PEAK HOUR

The year 1984, like its Orwellian namesake, ushered in what became a dystopian future for bicycle design. It started with Francesco Moser’s Hour record on 19 January in the wafer thin air of Mexico City. Here he would use every conceivable aerodynamic aid including aero bullhorn handlebars, shoe covers, a rubberised cycling cap, a weighted rear wheel to produce a flywheel effect and even had the track of the Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome specially varnished, to beat Eddy Merckx’s previously unassailable 1972 mark.

Then during the summer, the United States cycling team would end a 72-year drought to win nine medals at the Los Angeles Olympics. This transformation in fortunes was achieved largely through the ‘Racing System’ concept developed by US Cycling’s technical director Ed Burke and aerodynamicist Chester Kyle. Central to the success of this concept was the pooling of various aerodynamic specialists to build a series of bikes. One of the more noteworthy was