ya know, in the70’s in the USA- the official would ask you to get plain white socks if you were entering a race

My socks may not be regulation, or even preferable. They may even be terrible. But I rode like a champion that day.

At least, that's what I tell myself. Here's one from the archive - my since sold Peugeot UO-8:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b9ff1c0863.jpg

The stripes are doing double duty on my Stella. They milked Louison Bobet's accomplishments for all they could get.

https://live.staticflickr.com/850/43...b2148c23_b.jpg


On my 1973 De Rosa they seem to be claiming the stripes early. Eddy had a couple of world championships by then and was riding a De Rosa, but I don't think he rode a De Rosa to a World Championship until 1974. Mine is a repaint, so it could be bad decaling, but I've seen a couple of others De Rosas claimed to be from 1973 that have the stripes and what looks like original paint.

https://live.staticflickr.com/4395/3...cd45d86f_b.jpg


LeMond seems to have demonstrated that the stripes follow the rider, not necessarily the builder.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2f68bfbe_o.jpg


And, Masi, well, they can probably do whatever they want, including claiming the same year twice.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9710cb20_c.jpg

A couple of shots of Roland Della Santa and his frames at two NAHBS events....

https://live.staticflickr.com/3451/3...223a8a_c_d.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/8716/1...cc8e10_c_d.jpg

I'm assuming it was for LeMond's win on his bikes?

Steve in Peoria

84 Chas Roberts
https://i.ibb.co/55Sf4nb/20201015-143749.jpg

Here's a classic flex from Atala (Urs Frehler, winning basically every WC Points Race in the 80s)

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...937d356bdb.jpg

Ernesto must have been extremely proud of the rainbow since it is in every decal!
https://live.staticflickr.com/5546/1...1ae1b76e_b.jpgP1000519 on Flickr

If the Pinarello had them, they fell off!

The 1988 De Rosa Pro does not have them

The 1973 Bottecchia has them, or should:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a2863c03_b.jpgP1030103 on Flickr

The rules said that socks had to be white but some riders preferred to ride without socks, which technically didn't violate the rules. Still, some officials demanded socks, so there were riders who would use white paint on the area around their ankles. As a result, the rules were changed to, "socks, if worn, shall be white". However, even this got thrown out the door, after the UCI added mountain bike racing to it's jurisdiction, as in many regions it was impossible to keep them white, without buying a new pair for each race. The same problem had existed earlier, with cyclo-cross, but the CX crowd wasn't as vocal in its need for rule changes.

Yes but it gets even more convoluted than that. A bicycle brand doesn't even have to have won a World Championship to be adorned with the coveted rainbow stripes. It only has to be ridden in sanctioned competition by a reigning World Champion.

This loophole is made possible by the discrepancy between the World Championship year and the contract year. The World Championships traditionally take place during the last week of August or the first week of September. Consequently, a World Champion's one year reign typically spans two partial calendar years. However, rider contracts are typically calendar year based. After a rider has become World Champion it is quite common for them to switch teams to obtain a more lucrative salary for the upcoming season/calendar year. They take the rainbow jersey with them to the new team and if the bicycle sponsor has changed, that new bicycle brand gets to wear the rainbow stripes, even though it wasn't ridden to victory at the last World Championships.

Also, I don't how many of you have noticed this but even past World Champions get to wear the rainbow stripes in sanctioned races. It's not as prominent as the reigning World Champion, but in recognition of their past accomplishment, previous World Champions are permitted to display the rainbow stripes on the collar and/or cuffs of their team jerseys. Here's a photo of Hinault displaying the rainbow stripes of the cuffs of his jersey.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...334b9f7338.jpg

Speaking of De Rosas, this was always a weird one - WC stripes, but with years representing Eddy Merckx's three Super Prestige Pernod (precursor to the World Cup/World Tour) titles on it. Not to mention the "Arc-en-cil"- maybe referencing his 1974 title?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4077c27e4c.png


(Also infamous for causing a bunch of early 80s De Rosa Professionals to be called "Super Prestiges"

Also applies to reigning national champions - as seen by Larry Warbasse here.

(this seems to be one of a few accepted ways to display a former US title - another is just having the flag repeat as a band around the cuff)

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1fea5a0429.jpg


The pro-level European title is fairly new but "Euro stripes" seem to be a thing as well.

Since we have seen socks and jerseys, I'll add a saddle.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...273d1488b.jpeg

How about NORBA stripes?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4f832d1ae.jpeg

Not sure what would have been the justification for them on a 1979 Miyata 912. They were a bit more visible - two full circumference seat tube bands - on several other models in the ‘79 lineup according to the catalog photos.

https://www.ragandbone.ca/PDFs/Miyat...0Catalogue.pdf

https://photos.smugmug.com/Bicycles/...9_235210-M.jpg

OK, to resurrect/boost this thread, I have a question for the BF hive mind.

Is it ok to ask a frame builder who earned them their rainbow?

Also... POST MORE PICS please!

I believe there is a weird rule that it must be at the cuff of the sleeves. Tony Martin and Tom Demoulin were fined at last year's Tour for wearing long sleeves that had the rainbow printed on the sleeve mid bicep (ie where they would be if he were wearing short sleeves).
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Bu...24-80.jpg.webp

This one is upside down. Blue for sky on top, green for grass on bottom.

I always wondered what discipline Norco earned the stripes on the headtube of this 1985 touring bike.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c88f926f8b.jpg

^^Obviously a World Champion at Touring!

By Terry, if I'm not mistaken. There's one on a Raleigh frame in the co-op's dumpster. I keep meaning to go back for it.

Oh man, I'd be in real trouble for my knock-off Molteni thermal jersey.

https://i0.wp.com/outdoormayhem.onli...24576831-1.jpg

Schwinn's version on 78 Super Le Tour 12.2,

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1a49c73cd4.jpg

Are the rules similar to those governing riders? Ie you can only put stripes on a frame built for the discipline that won the rainbow? Ie can a touring bike have rainbow stripes if the maker won in a road race? Or TT? Mtb xc? Downhill? etc?

After Moreno Argentin won the World Champion Pro Road Race in Colorado Springs in 1986, Bianchi put the 1986-1987 Campione del Mondo decal on all their 1987 and 1988 models, including ATBs and city bikes. So, the rainbow stripes appear to apply to the brand, not the discipline.

They seem to be on the Miyata models circa 1978-1979, regardless of the market, as I've also seen then on the USA/Canadian and Japanese market models. I'm wondering if the tie was the Eddy Merckx brand that they were manufacturing under license at the time?

That is completely out of order of the stripe on the UCI rainbow. I wonder if it was an intentional attempt to avoid the trademark.

Here's a page from an Ishiwata catalog with two results that have always perplexed me.

First, it clearly states that the 1973 pro road race was won on a frame built with an Ishiwata 017 tubeset. Now, the 1973 winner of that race was Felice Gimondi on a Bianchi. It's definitely Gimondi's victory, as it states the location, Barcelona. Bianchi even named their new top model the Specialissima Barcelona after Gimondi's victory.

Only slightly less startling is the claim for the pro cyclo-cross World Championships. Again, the location leaves no doubt that it refers to Albert Van Damme's victory. He won on a Gitane.

While the Europeans would eventually realize the merits of Japanese tubing, it seems unimaginable that Bianchi and Gitane would select anything other than Columbus or Reynolds during this era. And while there was some questionable Japanese to English translation back in the day, these seen very straight forward and leave nothing to interpretation. If the claims are true, I foresee a lot of blood covered celeste and suicidal Frenchman. Psst, nobody tell Bianchigirll or verktyg.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b5d0105e99.jpg

That would be my guess. That's why I called it Schwinn's version..

That rack support was purchased in fall '76 - early '77 from Bike Warehouse (later Bike Nashbar, and later just Nashbar)...I don't think it had any particular branding. Also bought from Bike Warehouse was the Zefal HP frame pump, SunTour barcons, ALE handlebar-mount water bottle cage, TA bottle, Cannondale 'Toot' seat bag....Lots of stuff that winter! Later that spring the bike was treated to Phil hubs, stainless butted spokes, and somebody's narrow clincher rims... That self-built wheelset lasted the bulk of the old Fuji's miles - some 30k miles over the next few years... Rear wheel was tacoed after an unexpected (inattention) slip off the pavement and a 5-6" drop off the pavement to the gravel and my poor attempt at recovery...