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$9.75
Vol. 9, No. 1
Unconventional Bicycles
Airplanes, cars and trains have advanced tremendously over the last century, yet bicycles have remained almost the same: Two wheels 65 cm in diameter, a diamond frame, chain drive to the rear wheel. There have been numerous attempts to innovate, and we look at a few of them. We test a Moulton New Series, and we ride a modern replica of a Dursley-Pedersen with its unique hammock saddle and multi-tubed frame. We review books on Alex Moulton and Mr. Pedersen, and we examine the promise of unconventional bicycles in events like Paris-Brest-Paris.
Recumbents were popular during the 1930s, and we translated a report from a rider in the 1934 trials of the Touring-Club de France who rode alongside the recumbents and other unconventional machines entered in this event.
Contrasting these unconventional machines, we test a MAP Randonneur Project, which takes everything we know about 650B bikes and synthesizes it into a single bike. How did it perform on a multi-day paved-and-gravel adventure in the Cascades?
We continue our “History of Randonneuring” series with a look at the 1930s. The Diagonals appealed to a spirit of adventure, and so did the first randonneur Paris-Brest-Paris. However, the German occupation with its curfews and travel restrictions encouraged a focus on shorter, faster events, and fostered a more competitive spirit in randonneuring.
- Table of Contents
- Features:
- 4 Builders Speak: Bruce Gordon on Making a Ti-Lugged Carbon Show Bike
- 17 Reprint: The Moulton — Bike of the Future? (Le Cycle 1962)
- 32 Classic Bikes: Ca. 1910 Dursley Pedersen
- 44 The History of Randonneuring, Part 2: 1930s — Diagonals and the German Occupation
- 52 Competing in the Concours des Pyrénées Technical Trials (Le Cycliste 1935)
- 63 In the Press: Wider Tires, Lower Pressures (CyclingNews.com)
- 70 My Favorite Bike: Michael Wolfe's Bacchetta Aero Recumbent
- Reviews:
- 18 Bike Test: Moulton New Series
- 20 Book Review: Alex Moulton's Autobiography
- 31 Book Review: Mr. Pedersen — Man of Genius
- 36 Bike Test: MAP 650B Randonneur Project
- 60: Tests: Origin 8 Cantilever Brakes; Kool-Stop "Mafac Replacement" Brake Pads; Gore Bike Wear Bib Tights; Pacenti Pari-Moto 650B x 38mm Tires
- Tech:
- 24 The Promise of Unconventional Bicycles
- 66 Derailleurs and Speed (Tour de France)
- 69 The Resistance of Shimano Alfine Hubs
- News:
- 65 Obituary: Neville March
- 68 Readers' Forum