aluminum bike from 1896
 

I never have posted in this forum, but this came across my local bike club listserv, and thought it would be appreciated here...

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2008...attMcNeece.htm

Very cool thanks.:thumb:

Is that chain wider than usual (for a non-derailleur chain), or am I just being confused by perspective?

'80s Cannondale track bike...






JK, and yes that chain is wide and it's a skiptooth.

That's one nice looking bike. I initially read the thread title as 'Aluminium bike from 1986", and was wondering what was so cool about that. 1896 is much cooler.

I really do like the different handlebar styles that some of the real old bikes have. I know that 'standard' road drops are probably the most efficient/comfortable (certainly for me), but some of the short-lived handlebars had style.

I'd love to someday get my hands on a set of Lauterwasser 'drops'.

That is a piece of art, any tech museum would be happy to own such a bike. The owner should talk to the Smithsonian! :)

Thanks for sharing that, Overthere!

In 1896, aluminium was still a fairly expensive metal. Charles Martin Hall received a patent for cheap extraction of aluminium from bauxite in 1888, and co-founded the ALCOA company in 1889. So with the space of less than ten years the price of the metal had dropped enough to be used for a bicycle. Amazing...

East Hill

Interesting stuff, the geometry even looks way ahead of its time, im sure most bicycles had a silly 150cm wheelbase going on! Not liking the sloping TT though, just like todays machines!

I agree. Someone should at least do a reissue of this style!

Nice!

Per what I have read a French company also did an aluminum bike in that era. Lots of experiments going on then.

Unfortunately modern aluminum alloys were unknown at the time and the frames fatigued pretty fast apparently. Note that the tube diameters are about the same as steel frames of the era.