The Rolybird is most likely the rarest of all Doepke toys. This one was purchased from Maine and was in poor condition with many rust pits. Hundreds of hours later it looks pretty close to its original state.
The seat could be moved forward two more positions to accommodate smaller drivers.
Those are the original pedals! The housing kept the driver protected from the chain and sprocket gears.
The steering wheel was simple, yet futuristic. It steered the single rear wheel.
Tubing members were held together with an interior sleeve secured with sheet metal screws.
A single rod connected the bottom of the steering column with the rear pivot wheel.
It was under this cap that I found the only trace of the original yellow paint.
I was able to use "off-the-shelf" hardware s tore wheels to closely match the well-worn originals.
A new axle had to be fashioned. It rides in a ball bearing concealed within the frame clamp above.