But check out the woman who just rode her bike to 184 mph. Big balls!

http://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/cyclist-reaches-184mph-breaking-world-record

He's older now and actually went riding with lil' old me.

Seems to me that all the big names have some attitude, temper tantrum or else they aren't made for winning?

I met Davis Phinney and his wife Connie. Connie and Shaun Wallace coached me on the track. All three were world class cyclists and class acts. That's actually sort of the norm. The best (not including one multiple tour winner) are usually the nicest.

Oh boy, I remember Phinney winning the USA championship race back at the east coast back in around 83 or so? That's the first I hear of him. Saw it live on TV for all of 5 min. Some of the those guys have to be normal folks, or else the world wouldn't turn, but I have never really met any hot shot champions. Rode a few training rides with Thurlow Rogers and a bunch of nut jobs freakishly strong socal riders. I met CArpenter way back when I started riding when she was sponsored by Puch. She came out here for a local race. It was a big thing then.

One of my good friends raced for Pepsi fannini when his teammate - Roberto gagiolli wone the big race in philly. Roberto was a character and the party at my friends house after the race was awesome. TV stations, other pros, hot girls, etc.

The mt bike pros were even cooler. Specialized flew me out to Tahoe for a big company event with Ned Overend and crew. Somehow the sponsoring hotel mixed up and put me in a penthouse suite. It became party central for the long weekend. Good times!

Any pix of the Paramount??

Found some water bottles at a bike swap meet Sunday. 1990s Fausto Coppi Team Polti, Batavus, and Cofidis. Also, 2003 TdF and 2011 TdF.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537803031.jpg

Cool chrome Litespeed for sale.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537803519.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537803519.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537803519.jpg

It's polished Ti. It used to be an extra cost option. We sold litespeed bikes.

Thanks. I was wondering if it was in fact chrome (can Ti even be chromed?) or polished Ti.

I missed the Ti craze back in the mid 90s due to lack of funds. Plus, I raced on a Cannondale with the team discount it was 400 bucks. Ti frames were 1700-2000. One crash means packing it in and wait it out until I get pay again. to chase that dream, I bought an Merlin Extra Light last summer. Nice riding bikes, but they don't ride anything like a modern carbon ones which I like. They have the snappy feel about them. I take it on my training rides a few times.

Same here - didn't have the cash during the Ti craze. I did buy a very early LeMond Ti frame a few years ago but not sure I'll ever build it now (time & money to do it right!). There is a lot of controversy over who built these with many assuming it was Litespeed or Merlin. But on one forum, an ex-employee of Clark Kent stated that he personally prepared 100s of Ti frames for shipment to LeMond in the early days.

This may be some sort of Team frame but I haven't yet spent the time to measure it and see if it has non-production dimensions.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537816957.jpg

That's a nice frame. I think they also supplied the Mercury team with their Ti frames. I really thing there were a hand full of guys that were capable of welding them back in those days. Are you thinking about doing a period correct build? I would be afraid that Gitane with that much effort put into it.

I also wonder if your LeMond isn't a Litespeed? They usually have none round tubes to aide ride quality. I know most of the Merlins are straight tubes. There are smaller builders like Holland, Serotta, and Seven (later to the game) and Independent. Remember those Independent steel frames from the 90s? They were pretty.

There's so much conflicting info out there regarding the Ti frames that I'm really not sure who built it. If I build it up, it would be 100% period - so after building the Gitane I know exactly what that entails :eek: Probably 1-2 years just to find all the parts. And the Delta brakes right off the bat would do a good job of draining the budget ... might wind up as a wall-hanger.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537821270.jpg

Something really odd on these bikes is the frame pump mount on the back of the head tube. They were on both the Team bikes and the production bikes. This pic is of a verified LeMond-ridden team bike. Why would a team bike need a pump mount?



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537821557.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537821557.jpg

I question that being a "Real" team bike due to the pump peg. Who knows, they may be the real deal? Ian not sure bout' the Delta brakes? I never like them, side pulls are easy to service, and can be had all day long. I like Dura Ace 9 speed. if its a wall hanger, then Campy with those funky Deltas should be used. I have my Stuper Record group on my old Castai I raced on. I was able to source them over the years. Due to being dirt poor as a kid, I am only able to afford Suntour. Club discount, so I raced on that. Durable as heck too.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537823173.jpg

Another pic but not very sharp. its looks to be polished Ti with LeMond stickers (I assume)

After a more detail look, they sure look like Litespeeds due to what looks likes larger diameter near the bottom of the downtube

It is a verified Lemond-ridden team bike. Verified serial number by Tom Kellog and Merlin who built the first 16 team bikes. They all had the peg :confused:

Goddamn touring bike:D

:D Yup.

Here's a pic of the race frames at Merlin. Tough to see, but you can definitely see the air pump tab on the second frame. First frame is really small and can't tell. Very strange. Would they have carried pumps on training rides when there weren't support vehicles following them? This is back when they probably didn't really have separate race and training bikes - only 16 bikes for the entire team.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537879688.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1537879748.jpg

Just thinking about it, those LeMond in the pic must be early ones, early 90s based on the Z team. The Early Merlins has that stupid none-standard tiny BB. Does yours have the standard BB? I really like the Mercury team bikes.

I remember seeing Litespeeds rebadged as Peugeot ridden by Richard Rirenque and as Look on Alex Zellu.

I bet Ti frames was a welcoming sign for the pros who had to ride those alum. jobs day in and day out on those rough Belgium roads.

Curt, not sure if you have seen this yet. A little bit on the LeMond. Steel bike, but I see no frame peg in this one, only number tag brazed on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO2NrbEApIU

I have never been in this shop. He been there for, maybe 6-7 years? Now shop owner. I go by this place on my ride every Saturday, but have never been in it. its 10 min from my house. If you need me to check anything out for you, I am happy to go by and see it.

Nice video! That bike is a 1992 and is steel. The original Merlin Ti bikes were 1991. I'm not an expert in these by any means and have only begun some research.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538175231.jpg

If you're interested in vintage parts, I've got a full Croce D'Aune kit including wheels (avec Delta brakes) mounted up on my Vitus 979 that I'm considering selling to help offset the cost of a Moots I am having built.


https://photos.smugmug.com/By-Land/T...DSC_0010-L.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/By-Land/T...DSC_0324-L.jpg

Wow, beautiful and exactly what I would need. Still not sure if I'm going to do a build or sell it. I bought the frame at a swap meet on a whim. Offered the guy a ridiculously low price and he called my bluff and accepted!


Paris Roubaix 1939:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538219703.jpg

Not sure what's crazier: riding at 184MPH or getting towed to 100MPH :eek:

1975 Paramount. Note the 52/49 chainwheels :D By the time this pic was taken, I had upgraded to Super Record on most of it and had it painted red and had braze-on water bottle mounts added by a well-known framebuilder (originally silver). Also, note the high-flange hubs which were generally considered preferable in the 60s and early 70s. I still have the original Campy tool kit.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538221442.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538221442.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538221442.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7af55dd24.jpeg

I know there are a lot of cool custom or Italian bikes here but I thought I’d share this. I bought one of these Trek Stache hardtails and I have to say it’s the funnest bike I’ve ever owned. 29”x3” tires are awesome. I think they make a full suspension version now as well. Super fun.

If I bought another Mtn Bike, it would be a hard tail. Nice!


1978:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538259617.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538259617.jpg

Here's an interesting bike. A Doniselli. My brother and I drove up to Portuesi's shop in 1972 and he bought one of these. I think Portuesi brought an entire shipping crate of these over from Italy. They were really cheap. My brother still has it and it's only been ridden a few times. It's actually a pretty low-end bike but interesting because it's got bottom of the line Campagnolo components not normally sold in the US.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538260192.jpg

How're your knees? :eek: (Nice bike! so many period details.)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538260454.jpg

Oh wow, that's an old Bike Nashbar catalogue. I remember looking through some of the old ones way back in the 80s. How can one forget the dashes around the perimeter of the drawn parts on sales?

Wow, I love to see those low end Campy parts if you ever get a chance to get me a pic. They looks like parts from those 50's bikes (from old pictures in a book)with the steel cranks with the three arm spider off the crank arm. I don't know anything about bikes from the 60s or 70s.

49 small ring?:eek: Why is that rear wheel not all pulled all the way up to the drop-out set screws?:D

Hey, I still ride fixed clips (clipless of course)

The top tube says "titanium." ;)