Lets see your Aero profile frames and goodies

Piperdave

Retrobike Rider
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Hi all,

I have recently aquired a Raleigh c1986 in Team Panasonic colours. It is entry level 18-23 Hi-ten. But it does have Oval profile down and seat tubes. :cool:

And this has got me wondering. I know aero profiling is now the norm on a lot of bikes, but was there much about pre '86, and further BITD? I guess there were seatposts, concealed cabling, and some very dodgy head gear :roll: . Anything else?

So i would very interested to see any examples members have, along with dates, and any remanisances you might have about riding with aero profile bikes, parts, or kit.

TTFN,

Dave
 
Columbus Air and Reynolds 531 Speed Stream were oval section tube sets that were available in the early 80's, my 1985 Roy Cottingham is made of Columbus KL which has teardrop seatstays and slightly flattened profile fork blades.

The late 70's / early 80's were a time for innovation especially when low profiles came along, do a search for 'Martin Pynes mini bike' for an example of this over on www.timetriallingforum.co.uk Check out the forks with the custom made brakes behind the crown :D
 

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This Koga-Miyata FullPro-S frame is showing many aero influences and dates from before the aero era took off. Serial# tells me it is from 1977. Rare, not present in any catalogue and not much known of. Maybe it is even a one off for display on bikeshows, but without any doubt it is at least part of a very small run.

The full bike came with several drilled out parts for the purpose to save weight. The 3T stem had drillings in the shaft, a drilling from the back through the actual stem and there was even excess material shaved off the bolt head flange...

The aero features of the frame:
- Aero crown
- Shifters on top downtube
- Internal routing for brake AND gear cables. Rear brake cables exits through seatpost!
- Low profile seatcluster, milled stainless binder bolt
- Recessed brake calliper mounting bolts, milled stainless steel
- 63mm wide bottom bracket shell

4080599468_b74d4bf67f_z.jpg


4079840503_0a26740c90_z.jpg


exit gear cable front
exit gear cable rear
crown engraving

I will be rebuilding it with early Dura-Ace groupset including Crane mech.

In 1981 Koga introduced the FullPro-L with several aero influences. A year later a completely fillet brazed FullPro-A with drop shape tubing was introduced. Both FP-L and FP-A were equipped with the full Dura-Ace AX groupset.
 
This frame was for the Shimano 600 AX groupset so dates it to about 81/82

Ovalised seat and down tube. SR Racing and Made in Japan, it is the only one i've seen like it.

srframelittle.jpg
 
Piperdave":3b8i2qdz said:
Hi all,

I have recently aquired a Raleigh c1986 in Team Panasonic colours. It is entry level 18-23 Hi-ten. But it does have Oval profile down and seat tubes. :cool:

And this has got me wondering. I know aero profiling is now the norm on a lot of bikes, but was there much about pre '86, and further BITD? I guess there were seatposts, concealed cabling, and some very dodgy head gear :roll: . Anything else?

So i would very interested to see any examples members have, along with dates, and any remanisances you might have about riding with aero profile bikes, parts, or kit.

TTFN,

Dave

Raleigh had 3 other fairly cheap 'n' cheerful bikes in the range with aero tubing at around the time yours was made; the Record Sprint and Quasar (I used to own one of those) with Reynolds 501 Cr-Mo main tubes and the Pulsar with 18-23 high-tensile tubing. The Pulsar and Quasar were notable for the use of Shimano Adamas AX aero brake levers at a time when having cables under the bar tape was a relatively new idea.

David
 
legrandefromage":2xgifyoy said:
I had the record Sprint as my first real road bike.

Ovalised 501 tubing

a recent tip find:

raleigh_record_sprint_431.jpg

The Record Sprint must have been the deluxe model of the bunch - all of the others only allowed for one water bottle and no pump mounting stud on the head tube.

David
 
In the mid '80's I had a Low Profile bike built by Steve Elsworth. Steve was one of the MKM builders in the 70's and built their lugless frames which he tended to specialise in. My LoPro was lugless, built from Ishiwata tubing (019? the very light one?) and was a dream. I didn't ride it much sadly and this photo is my only tangible memory of it. Wheels were 28 spoke Wolber 18mm rims and tubulars which could be pumped up to some astronomical pressure (150-180 psi?!) with the then fashionable Shimano aero levers and pedals, Dia-Compe aero brakes etc. I wish I could find it again, I'm sure it's still in existence owned by somebody in the local club.

I must admit that the first couple of times riding it felt very strange without there being any handlebars and stem in the 'normal' place and it took a little while to feel confident.

The reason the photo is blurred is because I was going to fast for the shutter speed........................... :roll:

And the polka dot jersey is because there are lots of hills on Yorkshire time trial courses. ;)

Still wearing socks though, not very aero :oops:
 

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[/quote]

Raleigh had 3 other fairly cheap 'n' cheerful bikes in the range with aero tubing at around the time yours was made; the Record Sprint and Quasar (I used to own one of those) with Reynolds 501 Cr-Mo main tubes and the Pulsar with 18-23 high-tensile tubing. The Pulsar and Quasar were notable for the use of Shimano Adamas AX aero brake levers at a time when having cables under the bar tape was a relatively new idea.

David[/quote]

The Pulsar, Quasar, Team Cadet etc with "Aero " tubes, were all in fact built with round tubes. The entire frame was put into a huge press, machine and squashed. The process literally shook the ground !!!
 
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