Team Banana - what's the significance of the yellow fruit?

[Jonny69]

I was wondering if anyone could explain the significance of the Banana bikes. I'm talking about the yellow/black/red Raleigh and Falcon Team Banana bikes from the 1980s with the Banana script in the A Team military font. What was Banana and why were so many bikes liveried up like that?

 

[Johnsqual]

Re:

Always assumed it had something to do with the Banana Marketing Corporation (which later became BMC, of course) sponsoring the team.

 

[Old Ned]

Re: Re:

Always assumed it had something to do with the Banana Marketing Corporation (which later became BMC, of course) sponsoring the team.

I think that is the reason but not sure about the official title of the sponsoring organisation.

 

[Jonny69]

Well there's something new to look up, didn't know that's what BMC stood for

 

[Jonny69]

Are we sure about this? The internet seems to think BMC originally stood for "Bicycle Manufacturing Company".

 

[Carge]

Re:

That's how they came up with the idea of curved seatstays

 

[Al3xander]

Are we sure about this? The internet seems to think BMC originally stood for "Bicycle Manufacturing Company".

That's a backronym, though it's better than the official and original name, Bigelow Mounting Company, and nowt to do with the Dominica Banana Marketing Corporation, of course:

http://www.bmctempo.com/whats-in-a-name ... -its-name/

 

[Johnsqual]

Re:

Oh dear, my feeble attempt at humour got out of hand pretty quickly. Sorry. :facepalm:

1) I am pretty sure the Banana team really did have something to do with marketing bananas. I vaguely recall reading about it somewhere, but no idea where. Maybe in the Roule Britannia book? Or in Wide Eyed and Legless?

Anyway, it wouldn't be the weirdest sponsorship deal in cycling.

2) The Banana team of course has nothing to do with BMC, that was just my (bad) idea of a joke. I didn't even know that there really IS a Banana Marketing Corporation until it was pointed out above.

BMC is in fact sponsored by Big Mick's Chippy:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content ... ture.shtml

Sorry, I'll get me coat.

Johnny