Scorpio 1988

Scorpio 1988

A luged steel frame made in a small shop  near Frankfurt  / Germany by  Bernd Gaessler . All frames he made  had custom geometry due to the manual manufacturing process. He used for his frames all kind of commercially available light weight tubing from Reynolds and Columbus.

The bike is equipped with the first generation Campagnolo C-Record groupo and Campagnolo Record pave rims. The cranks are polished and chromed for optical reasons. 

George Hincapie Team Columbia 2008 Giant Prototype

George Hincapie Team Columbia 2008 Giant Prototype size XL spare frame/bike with uncut seat post / mast

This is a new never build up Giant Team Columbia (High Road) 2008 prototype of the size XL. Only the SRM wire harness is assembled. The short stem is attached to hold the fork / headset bearings in place.

The geometry is to the Giant stock dimensions. I have seen on the smaller sizes (S and M) that the top tube was around 15 mm longer than stock. The stock frames had a designated size call out SS and MS means Small Standard (Stock) and Medium Standard Stock dimensions.

But on all frames of 2008 is the drive side BB configuration of the 86.5mm by 41mm standard change in the way that only the generic standard BB ball bearing 37x25x6 [mm] can be pressed in. The ball bearing was machined (two longitudinal cuts 180 deg apart with the hacksaw to release the press fit by reducing hoop stress) out of the Standard DA outboard cups. In the picture above you can see the Ball bearing pressed in and standard plastic bushing.

With this change the clearance get bigger between the SRM power cranks and the BB housing, and the O.D. of the bearing has firm contact alignment to the machine metal housing, instead to be embedded into a plastic housing with 2mm wall thickness.

On the non-drive side you see the standard configuration of the 86.5 by 41 standard and the aluminum insert of the drive side with significant higher wall thickness.

The wire harness for the SRM system which enter into the frame in front of the BB, in the

hole foreseen for the outlet of the shifter cable, exits the frame near the front brake cable stop.

If the SRM cable is now routed parallel to the brake cable in a heat shrinkable hose it

looks like a wireless system.

An update will follow how it looks with the SRM Power cranks, the speed and power sensor in place.

LINK: http://www.georgehincapie.com/gallery/

scroll down to 2008 Tour de France

Ralph Berner - Allan Cross Carbon - 1993 vice Word Champion

Ralph Berner - Allan Cross Carbon - 1993 - 2nd at World Championship 

Eddy Merckx Kessels Molteni SN#292 - early 70ties

One of the earliest Eddy Merckx bikes in classic Molteni colors made by the belgium company KESSELS. The most distinguishable difference to the Italien makes is the longer wheel base by increased length of the chain stays .

Klaus peter Thaler -Puch Ultima-1983 Tour de France

DiDi Thurau 1979 Luik-Bastenaken-Luik / Liege-Bastogne-Liege / Lüttich-Bastogne-Lüttich

On this bike DiDi won Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 1979. 

Jan Ullrich -Pinarello- 1996 till 1998 and post 2000

 

Jan Ullrichs TT Bike used over a relatively long time frame from 1996 till 2003 (the color scheme changed at the end to the T-Mobile magenta-black)

PS: seat highs is instead around 80cm 83.5 SORRY! 

Jan Ullrich - Walser 2004/2005 T-Mobile Time Trial

Rolf Aldag - Pinarello - 2003 "Höllentour" Tour de France

Rolf last Pinarello, here with the 'classic' wheels 32 hole 3 times laced for the cobbles of the spring classics. Those wheels are in use for a couple of seasons some time only the switch to a new sponsor made them obsolete. 

In the Tour they used either Bora's for the mountain stages or Nucleon's. The day Rold Aldag got the Polka Dot Jersey he used some Bora's and swapped the spacers around. 

Rolf Aldag -Giant prototype - 2005 his last bike as an active Professional

Erik Zabel - Giant- 2005 his last bike at T-Mobile

Erik has won his last race for T-Mobile in 2005, Paris Tours or the World Championship of sprinters, and received his  bike as a present from Walter Goodefroot. The bike showed the 2006 mostly carbon color scheme.  This bike in the 2005 color scheme was the spare on the roof rack of the service car. 

Steffen Wesemann - Giant Prototypes 2006 - Paris Roubaix

Steffen Wesemann - Giant Prototype 2006 - Paris Roubaix 



As in the year before Steffen Wesemann had a special bike prepared for Paris Roubaix.  Due to the good dry wether conditions this year it was spared, and Steffen used a bike with standard caliper brakes but not integrated seat post.  The frame is more beefy in the front at the head tube box and the chain stay-bottom bracket joint. Remarkably is the chainring combination of 53 - 49 teeth. Cobbles of the order in Paris-Roubaix have a rolling resistance similar to a 4.5 to 5.5% inclined sloop. Pro's would use in a race on a climb like this  53-18, 19 or lesser 21 , but on cobbles  it's better to use a more aligned  chain line of 49 -16,17 or 18 to avoid that the chain snaps over. A interruption of power leads immediately to an gap and the resistance increases again but if the chain needs to be put back by hand ends up in a chase.

This bike, based on a road bike frame, but with cantie's and a fork with more clearance, has been used a a training bike. He used this bike very likely to get the feeling for the cantie's and the lesser responsive steering. It has the insurance batch which is required in switzerland still attached to the frame. 

Magnus Backstedt -Cannondale - 2007 Team Liquigas

A standard stock 63cm frame with 150mm stem due to Cannondale typic shallow seat angle. Remarkable is the SRM Powermeter with 135mm BCD to allow to use Campy chainrings (very rare 130mm is their standard). The pedals are not original, I guess that Magnus Backstedt took all pedals with him as he left the team, I looked carefully around in the team workshop and asked the mechanic but without success.