Category: Special Bicycles

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History and Legends Bicycles and Equipment Classic/Retro bicycles Special Bicycles

7-Eleven’s Eddy Merckx bikes

A 7-Eleven Eddy Merckx bike
A 7-Eleven Eddy Merckx bike (photo: classicrendezvous.com/Benelux/Merckx/d_shelor_7-11.htm)

In the late 1980s, an American team has started to shine in the European cycling scene: the 7-Eleven Cycling Team.

The 7-Eleven team founded by Jim Ochowicz, a former U.S. Olympic cyclist, in 1981. A few high-profile cyclists including Ron Kiefel, Sean Yates (former directeur sportif of Team Sky), Andrew Hampsten (1988 Giro d’Italia winner, also King of the Mountains, with the 7-Eleven team), Davis Phinney (father of BMC Racing Team rider Taylor Phinney) rode for the American team. The team lasted 16 years (from 1990 to 1996 under the sponsorship of Motorola).

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History and Legends Bicycles and Equipment Classic/Retro bicycles Races Special Bicycles Tour de France

Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France winner Bottecchia

Greg Lemond's Bottecchia
Bottecchia is a historical bicycle company that started as a small cyclery of Carnielli and improved in 1924 by Ottavio Bottecchia, the first Italian Tour de France winner (1924, 1925). A new company with a new name “Bottecchia” was born after the death of Ottavio Bottecchia in 1926. In 1940 the work force of Bottecchia was 100 people and the company became an outstanding race firm with the historical name of Ottavio Bottecchia and under the management of the Carnielli family. The bike was equipped with Mavic wheels and Mavic groupset: it was the only victory for Mavic as a groupset supplier in history of the Tour de France.

The advertisement of Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France winner Bottecchia (in Italian). A beautiful and extraordinary bike. LeMond was racing for the AD Renting-W-Cup-Bottecchia team.

During the 1980s and at the beginning of the ’90s, the size of the front wheels of the time-trial bikes was 650c, unlike today’s bicycles.

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Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment

Sak_art design

Chesini Florentia MMXIII, designed by Sak_art
Chesini Florentia MMXIII

Sak_art is a motorcycle & industrial design company founded in 2010 based near Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. They design motorcycles, helmets, and bicycles. Sak_art design wants to create synergies with the greatest frame builders, Each fine frame becomes their unique painting work that displaying their aesthetic creativity and passion that have roots in the beauty & culture of their land, Tuscany, Italy.

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Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment

LeMond Limited Edition Series

Lemond Limited TDF 86
Lemond Limited TDF 86

LeMond Limited Edition Series: Greg Lemond, triple Tour de France winner (the only American to win the Tour), and twice UCI World Champion, teamed up with the French frame manufacturer Time to relaunch his signature brand.

The first three models are limited editions and different only in cosmetics, named after Greg LeMond’s three Tour de France victories: TDF 1986, TDF 1989, and TDF 1990.

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History and Legends Bicycles and Equipment Races Special Bicycles Tour de France

The first bike to win the Tour de France

The first bike to win Tour de France
The first Tour de France was held on in 1903, and the overall winner was Maurice Garin (3 March 1871, Arvier, Aosta Valley, Italy – 19 February 1957, Lens or Haute-Savoie, France). Garin's La Française bike was weighing 18kg (the UCI limit is 6.8kg and all the bikes are around 6.8-7 kg now). Despite the really long stages, a heavy bike with no gears and the bad roads, Garin's average speed was 25.679 kph. He was riding for the "La Française Diamant" team.

The first Tour de France was held in 1903, and the overall winner was Maurice Garin (3 March 1871, Arvier, Aosta Valley, Italy – 19 February 1957, Lens or Haute-Savoie, France). His bicycle, a La Française was the first bike to win the Tour de France.

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Special Bicycles Bicycles and Equipment Cycling and Music, Cinema, Art

Sedona Istanbul

Sedona Istanbul. Artworks drawn by Aydan Çelik.
Sedona Istanbul. Artworks drawn by Aydan Çelik.

Sedona Istanbul is a concept road bike produced by Turkish bicycle manufacturer Sedona. Artworks on the frame are drawn by Aydan Çelik, a friend of mine.

The artworks on the frame are some historical and cultural details of Istanbul: buildings, boats, bridges, etc.

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Cycling Records Bicycles and Equipment History and Legends Hour Record Special Bicycles

Graeme Obree’s first test run with “the Beastie” – the land speed record vehicle

Graeme Obree, "Beastie"
Graeme Obree with one of the earlier prototypes of the "Beastie"

Graeme Obree (see notes 1), “The Flying Scotsman” is working on a plan to attempt the human-powered land speed record in a machine of his own design for a while. Last week, he tested the vehicle, “Beastie”, in preparation to break the human-powered land speed record.

On the development of a shell for “the Beastie” (see notes 2), Obree has been working with a team of Product Design Engineering students at the Glasgow School of Art. He did his first test run in the Beastie last week, on Thursday 15th November at Machrihanish airport in Scotland. A photographer from the website Humans Invent, Camille McMillan was there to take photos. There’s an article on the Humans Invent website about the test.

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