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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View Comments
@frank
Give yourself the plus one badge you fucker!
@sthilzy
heyb manb
@Rob
There is so much else that is so fucking right in that photo that the sock length (despite what the UCI might think) is simply unimportant.
The king of funny bikes rides again...
love the bit on testing it
We'll just have to take it out onto the A78 and try it there - I'll get a mate to drive behind me while I'm doing it
How about a quick whip round to sponsor him so the fairing can be painted in V-colours with "Rule 44" emblazoned down the side?
@Daccordi Rider
Indeed. Daccordi - the official bike of Salvador Dali
This thread deserves a slow clap.
@Chris
Dude is probably my biggest single source of motivational quotes
"My biggest fear is not crashing on a bike and losing some skin. It's sitting in a chair at 90 and saying, 'I wish I had done more'. I don't know if I will break the record but I will give it the best punt I can."
@Chris
While it's a bit of a tangent from funny bikes, check out the video Big Ring Riding posted yesterday of a dude moterpacing on the freeway.
@Chris
That would be totally awesome. My Sensei got his manager's email when we met Graeme a few weeks ago. Graeme was pretty stoked on what I told him about the Velominati, I'd say he'd appreciate and deserves our support. Should I contact his manager and see if he can set up a donation page or something?
TM01 TimeMachine on call (innovation image).