Boy, do these stories bring back some memories!
Back in the bike boom days of the 70's, the Presque Isle Bicycle Club (Erie, PA) had five or six guys (I was one of them) who could be counted on for a new custom assembled (as opposed to built - none of us built our own frames, of course) bicycle for the first spring ride. Sort of the spirit of Discovery's Great Biker Buildoff, but with bicycles.
I think it was the winter of '73 when, over a couple of beers, we started challenging each other to build the lighest bike possible. I did a purple Falcon, radial spoked front wheel (as far as I can tell that was the first time such a setup was ever seen in western PA), Campagnolo NR drilled to the point of rediculousness (the first rear derailleur snapped from being taken down too far), and lots of other to my now older mind rediculous stuff. My eco-freak-rich-kid-doctor's-son buddy showed up with the first titanium frame ever seen in western PA. Another guy did some kind of aluminum or something equally exotic.
Boy, it was one hell of a show that April when we all showed up for the first ride.
Gee, none of us were any faster that day . . . . . . .
George R. "Syke" Paczolt Montpelier, VA
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