What makes the bikes from different countries special?

[David B]

USA: claiming credit where it's not due. 'We invented off-road cycling'. No you didn't.

Yup, I'll second that. France seems the more likely origin (Gousseau & Lefèvre, back in the early 1900s??).

David

 

[Johnsqual]

USA: Innovative use of materials (ie Cannondale CAAD + Litespeed & Merlin Titanium)

Well before then, although sadly both with engineering flaws which made them less then successful, were the Exxon Graftek (carbon fibre) and Teledyne Titan (Ti, as the name implies).

David

Interesting history behind the Teledyne is that there is some sort of link to the arms industry.

If I understand it correctly, the reason titanium became usable for bikes is that it was first developed for use in the Blackbird spy plane.

But then weren't the British the first to borrow aerospace technology for bikes? Viscount!

 

[Russell]

The first titanium bike frames were made in Birmingham (England) by Speedwell.

 

[Johnsqual]

The first titanium bike frames were made in Birmingham (England) by Speedwell.

Indeed - just found this:

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Britis ... l_home.htm

 

[vivelesalpes]

I stand corrected - at least it's got the topic going !

IIRC Didn't Carlton experiment with some wierd and wonderful materials back in the 70's ?

 

[hamster]

If I understand it correctly, the reason titanium became usable for bikes is that it was first developed for use in the Blackbird spy plane.

It was certainly used in military applications first - in fact the SR-71's titanium all came from Russia!

The end of the cold war brought Ti to consumer prices as Russian factories started selling it. In the USA scrap Ti tubing from decommissioned aircraft like B-52 hydraulic tubing was used for many things like racks and some bike frames.