Just thought some of the old timers might appreciate this piece of history that I just saw on the auction block:
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The 61 X 11 gearing and the “drop center crank” sound interesting. If her J-Disc deep-v wheels were included in the sale I would be all over this.
That extra tube for the front derailleur is peak 90’s. Looks like the chain was too far around the chainring by the time it passed the actual seat tube. The fast they didn’t just go 1x is another sign of the times.
Those 24" wheels don’t seem a smart idea: they had to increase the bb stack, to add a support for the fd, to use extra large cr’s, while the rear end has all the space in the world to accommodate a larger rim. or am I missing the real point?
It doesn’t have the funky pedals she used with that bike, most likely she had a few of these. I seem to recall a different color one she used in Kona, maybe some of you sleuths can dig up some pics. And it was a very fast bike, at least not slower than the conventional 650 used by 95% of the men and women back then. She rode something like a 4;48 and set the women’s record on a bike like that, a record that stood for a very long time.
Think it took the women’s world TT champion to finally break it, and only by a couple seconds. And Paula’s time had a transition time included, so really that record stood much longer.
It doesn’t have the funky pedals she used with that bike, most likely she had a few of these. I seem to recall a different color one she used in Kona, maybe some of you sleuths can dig up some pics. And it was a very fast bike, at least not slower than the conventional 650 used by 95% of the men and women back then. She rode something like a 4;48 and set the women’s record on a bike like that, a record that stood for a very long time.
Think it took the women’s world TT champion to finally break it, and only by a couple seconds. And Paula’s time had a transition time included, so really that record stood much longer.
It doesn’t have the funky pedals she used with that bike, most likely she had a few of these. I seem to recall a different color one she used in Kona, maybe some of you sleuths can dig up some pics. And it was a very fast bike, at least not slower than the conventional 650 used by 95% of the men and women back then. She rode something like a 4;48 and set the women’s record on a bike like that, a record that stood for a very long time.
Think it took the women’s world TT champion to finally break it, and only by a couple seconds. And Paula’s time had a transition time included, so really that record stood much longer.
Looks like someone else is selling the drop cranks (at least the custom machined part): https://www.ebay.com/itm/324655287845?hash=item4b96f68e25:g:D3sAAOSwWS5gtxFM
Some older bikes look quite cool, this isn’t one of them. Super fugly! Those wheels look weird as.
It doesn’t have the funky pedals she used with that bike, most likely she had a few of these.
Looks like someone else is selling the drop cranks (at least the custom machined part): https://www.ebay.com/...5:g:D3sAAOSwWS5gtxFM
Oh yea; they effectively turned her crankset into a pair of powercranks/rotor cranks(or rings)…provided individual leg ‘slop’ so that the leg differences could hit their point of max power independently, and then match back up to do it again and again. Not sure why no one ever put together two plus two to make this observation; and instead slammed powercranks for their marketing…unless it was because their marketing was sort of terrible…and they never made this connection. On a side note, I dig the ‘drillium’ finish.
This is almost as interesting as one of those giant single wheel ‘bikes’ that you sit inside the wheel that were used for one of the olympic opening ceremonies that popped up on Ebay a bunch of years ago.
Some older bikes look quite cool, this isn’t one of them. Super fugly! Those wheels look weird as.
Agreed, I was always more impressed with the rider of this bike than the bike. I once was able to race her in a very local mini-tri where she beat me off the bike by drafting her husband; but I was able to catch her on the run. Good times!
Stephen J
It doesn’t have the funky pedals she used with that bike, most likely she had a few of these. I seem to recall a different color one she used in Kona, maybe some of you sleuths can dig up some pics. And it was a very fast bike, at least not slower than the conventional 650 used by 95% of the men and women back then. She rode something like a 4;48 and set the women’s record on a bike like that, a record that stood for a very long time.
Think it took the women’s world TT champion to finally break it, and only by a couple seconds. And Paula’s time had a transition time included, so really that record stood much longer.
It’d be really interesting to take a smaller wheeled bike vs 700c bike to a wind tunnel or other aero testing to do side by side comparison (for a smaller athlete like myself) . . . so much easier to fit, lower to the ground, could definitely see it being faster.
Oh awesome! Love to see it built up close to how it was.
We have her frame hanging up in our office with some old race photos and one of the original Nytro catalogs. Paula was one of the first professional athletes we worked with back in the ole Nytro days. She was one of the influencers in starting XLAB and the rear hydration mounted concept because she needed to carry more hydration. Fun fact - her brother used to work at Nytro - I believe he was either the store manager or the buyer. I was like 8 at the time so I can’t remember titles. Seeing the frame in person next to our Felt IA - incredible to see how frames have progressed, and how small her frame was.
