioned building a stable recumbent tricycle. However, it would take 10 more years for me to finally turn it into a reality.
