Meeting Peter Stull at his legendary New York shop Bicycle Man in June 2024 was a rare opportunity to step inside one of the most known recumbent hubs in the United States. Peter began repairing bikes at just 11 years old, long before anyone could have predicted how deeply the recumbent world would shape his future. During our visit, he shared how those early years as a young mechanic eventually led him to open his own shop and, later, to transition from a traditional bicycle store into one of the country’s most recognized recumbent dealers. He explained why his first serious choice between recumbents came down to the Rans Rocket and the Vision R40. Peter also described when recumbents started to dominate his business and what proportion of recumbent bikes, trikes, and upright bikes he sells today.

Recumbent museum

A highlight of the visit was getting a chance to ask Peter about his continually growing museum, a space packed with rare and fascinating recumbents that trace decades of innovation. Among the treasures are machines from the 1970s and 1980s, early Terra Trikes, prototypes that preceded ICE trikes, and several designs that never made it into successful production but still reveal important chapters of recumbent history. We even had the chance to test ride some of these unique bikes and trikes, experiencing firsthand how design ideas evolved across generations. It was a really interesting conversation. You can watch the full interview in the video included in this article.