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/”/]
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Exactly what I described. Great memories! And let's not forget another TT superstar of the late 70s/early 80s - Sean Yates. Alf Engers used to drill the shit out of every component on his bike: brakes, seatpost, levers, chainrings.
Reading Cycling Weekly all through the 80s these were the riders I saw every week. They rarely rode in Scotland because we didn't have the super fast courses they had down south. Occasionally English riders would come north and be shocked at how their times rose; it was because our courses were rarely flat and often had nasty winds.
My winter bike was built around an old green Brian Rourke TT frame. Fag paper clearances and twitchy as all-get-out. Had to watch the fingers when changing gears as the front tire was VERY close to the downtube. My TT bike was a neon pink Cougar from Liverpool. Sloping curved top tube, super tight clearances, Mavic cowhorn and TT bars, 24 spoke wheels on Royce hubs and Clement tubs. Ahhhh . . . .
How long some of you have been active in the sport is really impressive! I'm just a rookie compared to most. The black & white photos from the British road racing site are very cool.
Damn, Big Mig in that Funny Helmet looks mean! Definitely not built like a skinny climber. Even his arms are impressive.
And the dude with the keg - I'll be standing a few meters behind whoever is going to inform him about his Rule violations. That's a big fella!
@Oli
Gold!! Plus one badge goes to you for giving my first guttural laugh of the day.
@frank
I must admit, it was funny. Wrong, but funny.
Nahhh, i meant the part that mounts to your front axel. I have toe straps. I am that old that rode with those.
@Tomb
You can attach the wheels at the forks with toe straps also. I have transported wheels many times like that in one of the windiest cities in the world without problems.
@frank
Cheers, Frank!
@sthilzy
Oh, Winning. Each month waiting in the pre-internet era. What a magazine. I must root through my parents' basement and see if my magazines are still there.
@Oli
True. But the little brackets just look cool. I am a gadget nut.
Anyone got a spare $16k laying around.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BOTTECCHIA-Greg-LeMond-Time-Trial-Bike-Late-80-/261009688243?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item3cc563c6b3#ht_500wt_922
@wiscot
Aaah yes... The 70's & 80's... There was no bike part that couldn't be drilled out to save precious grams. Around 1985 bought a set of Ambrosio rims that were drilled out between the spoke nipples (on the tire side only) from a "friend". Mounted my tubs and the first time I hit 30 mph my Gianni Motta went into total convulsions as the wheels were so out of balance from the drilling. I have learned to leave well enough alone.
@Tomb
They are cool indeed!
http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/products/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/norman-maggs-pipe-24hour.jpg
Just had to make sure everyone saw this