Bridgestone Picnica

On display in New York

The Bridgestone Picnica line of bikes, some models featuring belt-drives, were introduced in the early 1980s and carried in the Bridgestone Cycle USA catalogs from 1985 through 1990.^[1][2] It weighs 29 pounds and belt-drive models use a tooth-belt drive like auto timing belts and Harley-Davidson drive belts, along with a novel two-part chainring that increases belt tension with increasing load. The Picnica is a folding bicycle, and part of the appeal of the belt drive is cleanliness. It is a small wheel bicycle, so belt tension may be less than on a bicycle with standard-size wheels.

The Picnica was apparently commercially successful, but was offered mainly in Japan.

A Picnica bicycle being folded

References