We gather here today to pay our respects to one of the most exciting developments the Cycling world has ever witnessed: the funny bike.
For seventy years, the evolution of the bicycle was marked by incremental change; improvements to brakes, more gears, and better shifting followed one another as the sport grudgingly continued its slow journey towards progress and modernization.
Then, in an instant, disruption. Change. In the years prior to 1984, time trial machines were little more than finely-tuned road machines. But suddenly, spurred on by Francesco Moser’s success in breaking the Hour Record aboard a radical machine with double disc wheels and cow-horn handlebars, we entered a decade of innovation.
In the blink of an eye, we had broken from the shackles of traditional thinking and were suddenly free to think about a bicycle without constraint. Riders appeared in the start house with fairings attached to their saddles and bars mounted below the top tube. Riders toed up to the start line with broom sticks mounted across the drops of their handlebars. Aero bars appeared and with them, the triangular frame design that had graced our machines for three-quarters of a century disappeared. In the span of ten short years, time trial positions went from the standard tuck to the Super Man.
Then, in a crafty maneuver which demonstrates that the UCI’s incompetence is not a recent development, new regulations were introduced which effectively killed innovation in bike design. The UCI regulated the position of the bars, the saddle, the size of the wheels, the design of the frame; even the shape of the tubes are currently highly scrutinized. The UCI even offers an exorbitantly expensive frame certification process.
Join me now, as we examine some examples of the most innovative machines our sport will ever see.
A-Merckx.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Funny Bike/”/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
Some more oddities and stunning classics here...
@frank
Going out on a tricycle for 24 hours in the rain armed with nothing more than a beard, pipe and NHS glasses is hardness beyond hard
@Chris
Yes, he might well be. Although my smart-arse point was simply that a couple of pairs of toe straps are all you need.
@Chris...and to get to your point about the wheel swinging; it never happened if you were careful, but the actual mounts you linked to were definitely safer, of course.
P.S. Ian Cammish? How cool, he's a seriously cred Sensei! How many times was he BBAR? Class act, no doubt.
@Oli
Nine times, bettered only (in the men's category) by Kevin Dawson who has 11 wins. Beryl Burton makes them look a bit soft with 25 wins between 1959 and 1983!
When he's not turning me inside out on a two up twenty five, he's a great bloke with a huge wealth of knowledge. A class act indeed.
@tomb
I built a pair of these in the late 80s for traveling to TTs by bike. Easy to do. Get a couple of pieces of aluminum stock (one inch wide, x inches long) cut two equal lengths, drill/cut out notches at either end and bend appropriately. Insert one end inside your quick release and then use two old toe straps to secure the wheels to the bars. Can be a bit dicey in the wind and makes your steering really bad, but they'll get you there!
@Oli
You may be right about the wheels not swinging if care was taken but I don't think I'd want to go far on a windy day without the mounts.
A while back there was a rule proposed about riding to the start of group rides, these guys didn't have much choice, it was Rule 5 and ride to wherever the race was being held or stay at home.
Loving the front brake bolted on backwards for more 'aero'!
No bar tape, front derailleur - more weight savings
Would you take it a step further to make the bike lighter by drilling/grinding out the shiny bits?
@sthilzy
Oddly enough, this bike was featured on "Beyond Two Thousand" back in the 80"²s and I have a VHS tape of the segment - somewhere amongst the old VHS collection. I'll endeavor to dig it up and post it up.
Eureka! Found it!
Beyond 2k segment shows you inside Modolo's office/factory and bits of an Italian bike expo.
Now to find the firewire cable to get the vid uploaded.
STAY TUNED! There's some 7-Eleven gems on that same VHS cassette.
Here's and article of where 'it' all started - funny bikes that is.
Winning Bicycle Racing Illustrated, No.16 November 1984 (Olympic Games Special Issue)
Interesting read.