Categories: Anatomy of a Photo

Anatomy of a Photo: Awkward Adolescence

Evolution is a slow, gradual process, punctuated by sudden change. For the first 80 years of our sport, riders rode contra la montre on their regular road bikes. For certain, the bikes were carefully cleaned and tuned to remove all possible resistance, but these were their standard, daily machines. Then, in a span of barely ten years came the skin suit, aero helmet, and the coolest time trial innovation ever, the cow horn handlebars. Then it was on to aero bars, and since that innovation, we've been back to gradual change, thanks in large part to the UCI declaring creative thought to be against regulation and banning all but the most conventional bicycle designs.

For a time, however, it was as though Pandora's Box had been cracked open, and from it sprung countless innovations that would change our sport for ever. Some were good, some where bad, some were altogether too much, but all of it was exciting and all of it was cool in its own right. It was a thrilling time for cycling.

We did, however, enter a very awkward adolescence as the Pro Road Racing scene struggled to adopt the aerobars which had permeated the Triathlon world. The challenge was, of course, to integrate a handlebar made popular by men and women wearing Speedos and doodle on themselves in an appropriately sophisticated European manner. But things were to get worse before they got better; in the span of a single season, Sean Yates went from doing the one-eye V-Squint to wrestling with the Scott Noodles of Death. Even the ever-classy Johan Museeuw couldn't manage to make a graceful transition.

We figured it out eventually, but it wasn't exactly a painless process. For your review, I've collected a handful of examples from the progression.

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frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

wiscot says:

Oct 12 2011 at 9:14 am

The front end of Yates' bike in pic 10 is one unholy mess! The comparison to #13 is astounding. it's interesting how quickly things become outdated. eg LeMond's helmet in 1989, or the air attack in #8.

The crazy looking Bianchi is kinda cool - never seen that one before. Looks like it's got a really long wheelbase.

Coincidence that Frank put this together and that the image that is the epitome of aerobar coolness features a Cervelo? I think not . . .
RedRanger says:

Oct 12 2011 at 9:29 am

Is that Jens on the Bianchi?
sgt says:

Oct 12 2011 at 9:39 am

Dont forget this one... The Time Machine is an awesome steed.
frank says:

Oct 12 2011 at 9:57 am

@RedRanger

Is that Jens on the Bianchi?

No, that's Evgini Berzin, the quintessential EPO junkie. Came out of nowhere, smashed everyone (beating Indurain at the Giro) and then pulling a Kaiser SÃ¶ze.

@wiscot

The crazy looking Bianchi is kinda cool - never seen that one before. Looks like it's got a really long wheelbase.

Funny you like it; that Bianchi is an abomination to my eyes. Bianchi, such a company of tradition, building a bike like that. Crazy. Around the same time, they also built this full suspension ride for Museeuw for Roubaix.
Buck Rogers says:

Oct 12 2011 at 9:59 am

LOVE that photo of Hinault. One of my all time favorites of him (another one is the one where he is punching the dude out in the protest!).

"Sean Yates went from doing the one-eye V-Squint to wrestling with the Scott Noodles of Death" ... this line killed me at work. Everyone wondering what the hell I am laughing about.
Danger says:

Oct 12 2011 at 10:08 am

Look at the chain in the Sparticus Specialized photo! As @bigringriding would say he certainly has his cottage of wattage fired up!
Cyclops says:

Oct 12 2011 at 10:52 am

I've never been into TTing much - probably because I suck - but my training partner gave me some TT bars. I was being slow to put them on until I got the A Ride With George Hincapie DVD and saw that he sits on the trainer in the aero position. So now I got the aero bars on the Crack-n-fail. I still don't like TTing.
scaler911 says:

Oct 12 2011 at 11:12 am

Nice. But you forgot these gems, which, in my limited knowledge of pro cycling, was the reason that the UCI created the "triple triangle" rule:
scaler911 says:

Oct 12 2011 at 11:15 am

Or how about this badboy:

Spinergys and everything.
Gianni says:

Oct 12 2011 at 11:23 am

@Buck Rogers
Sean Yates is still a scary beast. He is thinner now than ever and I believe he is the defending British 50 mile TT champ. If you ever see him, don't make eye contact, ride away slowly.

@frank
Cool photos, you should own a TT bike, yes? You would look good on one. Lemond's position looks awfully good in his ADR kit photo, wasn't that the fastest TT ever in the TdF? Mien Gott, faster than Faboo?