Kronan (Swedish: The Crown) bicycles are marketed by Kronan Trademark AB, also known as Kronan AB. Kronan AB was established in June 1997 by three former-students, John Wahlbäck and the Avander brothers, Henry and Martin. In autumn 2003 the company was bought by the Brunstedt family with Mary Brunstedt as the company's current CEO.
History Kronan began when John Wahlbäck sold surplus Swedish military m/42 bikes, to supplement his income as a student. They decided to manufacture a copy of this after selling all their original stock. Kronan bought the original drawings from the Swedish Ministry of Defense and commissioned a Taiwanese manufacturer to build bicycles to these specifications.
The current Kronan Bicycle has been modernized slightly, but has the same basic design as the original. It is assembled in Poland using parts from Asia. The original Kronan factory was in Malmö.
Until about 2000 Kronan bikes were only available in a limited number of colors, with a single gear and coaster brakes. New models have been added with 3-speed SRAM hub gears and drum brakes.
Other variants include a child's bike (Kiddo), a traditionally-styled bike (Kranny) and a tricycle (Kargo). All these bikes have a bottle dynamo front light (the rear is operated by a battery) and panniers as standard.
Models
Diamond Frame, single gear, coaster brake Diamond Frame, 3-speed, front roller brake, rear coaster brake Step-through, single gear, coaster brake Step-through, 3-speed, front roller brake, rear coaster brake Step-through Unitube, 5-speed, front roller brake, rear coaster brake (USA only - no longer available)
Specs
Frame: Cromoly diamond and step through with 1 or 3 three speeds Forks: Cromoly Wheels: Miche, aluminum Rear hub: Shimano 1-spd or SRAM T 3-spd S3 Spectro with coaster brake. Chain: KMC 108 links Crankset: Shimano steel 46T Pedals: Aluminum spindle Tires: Continental Men's bikes: (54-584) 650B Ladies' bikes: (47-622) 700C Saddle: Cushioned w/ vinyl upholstery Rear light: Darkness & motion activated. .06 watts. Stainless steel cover & cage Front light: Front wheel Bottle dynamo generator - 6 volt, 3 watts Brakes: Drum brake SRAM T3 Luggage carrier: Painted steel w/ 2 chrome spring clips and airpump holder. Pump included! Bell: Stainless steel w/ Kronan logo Fenders and chainguard Colours: Men's - blue, black, brown, and occasionally green, and red. Ladies - red, pink and black.
All Kronan bicycles have following basic equipment: large tires for more comfort in the city, a rear license plate, extra large saddle, coaster brake and front hub brake (As of March 2007, all Kronan models are equipped with a hand brake ), dynamo powered front and automatic rear light, rear rack ( wide and front to back), stainless steel chain and spokes, steel frame with extra coating for protection, and rims and fenders/mudguards in steel in same color as frame, internal gear hubs, kick stand, bell, and air pump.
Accessories
Frame mounted wheel lock Front rack - frame-mounted and measures deep by wide with 35 pound capacity. Front basket - wire or wicker Brooks brand Saddles and bags GMG Dutch child seat RackPack Carradice Bags
Corporate advertising Several companies have incorporated Kronan bicycles into their employees and customer reward programs, or purchased a fleet of Kronan bikes for use by employees and customers. These bicycles usually have a signboard underneath their crosstube advertising the company. British Airways Ikea Volvo Body Shop Hennes & Mauritz ABB Wallpaper magazine Dagens Nyheter
See also Monark - manufacturers similar utility bikes Helkama Jääkäri - Finnish version
References
External links
Kronan Cykel (Swedish) KronanUSA Kronan Belgium Kronan video on YouTube Kronan video in Spanish Kronan Classic 3-speed A small history of Bicycles in SWEDEN Kronan nos enseñan sus fotos (Spanish) Bike Fixation