Cycling Shorts: Descending the Eiffel Tower
Pierre Labric’s descent by bicycle from the first level of the Eiffel Tower took place in 1923. Despite statements to the contrary Monsieur Labric is not the same Pierre Labric … Continue reading
Cycling Shorts: Richter’s Raketenrad
Sometimes pedal power just isn’t enough, which has led to various attempts at adding extra oomph to the relatively low, if efficient, power output achieved with human muscle and chains … Continue reading
A History of Cycling in n+1 Objects: No 5 – The American Star Bicycle, 1881-1893(?)
Today the basic elements of John Kemp Starley’s Rover Safety Bicycle, introduced in 1885, are the standard form for bicycles but in the late Nineteenth Century the ‘safety’ was just one of … Continue reading
Go Pack Go! Green Bay’s Bike Brigade
It’s NFL regular season again (WooHoo!) and, following the Thursday night opener which saw reigning Super Bowl Champions the New England Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers (Boo Hiss!), tomorrow sees … Continue reading
Le Tour de France: Stage 21 – Paris ITT, 1989
And so after three weeks we finally reach Paris. When I decided to write this series back in February I had several ideas for the stages I wanted to include … Continue reading
Le Tour de France: Stage 20 – Brive-Puy de Dôme, 1964
It’s one of the Le Tour’s most iconic images. Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor fighting it out shoulder to shoulder on the slopes of the Puy de Dôme during the 1964 … Continue reading
Le Tour de France: Stage 17 – Luchon-Mourenx, 1969
Anyone who is interested in the history of professional bike racing knows the name of Eddy Merckx, Belgium’s most famous son and undoubtedly the greatest racing cyclist ever. In 1969 … Continue reading
Le Tour de France: Stage 16 – Blagnac-Luz-Ardiden, 1990
Thirteen years before Ullrich and Armstrong’s infamous battle on Luz Ardiden the Pyrennean slopes were the scene of another epic stage in Tour history. Le Tour had started on stage … Continue reading
Le Tour de France: Stage 13 – Pau-Lourdes, 2011
While each edition of Le Tour is unique it is also the case that the race follows a regular script. Week one is mainly for the sprinters accompanied by the regular … Continue reading
Le Tour de France: Stage 11 – Saint-Gervais-Alpe d’Huez, 1990
L’Alpe d’Huez is one of the iconic scenes of Le Tour de France. Since its introduction in 1952 when Fausto Coppi kicked away from Jean Robic 4 kilometres from the … Continue reading
Cycling History 