[CR]Re: sign of "The Turkey" - turned up handlebars

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2002)

From: <FujiFish1@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 15:48:27 EDT
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: sign of "The Turkey" - turned up handlebars

Fausto Coppi, with his after hours Coppi bike (Fiorelli built?). Scanned from a Sport Illustrato magazine from 1956: http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/Coppi_Scans/SI56_29Luglio19PgRrA http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/Coppi_Scans/SI56_29Luglio19PgRrB2

Ciao, Mark Agree Southfield MI USA ~ ~ ~

Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 14:13:12 -0400 From: Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com> To: David Ross <dlr94306@yahoo.com>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]was shorty fenders, now sign of "The Turkey"

David Ross wrote:
>For some reason, "drop bars turned upside down" has become a
>defining mark of "The Turkey." Hard to imagine why, since it's a
>practice that goes back to at least the beginning of the 20th
>century. Haven't bars of all shapes and sizes been bolted up in
>every conceivable position if it serves a purpose? I've seen plenty
>of "bullhorn" bars that were really standard commuter-bike bars
>turned over.
>
> I have a number of photos from days of yore with drop bars turned
>up, including one or two of famous racing men on their days off. And
>what a bargain for the weekend warrior: flipped up for comfort
>during the daily ride to work, turned down for the TT on the
>weekend. A number of bicycle manufacturers have also installed them
>this way at the factory:
>
> http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/old-stuff/Repco_ad_1960
>
> So next time you see a Turkey ride by, be aware that the rider may
>be more historically correct than you!
> Partly I think this may be an Australian thing. I seem to recall seeing street scenes in the movie "On The Beach" with lots of Aussies riding by in that manner.

In the my part of the U.S., however, it is generally a sign of a rider who is cycling because he lost his license for drunk driving.

The Repco ad shows bikes that don't have hand brakes. The brakes are the big issue here:

The DUI/DWI riders just flip the bars with the brake levers as they are. The result is that they apply the brakes by pushing forward with the palms of their hands. This is very dangerous (assuming the brakes on these old junkers actually work) because it sets up a "positive feedback" situation, as the rider's momentum braced against the brake levers causes the brakes to be applied harder. This is at fairly high risk for causing wheel lockup.

Sheldon "It's The Brakes" Brown