1970's Time Trial Bikes

Ralph_the_Rohan

Retro Guru
Hi, just a quick question for anyone who may know....

Where Bells compulsory on 1970's Time Trial Bikes?

I've heard they were, but they don't seem to be visible in most pics from those days. Did riders just flout the rules?

Steve.
 
No bells on any bikes, not even in the RTTC rules IIRC.

All we needed was "an audible means of warning", that means shouting !! didn't even need to sell new bikes with bells :)

Shaun
 
There was a time when the RTTC insisted on bells, must have been earlier, perhaps 50's. I know I used to sell them, and they were in the Holdsworthy "AIDS" book at under 2 Shillings.
I have looked through some of our few old TT pictures, but no bell.
 
You are right keith........there's a picture of the 50 mile champ from the 50's in one of my 70's Cycling mags. Fixed wheel, brooks saddle, massive fork rake, a single brake lever the wrong way round at the bottom of the drops.........and a bell :)

Have a good weekend


Shaun
 
I seem to remember it was in the mid 60's that the compulsory bell rule was discontinued. It was in place when I started TT'ing in '62 and we used the 'ping' bells - although one of my mates had a bulb horn fastened under his saddle. He really used to wind up the timekeepers with this as they would say - 'you can't start, you haven't got a bell!'. In response he would reach down and reply 'honk honk'. :LOL:
 
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