My endearing term for this kind of bicycle is the "Commie Special". It seems all the communist countries had them: Russia, Vietnam, Laos, China, and many more. It was at the hands of one of these Commie Specials that my camera took a mighty fall, but escaped with little more than a finder bender. Usually, that back stand is quite study. They may be heavy, creaky, and twice the height of their riders, but once you get one of these bad boys rolling, there ain't much that can stop you!