The aerodynamics of the last century - Historique des versions

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

2026-01-09T17:16:43Z

Establishing a new standard (1980-1984)

← Version précédente		Version du 9 janvier 2026 à 17:16
Ligne 38 :		Ligne 38 :


	In 1981,		In 1981, Antonio Columbus and Andrea Pesenti started drawing sketches that would end up becoming the Cinelli Laser.

Louison : /* The craze (1984-1997) */

2026-01-09T17:16:07Z

The craze (1984-1997)

← Version précédente		Version du 9 janvier 2026 à 17:16
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	= The craze (1984-1997) =		= The craze (1984-1997) =

			In the 1984 World Championship, Hans-Henrik Ørsted rode in the individual pursuit a Cinelli Laser, he won the discipline's event, earning the title of World Championship in the process. This was one of the first instances of the Cinelli Laser being used to win an even. It wouldn't be the last one.

	= Ban of most of what made these bikes (1997-2000) =		= Ban of most of what made these bikes (1997-2000) =

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

2026-01-09T16:26:37Z

Experimentations (1972-1980)

← Version précédente		Version du 9 janvier 2026 à 16:26
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	Around 1976, Tony Maier-Moussa, at the time bike mechanic and soon-to-be-successful Assos founder, was getting inspired by ski jumpers to make skinsuits and eventually rethink the position of riders on their bike. He imported carbon to create his own frame with drop-shaped tubing and with handlebars mounted on the fork crown. <ref>''[https://bikinvalais.ch/2015/01/toni-maier-moussa-histoire-assos/ Toni Maier Moussa : «Les habits de vélo, ce n’était pas prévu»]'', bikinvalais.ch, last accessed : 23/09/2025</ref>. Maier-Moussa acknoledges an important point in this interview : ''<pre>[The wind tunnel tests were] fantastic. Until I asked Daniel Gisiger to get on the bike... With the cyclist, we measured almost no improvement. What a disappointment!</pre>'' It was used in the 1978 track world championships in Munich, in combination with the Assos skinsuit. The Assos skinsuit is a fundamental part of the development of the aerodynamics of cycling because before they brought together the cyclist and the bicycle as the system to think about when thinking about aerodynamics in cycling<ref>''[https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/journal/53701633-design-icons-the-assos-skinsuit Design Icons : The Assos Skinsuit]'', condorcycles.com , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>. Before they became the norm riders were still wearing wool jerseys, the jerseys and cyclist would created enormous drag when, all things considered, the average race bicycle didn't create that much drag. In Munich in 1978, it was Daniel Gisiger that rode with both the Assos skinsuit and the Tony Maier-Moussa prototype bicycle, as seen below (unsure about the exact date).		Around 1976, Tony Maier-Moussa, at the time bike mechanic and soon-to-be-successful Assos founder, was getting inspired by ski jumpers to make skinsuits and eventually rethink the position of riders on their bike. He imported carbon to create his own frame with drop-shaped tubing and with handlebars mounted on the fork crown. <ref>''[https://bikinvalais.ch/2015/01/toni-maier-moussa-histoire-assos/ Toni Maier Moussa : «Les habits de vélo, ce n’était pas prévu»]'', bikinvalais.ch, last accessed : 23/09/2025</ref>. Maier-Moussa acknoledges an important point in this interview : ''<pre>[The wind tunnel tests were] fantastic. Until I asked Daniel Gisiger to get on the bike... With the cyclist, we measured almost no improvement. What a disappointment!</pre>'' It was used in the 1978 track world championships in Munich, in combination with the Assos skinsuit. The Assos skinsuit is a fundamental part of the development of the aerodynamics of cycling because before they brought together the cyclist and the bicycle as the system to think about when thinking about aerodynamics in cycling<ref>''[https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/journal/53701633-design-icons-the-assos-skinsuit Design Icons : The Assos Skinsuit]'', condorcycles.com , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>. Before they became the norm riders were still wearing wool jerseys, the jerseys and cyclist would created enormous drag when, all things considered, the average race bicycle didn't create that much drag. In Munich in 1978, it was Daniel Gisiger that rode with both the Assos skinsuit and the Tony Maier-Moussa prototype bicycle, as seen below (unsure about the exact date).

			[[Fichier:\|500px\|frameless\|center\|]]
	<ref>''[https://www.letemps.ch/sport/cyclisme/daniel-gisiger-nos-coureurs-ont-besoin-d-une-equipe-suisse-pour-devenir-des-gagneurs Daniel Gisiger: «Nos coureurs ont besoin d’une équipe suisse pour devenir des gagneurs»]'', letemps.ch , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>		<ref>''[https://www.letemps.ch/sport/cyclisme/daniel-gisiger-nos-coureurs-ont-besoin-d-une-equipe-suisse-pour-devenir-des-gagneurs Daniel Gisiger: «Nos coureurs ont besoin d’une équipe suisse pour devenir des gagneurs»]'', letemps.ch , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

2026-01-09T16:14:01Z

Establishing a new standard (1980-1984)

← Version précédente		Version du 9 janvier 2026 à 16:14
Ligne 40 :		Ligne 40 :


	On the 19th of January 1984, Francesco Moser blew the record out of the water with an hour record of 50,808km. As the story goes, unsatisfied with the record, he promised to come back in 4 days to beat it again. And so, on the 23th of January 1984, Moser rode 51,151km. Moser rode what could be called a spaceship at the time. The frame was ~~branded full~~ chromed and was TIG-welded. The top tube and seat tube were heavily curved to achieve a never-seen-before frame. The seat tube was curved only from around the half-way point upwards, this is done to be able to achieve a position much further back than a traditional road bike (and all bikes mentioned previously, for that matter) while keeping the back wheel close to bottom bracket.		On the 19th of January 1984, Francesco Moser blew the record out of the water with an hour record of 50,808km. As the story goes, unsatisfied with the record, he promised to come back in 4 days to beat it again. And so, on the 23th of January 1984, Moser rode 51,151km. Moser rode what could be called a spaceship at the time. The frame was fully chromed and was TIG-welded. The top tube and seat tube were heavily curved to achieve a never-seen-before frame. The seat tube was curved only from around the half-way point upwards, this is done to be able to achieve a position much further back than a traditional road bike (and all bikes mentioned previously, for that matter) while keeping the back wheel close to bottom bracket.

	= The craze (1984-1997) =		= The craze (1984-1997) =

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

2026-01-05T17:34:52Z

Establishing a new standard (1980-1984)

← Version précédente		Version du 5 janvier 2026 à 17:34
Ligne 40 :		Ligne 40 :


	On the 19th of January 1984, Francesco Moser blew the record out of the water with an hour record of 50,808km. As the story goes, unsatisfied with the record, he promised to come back in 4 days to beat it again. And so, on the 23th of January 1984, Moser rode 51,151km.		On the 19th of January 1984, Francesco Moser blew the record out of the water with an hour record of 50,808km. As the story goes, unsatisfied with the record, he promised to come back in 4 days to beat it again. And so, on the 23th of January 1984, Moser rode 51,151km. Moser rode what could be called a spaceship at the time. The frame was branded full chromed and was TIG-welded. The top tube and seat tube were heavily curved to achieve a never-seen-before frame. The seat tube was curved only from around the half-way point upwards, this is done to be able to achieve a position much further back than a traditional road bike (and all bikes mentioned previously, for that matter) while keeping the back wheel close to bottom bracket.

	= The craze (1984-1997) =		= The craze (1984-1997) =

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

2026-01-05T16:30:22Z

Establishing a new standard (1980-1984)

← Version précédente		Version du 5 janvier 2026 à 16:30
Ligne 34 :		Ligne 34 :


	Recognition also came at the same Olympic games with the win of Lothar Thoms in the 1000m men's individual pursuit. ~~Not much information is available about the~~ bike but ~~what is known is that~~ it was a Textima<ref>Textima was a gigantic East German textile factory so big that a part of it was making bikes under the MIFA and Diamant monikers. But within this bike factory, was the institute behind the high-level bikes created for the East German athletes of the time. One of the prominent members of this laboratory was Paul Rinkowski. A whole page could be dedicated to this man, but to keep it short, he had been pioneering recumbing bikes since the late 1940s. He knew how poor the aerodynamics of the traditional diamond bike frame were and researched recumbent bikes on his own. His work is recognised as such but he was also recruited by the East German sports committee to created aerodynamic bikes for the East German team. He died in 1986 but Textima, later FES, lived on and propelled German bikes on the forefront of technology.</ref>. This bike featured two 700c wheels, a short head tube, a downwards slopping top tube and "bullhorn" handlebars that were mounted on the fork. It is very reminiscent of the bike Tony Meier-Moussa had built with the exception of the top tube and the head tube.		Recognition also came at the same Olympic games with the win of Lothar Thoms in the 1000m men's individual pursuit. The bike was completely unbranded but it was a Textima<ref>Textima was a gigantic East German textile factory so big that a part of it was making bikes under the MIFA and Diamant monikers. But within this bike factory, was the institute behind the high-level bikes created for the East German athletes of the time. One of the prominent members of this laboratory was Paul Rinkowski. A whole page could be dedicated to this man, but to keep it short, he had been pioneering recumbing bikes since the late 1940s. He knew how poor the aerodynamics of the traditional diamond bike frame were and researched recumbent bikes on his own. His work is recognised as such but he was also recruited by the East German sports committee to created aerodynamic bikes for the East German team. He died in 1986 but Textima, later FES, lived on and propelled German bikes on the forefront of technology.</ref>. This bike featured two 700c wheels, a short head tube, a downwards slopping top tube and "bullhorn" handlebars that were mounted on the fork. It is very reminiscent of the bike Tony Meier-Moussa had built with the exception of the top tube and the head tube.

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

2026-01-05T16:15:11Z

Experimentations (1972-1980)

← Version précédente		Version du 5 janvier 2026 à 16:15
Ligne 19 :		Ligne 19 :
	Nevertheless, we can find a few examples of bikes that tended to try something new, something that pushed boundaries that were not always considered before then.		Nevertheless, we can find a few examples of bikes that tended to try something new, something that pushed boundaries that were not always considered before then.

	Around 1976, Tony Maier-Moussa, at the time bike mechanic and soon-to-be-successful Assos founder, was getting inspired by ski jumpers to make skinsuits and eventually rethink the position of riders on their bike. He imported carbon to create his own frame with drop-shaped tubing and with handlebars mounted on the fork crown. <ref>''[https://bikinvalais.ch/2015/01/toni-maier-moussa-histoire-assos/ Toni Maier Moussa : «Les habits de vélo, ce n’était pas prévu»]'', bikinvalais.ch, last accessed : 23/09/2025</ref>. Maier-Moussa acknoledges an important point in this interview : ''<pre>[The wind tunnel tests were] fantastic. Until I asked Daniel Gisiger to get on the bike... With the cyclist, we measured almost no improvement. What a disappointment!</pre>'' It was used in the 1978 track world championships in Munich, in combination with the Assos skinsuit. The Assos skinsuit is a fundamental part of the development of the aerodynamics of cycling because before they ~~became~~ the ~~norm riders were still wearing wool jerseys, it tremendeously helped alleviate~~ the ~~rider part of aerodynamic drag. The rider equipped with those items~~ in ~~1978 was Daniel Gisiger~~ <ref>''[https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/journal/53701633-design-icons-the-assos-skinsuit Design Icons : The Assos Skinsuit]'', condorcycles.com , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>.		Around 1976, Tony Maier-Moussa, at the time bike mechanic and soon-to-be-successful Assos founder, was getting inspired by ski jumpers to make skinsuits and eventually rethink the position of riders on their bike. He imported carbon to create his own frame with drop-shaped tubing and with handlebars mounted on the fork crown. <ref>''[https://bikinvalais.ch/2015/01/toni-maier-moussa-histoire-assos/ Toni Maier Moussa : «Les habits de vélo, ce n’était pas prévu»]'', bikinvalais.ch, last accessed : 23/09/2025</ref>. Maier-Moussa acknoledges an important point in this interview : ''<pre>[The wind tunnel tests were] fantastic. Until I asked Daniel Gisiger to get on the bike... With the cyclist, we measured almost no improvement. What a disappointment!</pre>'' It was used in the 1978 track world championships in Munich, in combination with the Assos skinsuit. The Assos skinsuit is a fundamental part of the development of the aerodynamics of cycling because before they brought together the cyclist and the bicycle as the system to think about when thinking about aerodynamics in cycling<ref>''[https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/journal/53701633-design-icons-the-assos-skinsuit Design Icons : The Assos Skinsuit]'', condorcycles.com , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>. Before they became the norm riders were still wearing wool jerseys, the jerseys and cyclist would created enormous drag when, all things considered, the average race bicycle didn't create that much drag. In Munich in 1978, it was Daniel Gisiger that rode with both the Assos skinsuit and the Tony Maier-Moussa prototype bicycle, as seen below (unsure about the exact date).

	<ref>''[https://www.letemps.ch/sport/cyclisme/daniel-gisiger-nos-coureurs-ont-besoin-d-une-equipe-suisse-pour-devenir-des-gagneurs Daniel Gisiger: «Nos coureurs ont besoin d’une équipe suisse pour devenir des gagneurs»]'', letemps.ch , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>		<ref>''[https://www.letemps.ch/sport/cyclisme/daniel-gisiger-nos-coureurs-ont-besoin-d-une-equipe-suisse-pour-devenir-des-gagneurs Daniel Gisiger: «Nos coureurs ont besoin d’une équipe suisse pour devenir des gagneurs»]'', letemps.ch , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>

	According to Claude Genzling and Bernard Hinault<ref>''Cyclisme sur route : la technique, la tactique et l'entraînement, Bernard Hinault & Claude Genzling, 1988''</ref>, the first studies that had bike AND position of cyclist in mind came around the same time. <pre>The first studies aimed at reducing the aerodynamic drag of bicycles and optimising that of the man-machine combination according to the rider's position were undertaken in 1977 by Maurice Ménard, director of the Aerotechnical Institute of Saint-Cyr-l'École and professor at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers. This initially resulted in the Profile bicycle, which was tested during the 1979 Tour de France, followed by the Delta bicycle, which Laurent Fignon used in the 1984 Tour de France time trial stages.</pre> The Gitane Profile was a profiled road bike, and therefore doesn't necessarily fit in our history of time-trial bikes but I think it's important because it was used at the top of the sport at the time and as a time-trial bike. The prominent features were the profiled tubing, the deep wheels, the back mounted front brake and the ~~dropping~~ handlebars<ref>''[https://mediaclip.ina.fr/fr/i18341707-cyrille-guimard-et-le-velo-revolutionnaire-de-bernard-hinault.html Cyrille Guimard et le vélo révolutionnaire de Bernard Hinault]'', ina.fr , last accessed : 14/12/2025</ref><ref>''[https://www.flickr.com/photos/40365317@N06/32531846557 Picture of one of the Team Time-Trial stages of the 1979 Tour de France]'', flickr.com , last accessed : 14/12/2025</ref>.		According to Claude Genzling and Bernard Hinault<ref>''Cyclisme sur route : la technique, la tactique et l'entraînement, Bernard Hinault & Claude Genzling, 1988''</ref>, the first studies that had bike AND position of cyclist in mind came around the same time. <pre>The first studies aimed at reducing the aerodynamic drag of bicycles and optimising that of the man-machine combination according to the rider's position were undertaken in 1977 by Maurice Ménard, director of the Aerotechnical Institute of Saint-Cyr-l'École and professor at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers. This initially resulted in the Profile bicycle, which was tested during the 1979 Tour de France, followed by the Delta bicycle, which Laurent Fignon used in the 1984 Tour de France time trial stages.</pre> The Gitane Profile was a profiled road bike, and therefore doesn't necessarily fit in our history of time-trial bikes but I think it's important because it was used at the top of the sport at the time and as a time-trial bike. The prominent features were the profiled tubing, the deep wheels, the back mounted front brake and the dropped handlebars<ref>''[https://mediaclip.ina.fr/fr/i18341707-cyrille-guimard-et-le-velo-revolutionnaire-de-bernard-hinault.html Cyrille Guimard et le vélo révolutionnaire de Bernard Hinault]'', ina.fr , last accessed : 14/12/2025</ref><ref>''[https://www.flickr.com/photos/40365317@N06/32531846557 Picture of one of the Team Time-Trial stages of the 1979 Tour de France]'', flickr.com , last accessed : 14/12/2025</ref>.

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

2026-01-05T16:05:04Z

Experimentations (1972-1980)

← Version précédente		Version du 5 janvier 2026 à 16:05
Ligne 16 :		Ligne 16 :

	= Experimentations (1972-1980) =		= Experimentations (1972-1980) =

			Nevertheless, we can find a few examples of bikes that tended to try something new, something that pushed boundaries that were not always considered before then.

	Around 1976, Tony Maier-Moussa, at the time bike mechanic and soon-to-be-successful Assos founder, was getting inspired by ski jumpers to make skinsuits and eventually rethink the position of riders on their bike. He imported carbon to create his own frame with drop-shaped tubing and with handlebars mounted on the fork crown. <ref>''[https://bikinvalais.ch/2015/01/toni-maier-moussa-histoire-assos/ Toni Maier Moussa : «Les habits de vélo, ce n’était pas prévu»]'', bikinvalais.ch, last accessed : 23/09/2025</ref>. Maier-Moussa acknoledges an important point in this interview : ''<pre>[The wind tunnel tests were] fantastic. Until I asked Daniel Gisiger to get on the bike... With the cyclist, we measured almost no improvement. What a disappointment!</pre>'' It was used in the 1978 track world championships in Munich, in combination with the Assos skinsuit. The Assos skinsuit is a fundamental part of the development of the aerodynamics of cycling because before they became the norm riders were still wearing wool jerseys, it tremendeously helped alleviate the rider part of aerodynamic drag. The rider equipped with those items in 1978 was Daniel Gisiger <ref>''[https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/journal/53701633-design-icons-the-assos-skinsuit Design Icons : The Assos Skinsuit]'', condorcycles.com , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>.		Around 1976, Tony Maier-Moussa, at the time bike mechanic and soon-to-be-successful Assos founder, was getting inspired by ski jumpers to make skinsuits and eventually rethink the position of riders on their bike. He imported carbon to create his own frame with drop-shaped tubing and with handlebars mounted on the fork crown. <ref>''[https://bikinvalais.ch/2015/01/toni-maier-moussa-histoire-assos/ Toni Maier Moussa : «Les habits de vélo, ce n’était pas prévu»]'', bikinvalais.ch, last accessed : 23/09/2025</ref>. Maier-Moussa acknoledges an important point in this interview : ''<pre>[The wind tunnel tests were] fantastic. Until I asked Daniel Gisiger to get on the bike... With the cyclist, we measured almost no improvement. What a disappointment!</pre>'' It was used in the 1978 track world championships in Munich, in combination with the Assos skinsuit. The Assos skinsuit is a fundamental part of the development of the aerodynamics of cycling because before they became the norm riders were still wearing wool jerseys, it tremendeously helped alleviate the rider part of aerodynamic drag. The rider equipped with those items in 1978 was Daniel Gisiger <ref>''[https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/journal/53701633-design-icons-the-assos-skinsuit Design Icons : The Assos Skinsuit]'', condorcycles.com , last accessed : 17/12/2025</ref>.

Louison : /* When did this happen and why did it happen */

2026-01-05T15:59:52Z

When did this happen and why did it happen

← Version précédente		Version du 5 janvier 2026 à 15:59
Ligne 13 :		Ligne 13 :


	Merckx being, even at the time, considered the ultimate athlete in the sport and weight being a finite improvement (before running into rigidity issues), innovation was pushed by smaller framemakers. Exemples are few and far as it was still a transitional phase : not everyone believed aerodynamics were the path to follow. Use in competition was very scarce and documentation about them is even more scarce.		Merckx being, even at the time, considered the ultimate athlete in the sport and weight being a finite improvement (before running into rigidity issues), innovation was pushed by smaller framemakers. Exemples are few and far as it was still a transitional phase : not everyone cared about or believed aerodynamics were the path to follow. Use in competition was very scarce and documentation about them is even more scarce.

	= Experimentations (1972-1980) =		= Experimentations (1972-1980) =

Louison : /* When did this happen and why did it happen */

2026-01-05T15:56:05Z

When did this happen and why did it happen

← Version précédente		Version du 5 janvier 2026 à 15:56
Ligne 7 :		Ligne 7 :
	= When did this happen and why did it happen =		= When did this happen and why did it happen =

	I believe the when and the why of how low-profile came to be are closely related to one event in 1972. On the 25th of October 1972, Eddy Merckx rode 49,431km in an hour. Before that and for the majority of the post-war period of cycling, the gains were sought in the form of lightening the bikes. Aerodynamic bikes existed before, but they were just proof of concept rather than competitive options. One of the most striking exemples is Cristoforo Gazzoni's wooden and canva fairings bicycle<ref>''[https://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/scienza-tecnologia/schede/x5020-00024/ Bicicletta - industria, manifattura, artigianato]'', lombardiabeniculturali.it, last accessed : 02/11/2025</ref>. It dates back to the 60s at the latest and features fairings around a classical frame to make it more aerodynamic. Another good exemple is seen in an interview of Ernesto Colnago on his most iconic bikes<ref name=ec_int>''[https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/colnagos-classic-bike-collection Colnago’s classic bike collection]'', cyclist.co.uk, last accessed : 23/09/2025</ref> ~~: a prototype made for the hour record in 1968~~. The principles of what would drive the aerodynamic search were already here : fairings would allow the bike to cut the air more efficiently and the geometry was such that the rider would lean onto the front of the bike, reducing frontal area and again facilitating penetration in the air.		I believe the when and the why of how low-profile came to be are closely related to one event in 1972. On the 25th of October 1972, Eddy Merckx rode 49,431km in an hour. Before that and for the majority of the post-war period of cycling, the gains were sought in the form of lightening the bikes. Aerodynamic bikes existed before, but they were just proof of concept rather than competitive options. One of the most striking exemples is Cristoforo Gazzoni's wooden and canva fairings bicycle<ref>''[https://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/scienza-tecnologia/schede/x5020-00024/ Bicicletta - industria, manifattura, artigianato]'', lombardiabeniculturali.it, last accessed : 02/11/2025</ref>. It dates back to the 60s at the latest and features fairings around a classical frame to make it more aerodynamic. Another good exemple is seen in an interview of Ernesto Colnago on his most iconic bikes : a prototype made for the hour record in 1968<ref name=ec_int>''[https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/colnagos-classic-bike-collection Colnago’s classic bike collection]'', cyclist.co.uk, last accessed : 23/09/2025</ref>. The principles of what would drive the aerodynamic search were already here : fairings would allow the bike to cut the air more efficiently and the geometry was such that the rider would lean onto the front of the bike, reducing frontal area and again facilitating penetration in the air.

The aerodynamics of the last century - Historique des versions

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

Louison : /* The craze (1984-1997) */

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

Louison : /* When did this happen and why did it happen */

Louison : /* When did this happen and why did it happen */

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

Louison : /* The craze (1984-1997) */

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

Louison : /* Establishing a new standard (1980-1984) */

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

Louison : /* Experimentations (1972-1980) */

Louison : /* When did this happen and why did it happen */

Louison : /* When did this happen and why did it happen */