Road Cycling - What's the wierdest bike you've ridden on a century?

I'm just curious what's the wierdest/most out of the ordinary bike you've ridden on a century (or any long distance) and why?

I'm just curious what's the wierdest/most out of the ordinary bike you've ridden on a century (or any long distance) and why?

An exercise bike. :)

Why? Because I was bored... unfortunately it only made me more bored. :(

A 1962 Schwinn Paramount. Maybe not too weird, but definitely not seen much. Did it because there were lots of others riders and I was hoping to sell it.

Saw a guy on a unicycle, and an old-fashioned "banana seat" single speed peddling like crazy, and on Ride the Rockies two guys from Sweden did the whole thing on foot-powered commuter type scooters.

I seen a guy on a single speed ice cream vending bike doing a 30 miler, complete with ice cream treats. He was wearing bluejeans and cowboy boots, in 85 degree weather. I wouldn't be surprized if he stopped and stuck his head in the cooler periodically.

Saw a guy on a unicycle, and an old-fashioned "banana seat" single speed peddling like crazy, and on Ride the Rockies two guys from Sweden did the whole thing on foot-powered commuter type scooters.

A couple of years there was someone who did the STP (Seattle to Portland) as a set of back-to-back centuries on a unicycle. There was also a rollerblader.

I seen a guy on a single speed ice cream vending bike doing a 30 miler, complete with ice cream treats. He was wearing bluejeans and cowboy boots, in 85 degree weather. I wouldn't be surprized if he stopped and stuck his head in the cooler periodically.

That's great! Did he make any money on the ride?

My fixed gear

My ss, and my MTN bike - not at the same time, but it gives me an idea.

I did the NY 5 Boro tour in 1984, on a cheap 3 speed folding bike. This also involved riding in from the far end of Queens. When I registered an official said if he saw any strange bikes he was to send them up to the front and he thought my bike looked strange enough. That way I was ahead of the crowds and it made for a much easier ride.

I borrowed this bike from this guy to try. Was the slowest century I've ever done. Most painful too. Slow because I could only maintain 12 mph. Pretty sad when I'm used to averaging over 24.


http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=5011


It did get a lot of looks though.

I borrowed this bike from this guy to try. Was the slowest century I've ever done. Most painful too. Slow because I could only maintain 12 mph. Pretty sad when I'm used to averaging over 24.


http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=5011


It did get a lot of looks though.


Lowracer1, I'm not an expert but I believe that the bicycle your on in the
picture is not UCI legal. Those do not look like 700C wheels! :D

In the early 80's I worked for an engineer who designed a bike that you propel with your hands as well as your legs, called it a quadraped. As you pedal, pushing down with your right foot the right handle bar would come up and the left down. It was all linked together so you could get an arm workout as you rode.

Since I was the young lad who worked for him I was the test subject. I rode that bike for quite a while; commuting, rode a few centuries, and even attempted the Davis Double Century but died at the 120 mile mark. I turned a lot of heads in the Sacramento/Sierra Nevada area, at least the bike did.

He tried to get a patent on the bike but it was similiar to a bike patented in the early 1900's so it got bogged down.

It was fun to ride something different but since it was my first real bike I didn't have a frame of reference riding wise. So when I rode a nice normal bike I found riding much easier and fun so I put the quadraped away. I made the Davis DC the next year on the normal bike.

Dave

Lowracer1, I'm not an expert but I believe that the bicycle your on in the
picture is not UCI legal. Those do not look like 700C wheels! :D

Its a good thing you don't have to have a uci legal bike just to ride a 100 miles.

I'm not overly impressed with the UCI anyhow.