By Robert Emslie
The Tour de France bicycle race has been taking place for more than a century, but it wasn’t until 1937 that contestants used bikes with derailers. Previously they had to change entire back wheels before tackling a serious climb. The grease-up above comes from that year, and brings new meaning to the term “riding mechanic.” Also, who knew they had such amazing calves back then?
Can anyone wager a guess as to the identity of the car that riding mechanic is in fact riding in?
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Jeff Glucker
I’m just as curious about the car as you are. The mechanic hanging out side of the car while working on the bike still happens today, although electronic shifting is reducing the need for on the fly cable adjustments.
The mechanical help is often just a cover for a slight assist from the team car a.k.a. “Magic spanner”
See also “sticky bottle”
That leg…MOTHER OF GOD
I used to come to a better mental rest earlier when I was passed by people with legs like that. Not so much of a downer to get passed by them… In my youth, I biked 8000km/year. During studies 1-200km/week just for transport was the norm. Actually, yesterday, I had a look at a Cannondale CAAD 8 105 size 61, available at a very good price locally. Seems to fit, good online reviews. Now I consider to tap my classic car fund (i.e. empty it) to buy my 7th bike – much to the dismay of my house council. Any opinions on the bike?
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/smsimg/65/mdb-f1361_caad8sorac_12_a87c_bbq.jpg
Size 61? I was at one time a machinist in a custom bicycle frame building operation and to me “size 61” means a 61 cm seat tube length. That is, 61 cm between the center of the crank spindle and the (nowadays imaginary) intersection of the top tube and the seat tube (if the top tube were horizontal).
Even specializing in custom frames for freaks of nature, a 60+ cm frame only came through once a week.
If the inseam of your pants is over 80 cm then a 61 cm frame is about your size; but I’m surprised Cannondale makes an off-the-shelf frame in that size.
But people of extraordinary proportions often do get the benefit of buying last year’s stock of comically outsized goods. I buy my helmets from that stock, because my head is both oddly shaped and rather girthy.
Other than that I can’t tell you anything about the “Conan Doyle”. Bicycles are still a mystery to me, even though I’ve made most of my life from building and riding them.
Scandinavia is quite the market for tall and slim fit products. You should see the bicycle shoe selection, hardly anything under size 8..
Now that was a rather unexpected response! Yes, I’m a full 192 cm tall, 85/86 cm inseam specimen. So biking and badminton are the two sports I fit well to…apart from hiking, skiing and all that mountainy leisure stuff. The seller suggested I’d have about two weeks to make up my mind before the four frames left in size 61 probably are sold.
Honestly, I haven’t owned a helmet yet for that comically outsized reason you mention.
About the bike, gearing and, particularly, the wheels receive a just-above-average rating, the rest seems nice. Not that I’m going to use the bike that much either – entry level is what I’m after. My brand conscious part is generally very positive to “Canon Doyle”:
http://www.vintagecannondale.com/sites/default/files/images/DSC03928.preview.JPG
On modern road bikes the size is the nominal top tube length, actual seat tube length on 61 cm size frame is closer to 58 cm or ~23″. Stock frame sizes typically run to around 62-63 cm so a 61 big but not crazy big.
OTOH a mountain bike frame that big would be surprising since MTB frames typically run 3-4″ smaller than a road frame for a given rider.
Re: Cannondale, they are a well regarded bike make who got their start making bicycle bags in Cannondale Connecticut, just up the road from Bob Sharp Racing in Wilton, for your Hooniverse connection, also Cannondale briefly made dirt bikes in the late 90s but went bankrupt in the process.
I came here for the same question. Panhard possibly?
It’s an excellent choice with the low shoulder line and sagging shocks.
The early days of gear changes also used Flip-Flop hubs, or hubs that had a small cog on one side for the flats, and a larger cog on the other side for the hills. You had to stop and take the wheel out to flip it. BMXers still use these but they use the high gear across town and the low gear for tricks.
My favorite early system is the Campagnolo Cambio Corsa. Changing gears while riding was made possible by a nifty rack-and-pinion system machined into the rear dropouts.
http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/blog/2010/4/26/the-cambio-corsa-campagnolos-early-masterpiece.html
Does anybody know any details about this Lemons entry?
https://youtu.be/kxkg1nuFO84?t=12m51s
Well, it’s not the Fury they raced back in ’12, since that got sent to the junkyard. I’m sure Eric will have some info on it come June.
Bartosz Huzarski after last years stage 18, a summit finish on Hautacam, took a picture of his legs.
https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/ad_141566199.jpg
Yowza.
I rode 171 miles so far this week commuting. My calves, though solid, have no where near as many veins.
Another round of my HGH/EPO-tini, barkeep!
A few of my favorite support vehicles.
The “Bubble Van”
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/images/Italian/Campagnolo/Support_vehicles/bubble_van+side.jpg
The Sky-team Jagon
https://carbonaddiction.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/sky-car.jpg
A French wheel manufacturer using a Swedish wagon
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CWKopZegYlY/U78DMA9ywJI/AAAAAAAAnIE/O3jlkcYmXgQ/s1600/mavic-neutral-car-1.jpg
although it was certainly an upgrade from what they had prior
http://www.pedalpushersonline.com/images/ib_odd_06_08.jpg
I dig those wheels on the van. Campagnolos, maybe?
Perhaps. Campy had a Buick too.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads22/Buick+Campagnolo+Service+Wagon1398201397.jpg
And their Mercedes wagon:
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8565553555_f635865b3d_b.jpg
I dropped the image into Google image search, and other sources say it’s a photo from 1949 of Italian-born French cyclist Gino Sciardis. Still no idea on the car.