This is one of the projects that Hans and I designed and built in the very early 1990's, I am most proud of. "The Flying T Square".
In 1993 Graeme Obree broke the World Hour Record on a track bike with a similar design. I feel we may have been designing this about the same time. I like to think ours was first, but I am sure he took a while designing his, before his bike was all over the news, so let's say at the same time ! haha
The down tube on our bike is actually a helicopter landing gear strut, the seat tube is a small monoplane wing strut, while the rest of the tubing is actual Columbus cycling frame tubes. We gusseted the junction of the down/seat tube joint to reinforce what structurally not laterally stiff enough, cut out the upper section of the seat tube and inserted a 150mm long section of Columbus seat tube to accommodate the Campagnolo seat post (They didn't have full aero seat posts in those days).
The bike was fast, but ONLY on the flats. Climbing was a nightmare due to the frame flex, even with the gussets and extremely heavy gauge tubing from the aircraft . Also, it was extremely heavy, for a road machine, (weight is essentially irrelevant for a steady pace time trial on a flat, windless track) with the entire bike weighing about 12 or 13 kilos. I can see why Obree could use his on the track, where ours was designed for road use. (mistake) I remember a TT on St. Joseph Island, that contained several climbs of the 'mountain'. Let's say that race wasn't successful ! haha The chain fell off three times on the the climbs and I eventually just said screw it and coasted home.
Interestingly, the bike was on display at the Art Gallery of Algoma a few years later !
I have the frame hanging in my workshop and perhaps I will build it up again as a display ... maybe... (The issue is that it may be tough to find date specific parts, although I have boxes still to unpack from 14 or 15 years ago, which may contain some of the original components)
Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have of this TT machine fully assembled. (It's a rather poor scan, I made with my first scanner 20 years ago from the original photo...no idea where that original photo went, or I would have re-scanned it today) .
Metzen Ellis TT Bike 1992 (repainted in Le Sault Rapide Racing Team Colours in the early 1990's)
This is one of the projects that Hans and I designed and built in the very early 1990's, I am most proud of. "The Flying T Square".
In 1993 Graeme Obree broke the World Hour Record on a track bike with a similar design. I feel we may have been designing this about the same time. I like to think ours was first, but I am sure he took a while designing his, before his bike was all over the news, so let's say at the same time ! haha
The down tube on our bike is actually a helicopter landing gear strut, the seat tube is a small monoplane wing strut, while the rest of the tubing is actual Columbus cycling frame tubes. We gusseted the junction of the down/seat tube joint to reinforce what structurally not laterally stiff enough, cut out the upper section of the seat tube and inserted a 150mm long section of Columbus seat tube to accommodate the Campagnolo seat post (They didn't have full aero seat posts in those days).
The bike was fast, but ONLY on the flats. Climbing was a nightmare due to the frame flex, even with the gussets and extremely heavy gauge tubing from the aircraft . Also, it was extremely heavy, for a road machine, (weight is essentially irrelevant for a steady pace time trial on a flat, windless track) with the entire bike weighing about 12 or 13 kilos. I can see why Obree could use his on the track, where ours was designed for road use. (mistake) I remember a TT on St. Joseph Island, that contained several climbs of the 'mountain'. Let's say that race wasn't successful ! haha The chain fell off three times on the the climbs and I eventually just said screw it and coasted home.
Interestingly, the bike was on display at the Art Gallery of Algoma a few years later !
I have the frame hanging in my workshop and perhaps I will build it up again as a display ... maybe... (The issue is that it may be tough to find date specific parts, although I have boxes still to unpack from 14 or 15 years ago, which may contain some of the original components)
Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have of this TT machine fully assembled. (It's a rather poor scan, I made with my first scanner 20 years ago from the original photo...no idea where that original photo went, or I would have re-scanned it today) .