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How race bikes have changed

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Sven

Cruisin' on my Bluebird
Then
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...and now, the Lotus 110
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What amazes me is how much they have remained the same from the first "safety" bikes until today: 2 wheels of similiar same size mounted to a frame with the rear wheel connected by a chain to a center crank turned by the circular motion of 2 human legs (feet?).

Sure there are anomolies like the tread mill bike and other goofy ideas. And changes in materials, and the additional of multiple speeds and suspension, but the bikes, except for the bells and whistles, we ride today are virtually identical in format to those of 120 years ago.

The purest, most economical, and ecologically friendly vehicle ever created.....my bike!.
 
Hi @Sven , nice idea for a thread.
The Lotus pictured above is actually a '108', the track bike.
The '110' was the road racing time trial version.
The '108' was built for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, for Team GB's Chris Boardman, who won Gold in the 'pursuit' discipline.
The 110, was developed for use in 'Le Tour' in 1993 and was last raced by the GAN equipe in 1995.
These type of machines were banned under the UCI Lugano Charter in 1996, although they are still legal for racing in UK time trials.
Here's a '110'......
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Of the 263 '110's' built, the whereabouts of 60+ survivors is known; if anyone has one they don't need, I'll gladly take it off there hands, Lol!
Although you mentioned it as a "now" example, the newest of these machines is around 25 years old!

You may be interested to know of the new 'Hope'/'Lotus' bicycle which Team GB will be using in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; Radical is not the word.....
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So this is "now"!
Current thinking is that the UCI will ban this after the Olympics too.

This is almost a 'then' shot.
It's me, pictured riding a circa 1910 ABC track bike, built in Palma, Mallorca at 'Velodrom Illes Baleares' in Palma last Sunday, sadly this beautiful bicycle isn't mine.....
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.....but man, did I enjoy riding it!
Let's see some more crazy machines please!
 
new high end carbon bikes are butt ugly. we have a shop across the bay in Palo Alto that is full of them. I wonder if anyone makes high end steel bikes anymore?
They certainly do, all across the world.
From mainstream big volume manufacturers to the bespoke smaller concerns.
Then there is the whole rarified world of the 'NJS approved' sport of Keirin racing in Japan, where frames have to be steel, and built to exacting traditional dimensions and specifications.

One man's 'Lotus' is another man's 'Bowden Spacelander' I suppose; I like all of them!
 
new high end carbon bikes are butt ugly. we have a shop across the bay in Palo Alto that is full of them. I wonder if anyone makes high end steel bikes anymore.

I have agree. they are not a pretty bike what so ever. It looks like they are made from a piece of plywood. Very "Tron: like.
About the high end steel bikes ...yes
 
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