FES Time Trial Bike

FES Time Trail Bike

Nice unexpected find, and I was more than surprised to find an integrated SRM wire harness. The bike is in "as dropped after the last event" conditions probably 1999/2000 as the use of non equal wheel size has been banned by the WCF (aka UCI) starting from 1990..1991.

In 1988 FES made 27"/26" TT bikes for Olaf Ludwig and Co. Later they applied the already since 1984 1985 used 24" from the track TT (see TEXTIMA Track TT Bikes) for the road TT events.

The aero bar is a masterpiece of beautiful monocoque design .

Cinelli track bike from 1960

Cinelli track bike from 1960

This bike from around 1960 could be traced back to Hans Mangold a teammate of Rudi Altig in the late 50ties till Rudi Altig turned pro in 1960.

This bike is almost in the condition of the 60ties, with the exception of the Continental Sonderklasse 175 pista tubulars which are from 1985 and the Unicanitor M55 saddle, as the bike found it's way from the velodrome to the first collector. From practical experience I know that old track bike were used till the mid 80ties by the clubs as pool bikes for the events on the velodrome.

The same destiny has hapened to the Schwinn Paramount track #E74376 - May 1974 which has been used till the turn of the millennium in Rochester Hills,Mi velodrome.

Details

the headset has a additional pinch-clamp device which could be seen in those days.

Components

the bike has a full Campy track outfit, with second gen cranks with raised lip (eye-let around the pedal hole) rotating around a 'Con Sfere 3/16"' bottom bracket, 'NO Record' Record hubs , pista pedals con dente with spindles which have the 1st gen O-ring seal, and skip tooth (1" pitch) drive train.

The wheels are 3 cross laced without the later popular tied and soldered crossing of the outer most spoke crossing. The Fiamme trapezoid rims were the choice of many riders.

TEXTIMA Track bike SN#223

One of the rare TEXTIMA's who survied the re-painting during the GDR and after reunion

Schwinn Paramount May 1974 SN#E74376

Schwinn Paramount 1974 SN#E74376

Classy track bike with complete Campy Groupo, Cinelli steel bar and stem, Schwinn approved french (probably MAVIC/Super Champion) rims and seta tubulars.

The gear ratio is the mot used 49 by 15 . I am not sure that the Brooks Vitesse is the original one from 1974.

Heavy duty Campy rear drop outs.

Pogliaghi Italcorse FAEMA color SN# 9574

Cinelli M71 clipless Pedals 1974

The 4th  generation of the first modern clipless pedal launched in 1970. 

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.