Iconic bikes in the pro peleton

[agipgasles]

Retro Guru
Your name says it all. You want an authentic Kit but often its worn out and take ages to bring a project together.
With new, the problem is World marketers need silly money for team sponsorship and poor imitations of the past or bespoke builders will make a better frame that the orginal at a premium price. The half way point a smaller business that can do new retro, steel at an affordable price. Or better ? carbon look a likes to go faster or make life easier. Depends whether you like your fish fried, grilled or poached. In beer batter as we like it in Yorkshire.
You might try facebook/emporio-tech.

 

[Johnsqual]

Thing is, I am sure there are a few people who would pay silly money for an authentic replica of one of Merckx's classic bikes - especially one authorised by the man himself. They could probably charge enough to cover any costs of licencing stuff like trade marks on the bikes.

Looking at the Merckx 70, it seems like part of the idea is to try to develop some sort of high performance steel bike, where the design and materials approach the performance level of carbon frames as close as possible. That's an interesting idea in itself, but it seems a bit confusing to market it as a collector's item at the same time.

Personally, I'm mainly interested in getting a bit of an idea what it was like to ride
older bikes in the conditions of the old races. E.g. what is it like to ride an old steel bike with down tube shifter etc. over the Paris Roubaix cobbles? For most of my builds, I want to try to get things close enough to get that kind of experience, but not everything needs to be perfectly period correct or in perfect unused condition.

I'm sure others have different philosophies, and nothing wrong with that.

 

[agipgasles]

Hi R G
Some interesting comments.
Never tried the PR cobbles, but started in and around Leeds/Harrogate on a Merlin with 5*2 gear shifters on end of Ambrossio's. Times changed quickly going to Cinelli 65', DT shifters. Brake cables in full cases positioned with Campag clips on top tube. Next time round was getting nearer to the best style? early years of Mr Yates in France.
Mine at that time was 8*2 on 54/46. Shifters on down tube. Brake cables through the bars for really clean look. This was loaded on an All-Tech bonded alloy frame from France, much more elegant than an Allan. Never had any trouble with this but many regrets as I bought a Sun 600 alloy frame and started the agro rebuild moving from 27mm tubes up to 35?
The latest is a Guerciotti, all Campag rolling on Mavics. An interesting frame with angular D & T tubes that are hydro formed for lower flex. Forks and rear end are carbon. I insisted on bar guided brake/gear cables to keep the front end clean.
Might post a photo later but its never been raced in the bunch. Will it qualify?

 

[pigman]

Its not really a bike but arse jewellery

pure genius, this made me laugh. I've spent all day telling this phrase and its context to cyclists and non-cyclists alike and everyone thinks its funny. So, like it or not, I'm gonna plagiarise this phrase for a few weeks and gain a bit of kudos on the wit front. Cheers fella
PS you're not wrong

 

[John J]

where's old ned

Keeping warm and dry and indoors away from the snow!!

Lots of bikes to choose from the nearly 60 years I've been watching.

Green Helyett from the 50's
Red and White Flandria from 50's to 70's
White with Black lugs Peugeot from the 60's and 70's
Merckx White and Red and then Orange and Blue
Bianchi of any era
Raleigh Red and Black

The problem is that when I started my TdF interest, the vast majority of photos were Black and White and it was a bit of guess work deciding what colours team bikes were. It's only relatively recently that more colour shots have become available that old bike colours have been seen. But what about the 20's, 30's and 40's team bikes. What colours were they?

Hopefully more colourful than the Black carbon horrors that have been all to common recently.

The organisers of the Le Man's 24 hour race, the Automobile Club de L'Ouest have over the years published several, (very expensive),book volumes containing pictures of every car ever entered in the race, (with a few exceptions from the early years).
This thread has got me thinking if it would be possible to do something similar for the TDF. Be one hell of an undertaking mind.
Loving all of the favourites posted so far

 

[carlrh]

Dont think anyone's mentioned Gitane

 

[Old Ned]

A visit to the Merckx factory here with photos of the new frames being built -

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/pho ... ckx-cycles

EDIT - just noticed this morning (Tuesday) that this has already been posted on another thread, sorry!

 

[Little Al]

Re: Re:

As you say, so many to choose from.

Buckler, Ariostea and Wordperfect Masters and Lampre C40 Colnagos. Early '90s Nivacrom Bianchis ridden by various teams. And the Chateau d'Ax Moser bikes

Personal favourite 'out there' bike though is this,

http://velosvintage.over-blog.com/artic ... 16975.html


Don't recognize those shifters though, any ideas ?


Mike

Thanks for that.brought back memories. Liberia /Rmo were the first continental Full Pro team I meched for. I'm pretty sure the gear levers were a batch of Simplex retro friction blanks that Mavic sourced out for the machining, Later the Mavic badged Simplex cut out retro levers were used same with the pedals Mavic modded Looks. It was more cost effective than producing & manufacturing a very similar design/ product when there was already one out in the market. lot of that went on back in the day.

 

[Elev12k]

Panasonic PR-6000

http://www.panasonicbikemuseum.info/cat ... ic-models/

 

[pigman]

Dont think anyone's mentioned Gitane

I did (page 2) the gitane's from Hinault's Renault-Elf days
(ps - was this the best team kit ever?)