late 80s/early 90s time trial bikes

[ScillySuffolk]

I need inspiration for a build and would be grateful for pictures or links to period bikes.

I have a frame but I'm not sure about bar set-ups: were clip-ons in use or was it just upturned and cut-off drops?

I'm also undecided on the colour scheme: two colours with a fade at the tube intersections seems to be the norm.

Any saddle suggestions aside from a San Marco Rolls?

All advice gratefully received; thanks in advance.

 

[nammonk]

My memory of it all...

Late 80s - early 90s covers the time when clip-on "tri bars" really came in big time (in UK testing, anyway). Profile were popular at the start (yellow ones to start, and then more narrow gray ones). Then all sorts appeared. That would have been 1990, I think, after a certain final TT victory in the Tour de France... These ones:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=162862

Colour schemes were getting pretty hideous IIRC --- must have coincided with the mass adoption of racing sunglasses...

Saddles: Turbo and Flite Ti were common (the latter for TTs).

Disc wheels/trispokes became de rigeur. I remember the rumbling sound when I caught them on my CX18s

Chris Boardman was always very much up with the trends and the pictures here cover the period you're interested:

http://www.lunt.demon.co.uk/boardman.htm

You can see the transformation from essentially a standard road bike to the Lotus. A pic of Obree as well ---- you could go down that route!

Hope this helps,
Nick

 

[monty dog]

Folks were using bull-horn bars and clip-ons - one of the nicest being the Mavic ones made by Modolo. Others include Scott, 3TTT and Profile. Fluoro colours were de-rigeur too. Lemond's '89 Bottecchia low-pro is pretty representative of the style

 

[ScillySuffolk]

Excellent, thanks for that, most useful!

Where are the gear shifters? Have they been taken off? The rear mech doesn't look tensioned and I can't see any cables.

 

[kaiser]

Just subscribing to the thread I've a similar project thats been shelved for now>> Serotta Hopefully I'll get some inspiration to finish!

 

[ScillySuffolk]

The more, the merrier!

Being out of work, this will be a budget job rather than a faithful concours job, so I don't know if I'll be much of an inspiration...

Let me know if you decide to sell the bars as I'm using bar end shifters.

 

[Old Ned]

Tri-bars not until '91 (I think) in UK, discs in '89 (I think). I'll have to check.

If you can find the time to plough through this -

http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/ind ... opic=15538

There are loads of period photos - but a lot might have gone now as it is a very old established thread.

I was riding a lo-pro in late 80's with sawn-off upturned bars and a Cinelli track stem but before discs and tri-bars. I used 28/28 Wolber 'aero' rims with 19mm tubulars. Shimano 'aero' brake levers and Dia-Compe 'aero' stirrups, Turbo saddle on 'aero' seatpin. As I am reasonably tall both wheels were 700c. (Only one spare tub required!). Even with early tri-bars riders still used down tube gear levers before the bolt-on brackets appeared.

Also note that pedals were generally still clips and straps unless you wanted to trust your life to the Cinelli M71 ones!

The riding photo shows me on the lo-pro. It was built by Steve Elsworth in Ishiwata 019 aero tubing lugless finished in Pearl White with Flamboyant Purple fade around the joints. A lovely frame which I wish I still had! The bike photo is my 1990 Buzz with all the trimmings!

 

[nammonk]

Ha! So you did TTs in a polka dot jersey too? This was taken in the ECCA 10 near Sawston (Cambridge) in the early 90s. Given the location, the jersey is ironic! Actually, I was just too tight/poor to shell out on club kit. Riding a 531 Holdsworth with old Super Record, CX18s with 18mm tubs, DIY sawn-down road drops and yellow Profile tri bars. Saddle is a Selle Bassano Colnago Master Ti. Still using it. Most comfy saddle I've ever had. Replaced the Holdsworth with an old Colnago soon after this pic was taken so it matched better...
Nick

 

[ScillySuffolk]

Awesome photos guys and thanks for the info!

So people didn't use bar end shifters then?

 

[nammonk]

Many serious people did by the time my pic was taken. You can see I've taped over the mounting hole to stop it whistling. Remember this is Cambridge, so there wasn't much call for changing gears anyway... It all goes back to money though.
Nick