Illegal Super Bike | So Fast It Was Banned!

Have we finally found the first carbon fibre monocoque UCI-banned superbike which can topple the time of a modern road bike? The Hotta has Tour de France Prologue Victories and Olympic Medals to its name and we've got not just one, but two of these very special machines to pit against a brand-new Canyon Aeroad. But there's a twist, one of the Hotta's is kitted out in full retro-guise, but the other, is a modern take, assembled with cutting-edge components to blend the two worlds into one. Could this create the ultimate mix of modern efficiency with old-school aerodynamic madness? There's only one way to find out!
⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - The Retro Bikes We've Ridden So Far
02:19 - The Route For The Challenge
03:14 - Riding The Hotta
09:06 - The Modern Canyon Aeroad Competitor
12:54 - How Fast Is A Modern Hotta?
14:26 - The Results
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Have you ever wanted to kit out a retro bike with modern components? What would you choose?
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[@gcn]

Have you ever wanted to kit out a retro bike with modern components? What would you choose?

[@___Bebo___]

I'd like an old purple Panasonic road frame with Campag down shifters and groupset. Haven't gotten around to building it, don't really have a good use for it.

[@truthseeker8483]

I did.....modern drive trains are a game changer..as are modern tyres and sealed bearings. What brand is the Carbon fork on the retro Hotta?? Is it 1 inch?

[@zevrobins905]

i have a absolute fantastique tokerr u-district single speed built built but the now-defunct seattle bike company. it has a flip-flop hub and i spin-out at around 48.25km p/h (30mph). i am 100% torn between restoring this cool old-bike with lightweight, modern parts, or buying a new fixed-gear and upgrading the heck out of it.

[@___Bebo___]

@@zevrobins905 Just get a Wabi bro, the Reynolds 725 steel for 450 bucks is a no brainer. That bike is either Hi Ten steel or non butted CroMoly which is basically the same thing, it for sure has a Hi Ten Fork. The Wabi feels like a race bike from the 1980s, but even lighter and more stiff in the seatstays.

[@DavidCasebeer-wf8by]

I have done this. I took my 1977 Mercian Professional (185k miles) had Mercian rejig for 11/12 from the original 125mm. Outfitted with Record 11 and Eurus wheels. Dropped 1.8 kilos to 9.8 for the bike. What did I feel, better shifting and that's about it. Still smooth and stiff and fast. But I am 69 rather than 22.

[@ivordavies1828]

I had one of the last Hotta TT's in 1999. It had Mavic Mektronic, Zipp carbon cranks and Hed 60mm Deep Wheels. All done in clearcoat so the carbon showed. It was not just a bike, it was a work of art as well. I miss that bike!

[@JibbaJabber]

😢

[@the318pop]

I had one of the Linda McCartney team bikes, super rare FIR trispoke and Hed disc. Why oh why did I sell it.

[@gcn]

Ooo sounds like an epic machine 👌 Why did you get rid of it? 😢

[@death2pc]

So. You tossed it for the constant next "latest, greatest". It's all the bike, nothing more. Focus on the bike only. ps: I just bought some "aero" chain lube and I can attest.... It IS faster. Really. I swear.

[@user-iv9qj9yk7j]

As a physics major my freshman year of college in 1989 I designed a bike on paper which was based on an arch from the stem to the rear hub. Imagine my surprise when I learned someone actually built one! The Hotta is not simply a work of art, it is superior engineering to the Lotus. An arch will resist flexion and create strength - consider a Samurai sword. I had to have one, but could not afford it until they were banned. I used mine for triathlons, where they remained legal. I upgraded to a Reynolds Ouzo Pro solid carbon fork, which resolved the flexion issues. My wheels are the original Specialized Tri spokes, which still spin forever! I added Deda Bandito aerobars and AxLightness solid carbon seat.I eventually upgraded to SRAM Red for their carbon shifters, but my crankset remains the FSAcarbon Superlight ISIS. It is an absolute rocket!

[@JibbaJabber]

'Bit of a speed wobble'😮 @10:20 Explains why Ollie didn't turn up - change of kit required!

[@richardhutchings1980]

Looked really scary didn't it?

[@Shayzare]

I thought it wasn't gonna end well when it started to wobble wobble!! 😵‍😵‍

[@pkeppler6249]

Old frame with modern components and fit ideology 👍. Love it! More, please!

[@Mainsail333]

Might call it a Resto-Mod

[@gcn]

That would go split opinions though! Should you keep it classic or change things up?

[@arekb5951]

@@gcn I mean, if it's YOUR bike, do whatever pleases YOU

[@RyTrapp0]

@@gcn The automotive & motorcycle worlds will let you know when they've come to a conclusion on that question lol

[@TheRJAD]

@@gcnI expected a detailed view on the GCN tech channnel of the “new” Hotta

[@sportydavek1590]

I still regret sellling my Metron TT bike. It was very similar to a Hotta but finished in bare varnished carbon and was simply beautiful.

[@curtisducati]

I have seen a few of them come up on daft Ebay , last one was about a year ago , rare bike ..

[@gcn]

We've all got one that got away! 🤣 Would you ever pick another up, or has that ship sailed?

[@stephenmackay9762]

A true work of art, I got mine with a 24k gold Olympic symbol just under the seat, the only one ever made. Sadly I do not take it out much as it turns too many heads, I do not think I have ever taken it out and not been stopped. Who else has this type of Metron bike?

[@sportydavek1590]

@gcn - that ship has sailed. The reality is that it always looked better than it rode. The rear brake never worked. It was tricky in cross winds (I remember the rear wheel lifting off the ground in a strong gust once) and it wasn't that light or stiff. The pros were that it made the perfect TT bike noise, especially with a disc wheel and looked amazing.

[@bmwflyfisher]

Not a TT bike fan, but…Wow, the new component Hotta is HOT. The look of that thing is great. All of these remind me of the Trek Y mountain bike…Much later, but it was beautiful.

[@lolly166541]

It's exactly what the frame needed! Like holy wet bananas, I can imagine that that's what they've had fantasized about 30 years ago.

[@gcn]

Hahaha you know a bike is hot when a non TT fan likes it 🔥

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

If someone made a homage I'd probably get in line with all the other suckers 😂

[@halnorwood6978]

Simon Aske who designed the bike and owns it, now makes brilliant steel frames. Love mine!

[@letsgetdoing]

Just looked him up, his work is sick. Thanks!

[@lordraiden5398]

Love seeing these old carbon bikes from my youth. The best bike I have ever owned was in my mid 20's. Polished clear coated Vitus 979 aluminum. It had a Shimano 105 group set with a beautiful perforated leather, titanium rail Selle Italia Flite seat. Loved that bike. Nothing I have had since compares. Would love to build one with a modern groupset and wider tires. Oh and a waxed chain 😊

[@bwri9081]

I agree. My Vitus 979 (dark blue) circa 1989 was the most comfortable bike I have ridden. I built mine with Shimano 600 (Ultegra for those not as long in the tooth as I am). Funny, now companies are trying to get away from super stiff carbon and trying to make it "compliant". Vitus had this figured out in the late 70's and 80's.

[@seraph4581]

Really great to have modern components on the frame for the later run. In most of these videos the limiting factors on older bikes are tires and gears. Please do these more often!

[@rogerbarr6988]

How about Graham Obree interview and bike review !!!

[@secretsquirrel3793]

Oh yes please. I really hope that Mr O has more wild ideas up his sleeve. Loved his Beastie!

[@PaulJohnson-tl9ph]

You guys are so entertaining, thanks keep it up!!! 🤣👍

[@EMC2Scotia]

I remember seeing these Hotta bikes in Cycling Weekly, and those RTTC TT's. Great throwback video, I would suggest that Litespeed bike from this era that was a V shape for the next installment in this series

[@ryangreenhow]

Every time I hear "Canyon Aero" I immediately think of the Simpson's Canyonero jingle. :P

[@larrylem3582]

She blinds everybody with her super high beams, She's a squirrel crushing, deer smacking, driving machine!

[@markjthomson]

Gentlemen... 30 years old is a CLASSIC, not an antique... and in learning that, I feel that also answers the question about yourselves! Stop selling yourselves short! Great vid.

[@gcn]

Retro maybe? 🤣

[@nustylehair8495]

Chapeau GCN thank you for video celebrating the engineering genius of Simon ASKE. The Campagola TT rear wheel on the Hokka is my Dad’s; Ken Dean, from his time trial bike from the late 80’s.I have the pleasure today of riding a ASKE steel bike…..well deserved recognition indeed for Simon.

[@DJDUBED]

I have 2 of these and a lotus 110, i love my hotta thats set up for track! Still great to ride nowadays

[@gcn]

Wow that is awesome! Which one do prefer to ride? Hotta or a 110?

[@sergioleon4771]

I love your videos guys, so entertaining and I learn a lot from bikes, they motivate me to keep on riding! 🚲

[@adadinthelifeofacyclist]

I believe the original riding position would've been designed to be riden sat right forward (on the saddle and on the, um... no-man's-land-bit) with a flat lower back, not arched round like in the GCN modern set up

[@jefffarmer9200]

Beautiful bike. I really dislike the way the UCI does its best to stop innovation of bicycles.

[@johnellis6944]

Hotta gave me one for a year in 97 or maybe 98 for racing Tri's. Terrifying in a cross wind but it was a rocket ship - I always felt that if i had better legs it would go faster - never found the point where i felt it was at its speed / aero limit. It just felt like it could always go faster. The tech for the time was incredible and that carbon fork had a titanium steerer tube. I do miss that bike. Thank you for doing this - awesome work and it's bringing back some cool memories.

[@l.d.t.6327]

I have a ghibli wheel. You won't notice much difference with the modern disc wheel: just glue a 25mm modern tubular on it. Most of the technical gains are obviously in the tires / tubulars used: you probably just went slower in the curves and that doesn't have much to do with the wattage.

[@simonharris5414]

Awesome video. I used to drive Simon Aske and Colin Lewis crazy as a Kid drinking all their tea in the shop. Always remember that bike on the wall in the old Paignton shop. I think I was loaned that Spinergy wheel for a RTC Nationals back when I was a JR. It's typical of Simon that he never boasted of the fact that he was such a skilled engineer. I was lucky to have him as my mechanic. I am currently rebuilding my dads old bike which we got from Simon.

[@gcn]

The bike world is full of these silent cycling geniuses 🙌 Did you ever get to swing your leg over the Hotta? 🔥

[@MrRNoble9]

@@gcn And its worth a shout out to Angus Noble who founded Carbon Design and helped make it a reality. I'm biased as his son of course. We both love the GCN show! I still have the original with the single rear stay and used to cycle it around Bristol.

[@jed1mstr]

I never get tired of Si's Bovine Phobia

[@gcn]

We're not sure Si feels the same! He things it's udderly ridiculous that we keep milking the joke 😉

[@davemoss6976]

Interesting conclusion that the frame matters very little compared with achieving the best body position. it would be good to see how Graeme Obree's home made frame with modern wheels and components would compare. aero factors aside one of Graeme's key objectives was to bring the feet as close as possible, hence the washing machine bottom bracket bearing. I expect the narrow bottom bracket is also more aero as well as improved power transfer.

[@kithinders1086]

I love these comparison videos, keep them coming. Ventum's new One (?) has the same shape as the Hotta, you guys reckon you can get your ones on one of those? Maybe the GTN folks have already tested it and I'm missing that. Bring it to GCN!!! (you chum (retro/relics or not) make a lovely presenting duo as well)

[@philmccracken2012]

The only thing that should be banned are the clothes that they are wearing in the thumbnail

[@iwearLingerie]

That's your social anxiety, it's okay, you'll get over it.

[@crusherbmx]

I was riding in 1993 and this bike WAS radical, but it wasn't alien or anything, it doesn't look any crazier than some of the 1984 Olympic bikes.

[@n22pdf]

This is brilliant guys lovely to see this bike and a version with updated components excellent 😊 please do more of these type vids dudes❤ Pete 🚴🏻👍

[@gcn]

Thanks Pete! Any other bikes we should check out? 👀

[@n22pdf]

@@gcn How about Giant MCR vs Hotta ? although they are very similar..

[@davidellis578]

I believe the main difference in the handling is due to the fork. I had purchased a Hotta fork for my TT bike many years ago and it was a thing if beauty, but riding on northern Ontario road, destroyed by constant frost heave, resulted in some tense moments with fork flex, so I reverted back to the Columbus steel fork. However, Clara Hughes, one of my idols, brought home to Canada a bronze at the Atlanta Olympics.

[@edwardrissington3218]

I had a Specialized Epic with carbon fiber tubes, aluminium joints and forks, with Shimano Ultegra components, MavicMA6 wheels bought in Banff Canada Dec 1993. It came with drop bars with drop ins(if you know what they were.). I raced triathlons on it, I just put some Profile airstryke tri bars on it.. The first time I actually raced it was Lanzarote Ironman 1994 after which I cut off the drop ins because they were dangerous. After a move to New Zealand in 2000 I still raced it till 2010 and was still beating most modern bikes.

[@dkelly7159]

I had one of those too. Amazing deep ruby red paint job. 👍

[@mystoller]

I think I am going to be sick! After racing through the 90s and into the pro ranks in the 2000s, I ended up with a fair amount of bikes that usually either got returned to the team or ended up in my parent's garage. Somehow, in the late 90s I was given a prototype bike frame that was in need of some love. The frame was all black and said Infinity on it, it was cracked in two spots and it had a missing rear wheel, a special tri-spoke number that mounted to the one-sided rear end. I knew it was a special bike but since I was missing key parts and it was cracked I caved in to my Dad´s request to clear out some of my old bikes from his garage a few years ago and guess what found its way into the bin!! I knew I was going to regret it but after watching this and knowing the full story I am really bummed!

[@mommamooney]

Si and Ollie are like kids in a toy shop. “Whoa, would you look at that!!!”

[@gcn]

Both in their happy place for sure 🤣

[@michellejohnstone6106]

Great video brings back great memories of a bike that was so futuristic at the time. What saddlebag does Ollie have on his new Canyon?

[@colinricketts1415]

Richard Prebble used to come to the club 10's near Cheltenham with a Hotta in the mid 90's, it looked amazing bike especially since most of us had steel road bikes with tri bars with an occasional low pro bike with a funny small front wheel .

[@gcn]

How did the bike do up against the steel race machines? ⚙💨

[@colinricketts1415]

@@gcn any bike at that time with Richard on it would have been a fast bike! the sound that bike made (possibly the disc wheel, but somehow it was louder than other disks) was a 10 or 15 meter warning he was overtaking. Both him and the bike were in a different league

[@codydabest]

I don't know anything about bikes except that I took my bro's Shwinn off a jump and landed on my shoulder and swore off anything other than a light sea-wall ride ever again. Great vid tho!

[@nwiniata4776]

I had a Hotta, - from 2003 to 2009. Black, A Road Fame - but set up as a Fixie. With Corima 4 Spoke Carbon Wheels, Campagnolo Record Pista Crank, Profile Integrated stem and 'Bullhorn' Handlebars, and a Modolo Kronos Front Brake. It really was a bike that got better & better the faster it went...

[@joshuajosephs5562]

Yet whats amazing is that Greg Lemond still owns the fastest time trial over any longer distance at TdF 30+ years later.

[@dkelly7159]

Also Boardman still has the fastest Prologue time on an "antique" bike with a low position. So this video is basically nonsense but it keeps the sponsors happy 😂

[@wiseoldman5841]

Looks like the 30 year old frame was clearly better with new components! So much for progress..lol

[@ThePerks2010]

I was eighteen when this came out, i was still getting excited about my first aluminium frame and alloys 😂 I'd have probably exploded at seeing this!

[@brockjennings]

I had a pair of Spinergy Rev-X wheels. Installing the available X-brace between the spokes made a big difference in reducing flex.

[@amanahmed8322]

Still have my 1998 Hotta and Spinergy wheels.

[@QoraxAudio]

12:46 Oh gawd that brake squeal! 😂😂

[@CoreyDavey-hf8wb]

Lovely to see you guys filming down in teign valley, be great to see you guys do more videos down this neck of the woods.

[@theoteddy9665]

I saw that wobble imediately😂that was pantscrapping indeed😂

[@StuartMossTV]

Guys you need to get one of the beam bikes next. Either a Zipp 2001/3001, a Trek Y Foil 77 or the ultra rare LeMond Boomerang. The Zipp was the record holder for the Hawaii Ironman course.

[@gcn]

How do you think this bike compare to the MCR?

[@StuartMossTV]

@@gcnit looks to be built better than the MCR, because it doesn’t flex all over the place. I do still prefer the MCR from an aesthetics point of view, with its matching aero seat post etc (but then I’m probably a bit biased). As with all of this era of bikes I still wonder if they were actually any more aerodynamic? I mean most of the designs were the product of guess work and hand drawings. Maybe that’s a future video, get them ALL in the wind tunnel and measure them? 😃👍

[@howardwhite5131]

They could try a Softride Power V.

[@harrywagner3877]

I still have a Trek Y foil 77 . Unfortunately I'm over 80 & unable to ride any more.

[@user-li1vc2jz8g]

Great to see the Teign valley road on GCN.

[@user-tm4iy8mv7c]

Such a beauty in deed. How about a BP Stealth? Or a BP2 Stealth? These run in the same group as the Hotta. So cool. I have a BP2. It’s mostly for my wall. I have used it in the 12 hour ultra world championships for just under an hour just to say I did. Since then it stays on the wall. Beautiful. Really nice program! Cheers!

[@TimR123]

Sheez!, That “Speed wobble” at 8:00 was insane. 😱🙀 I’ve never seen a bike look so much like cooked noodles.

[@gcn]

Imagine riding it 😬 Talk about compliance 🤣

[@TimR123]

@@gcn you know... that might make a good video. Maybe on the road with mounted cameras. Maybe a lab with some engineers? Show what is really going on with bikes as we roll down the road. Most of us can't visualize what is happening in 'compliance' and 'stiffness' The parts ARE moving and distorting. (Most not as insanely as in this video) and it might be interesting to see it.

[@veloman59]

Great film guys. I think I'd go for the Hotta. Mainly because I remember watching Richard Prebble winning the National 25 mile TT way back in 93 I think it was. It looked super cool then. Nice to see you use Ambrosio A8 forks on the modernised version too. I used to work for the company that produced them.

[@johnfitzgerald1192]

Off note: It was doing that when I was staying in my mobile home and before when I was living in a apartment. That's why I left that type of living and became homeless. Now it's trying to make move out of a box.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

I love this series. Can Ollie ask his mate Fausto if he can borrow the tour 1997 Pinarello Parigina? Also, this should be taken beyond TT bikes. I'd love the see how an old steel bike with curved fork stacks up on cobbles.

[@simonstucki]

very interesting! So can we conclude, that bikes nowadays would be a lot faster if it weren't for the UCI limiting frame design? It seems that the only thing that improved was everything else than the frame. Imagine doing that experiment the other way around, putting the old forks, wheels, drivetrain on the canyon and also slam the position to match the Hotta, that would probably be a terrible bike.

[@adamrudling1339]

Beautiful modern upgrade, e stay frames have a special look for me.

[@krehme]

I would take the Lotus, I guess just because I have fond memories of it. A friend let me borrow his for a TT. The Lotus was a blast… so smooth.

[@DJDUBED]

I own both, love the hotta as Day to day bike a bit more

[@rbonn3880]

Fascinating video, gents! Mesmerized by the incredible design for the Hotta (though Ollie's Canyon is pretty sweet, too)...

[@gcn]

Different horses for different courses 🙌 If you had to, which one are you taking home?

[@joneinarmattiasvisser6113]

Build up a that hotta bike with as close the same position as the canyon, same handlebars, wheels (if possible) same groupset, everything besides the frame. Then retest please.

[@edwardrissington3218]

I also raced on 18mm tyres. For the racing season I would move from my training bike to my race bike and it was certainly twitchy at first but I would quickly get used to it.

[@billkallas1762]

Love those Spinergy Rev-X wheels. I still have a pair, from the stone age. 19mm Conti Comps?

[@stevezodiac491]

so have I, they aren't very fast.

[@enigma335i]

my spinergy wheels had braces between the carbon spokes to provide stiffness that seem to be missing on these, not surprised they were flexing like crazy

[@lunam7249]

mine have aluminum blades under the inside of the carbon blades, 8 per wheel😳, nice

[@tangoadvance8393]

That looks so much better than today’s modern bikes the UCI have a lot to answer for.

[@ZesPak]

Tbf without UCI intervention in the '30s most race bikes would be recumbents. So yeah, they have a lot to answer for.

[@tangoadvance8393]

@@ZesPak lol,😂

[@AlistairLattimore]

Love seeing the old bike pimped out with new gear!

[@gcn]

Always cool to see an old bike with new parts 😎

[@stephenmackay9762]

Metron, a true monocoque and an engineering marvel. As was mentioned in the video the HOTTA was made in parts and stuck together, I think they had issues splitting. The Metron on the other hand was made in one go (not stuck together).

[@karlnorgaard9447]

As to Simon's comment, that the bladed fr wheel/ fork combo was flexy... I say, in the last few years, have we not all started riding wider, softer tires? We can always learn by revisiting the past. I have steel and carbon road bikes. I dont race or anything, but I often feel my old steel FUJI is as fast or faster than my Pinarello.

[@iletyouwin1]

You want suggestions, head to the states and just call around to random bike shops and see what they got. It's basically tradition for bike shops in the US to have a couple antique bikes with a bit of history.

[@crusherbmx]

Talking about the aggressive riding position, roadies were so macho back in the day, 20mm or smaller tires, 13-18 cassettes, 53/42 chainrings, bars slammed as low as they can go...toe clips....it was an initiation thing I guess, and coming from BMX, it was a challenge that I struggled to meet...and never really accomplished.

[@lanternmatt2002]

hotta: it gets cooler from here

[@JibbaJabber]

@16:14 Si, don't lie! You love the 'modern' Hotta because it comes in the GCN colourway. Just needs a few of these at back to finish the paint job 🔥🔥🔥🔥 #Hot

[@pittviper6320]

The flex on that front wheel! 😮🤦🏼‍♂️

[@gcn]

Scary right! Did you catch Alex trying these wheels out over on GCN Tech 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioTKmnV6i8lmqZo

[@danielburges8176]

A Lotus 110 with all the modern kit would be the perfect solution

[@michaelw2288]

The Lotus and Hotta wete developed independently, around the same time. Given the production method and materials, this shape was the best solution to putting the bits where they need to be. It was convergent not copying.

[@user-rg5fp7ok3t]

The old spec machine is in effect just a snapshot, back in the last century most racing bikes evolved from week to week, month to month, very often the bike that ended the season only shared the frame and maybe wheels from the start. My '78 race bike changed paint every couple of years and went from all rounder to a pseudo low pro tt across its life. The 'new spec' Hotta is typical of that evolution, these days people change whole bikes, we used to change single parts, it was rare to find a race bike with one brand parts let alone a full groupset !

[@chrishophoto]

Interesting bike for sure! I did notice that the chain stays on the modern equipped Hotta look beefier. It would not surprise me if the layup was different as well. Most certainly the original fork combined with an old Spinergy wheel would be handful. Fun stuff!

[@1ongava]

That fork as fast as it was, liked to fall apart and was flexi as. Shame

[@AQUPAS]

GCN with the 4K upload!! Thanks guys ❤

[@ThomasAnselmi1337]

Modern components on an old frame is something that has to happen always...

[@fuzzyfella]

Hotta every day of the week... I am lucky to have a custom steel monster cross bike made by Simon Aske. It is brilliant and I would recommend anyone to get one of his bikes.

[@1ongava]

So much more to the brand than just this too. Hotta was more important to UK cycling than Lotus ever was. More films to be made here, the development of the brand, the people, the response to the UCi’s bloody awful laws, the Perimeter, Queally, Linda McCartney etc. My natural carbon Hotta TT700 sits pride of place in my garage, owned since 95. Incredible bike I’ll hopefully never sell.

[@tomkunich9401]

Easily the modernized Hotta. You have to realize just how awful super-narrow tires were/are. 18's were standard tube clinchers for a while, and I was in traction heaven when 23s came along. Wide tires have revolutionized the ride as well as the speed.

[@Chrisblottphoto]

Every Vid with Si is a good vid.

[@princeedmunddukeofedinburg]

Stunning bikes

[@gcn]

Absolute classics 👌

[@kennethgislum2073]

I also remember the futuristic Pinarellos ridden by both Indurain, Riis and Ulrich - especially the one Bjarne Riis threw into the field in TDF.

[@steveherring8494]

ollie, i know these bikes you guys are riding pretty nice. personally i think my TTbike is so much cooler. my bike is not really ready to ride. i disassemble mine in my move to AZ and just haven't put it back together yet. i think you helped me by telling me i need to have a pro set it up for me. i got the frame built and i moved the frame to maryland and hung it on the wall. the rest of the components were just so expensive i couldn't afford all at once. i put campagnolo record groupo in it. it's nice and fast. it's also a bit on the heavy side. i was out riding one day looking for stuff for the kitchen. while riding home i needed to stop at the hardware store. i was passing cars like they were parked. i took the bike into the store with me. i had this young boy talking to his father. they were talking about this bike that just passed them on the road. ok i love to show this bike off to anybody that wants to listen. i turned around and went down on one knee. i was at the youngster height talking to him about my bike. his father kinda stayed out other than to listen. i asked the young boy if he wanted to sit on it. he did and his father had to pick the youngster up and sit him on the seat. oh boy was he excited. it's got the really small or thin tires, (18mm) I usually run over 100 psi in them so I feel every pebble on the road. I really wanted you to come see it. If I had know you were riding in Tucson. I would have put it in my truck and drove down there to see you and show you this bike.

[@bikeanddogtrips]

tech question idea about something i thought about several years ago and this bike prompted me as a suitable candidate. so you know how golf balls have dimples on them to improve aerodynamics? so how about very think stick on transfer patches over key areas of bikes with dimples (kind of like bubble wrap but more high tech). it would be interesting to see how much of a marginal gain this could make . how much of a difference in aerodynamics would be made when comparing the height to the position of the raised bits and would it become enough of a specialised subject to vary the height and spread of the raised bits according to the bike geometry? Benefit of stick on transfers means that they can easily be removed too if the uci does the usual.

[@stuartmisfeldt3068]

Like to see more neoclassical/retro modern bikes!

[@gcn]

Any bikes in mind? 👀

[@stuartmisfeldt3068]

@@gcn taking a ‘90’s steel frame (Colnago, Pinarello, Bianchi) with 130 dropouts and up grading to 11 or 12 speed with possibly wider rims and tyres. Converting an older touring or cyclocross frame to gravel with cantilever brakes, maybe 650 wheels with long caliper brakes. Using modern polished aluminum cranksets and brake sets and finishing kit, upgrade that ‘90’s frame to compact or subcompact gearing for us old farts.

[@tmill2001]

It must have been the WAX! LOL Great comparison between old and new and components.

[@gcn]

Waxed chain on the Hotta 💨

[@simonlbenson]

Ooooooh I see height you were going to come of when you got that speed wobble 😂

[@m.alih.2350]

15:08 I don't know if you'd make this video or if you've already done it but can you make a video where you get a very fast and sporty bike and a cheap bike and swap the parts between both of them so you'll be using the parts of the good bike on the cheap frame and the other way around for the other bike ? I think that would be a fun experiment

[@SY-ve5qm]

More comfortable means more speed! Antique ones are fascinating from technology history perspective but will not compete with modern. Anyway, good way to promote new bikes.

[@michaelbaldree6821]

Since Campagnolo is on the old frame, you should have used Campagnolo for the new build. After all they are still making great wheels and groupsets.

[@techvelo]

FYI Those forks are super dangerous. I had Norm Alvis' track frame and two forks from the Saturn Team and they told me not to ride them because they had some of the forks fail at the fork mounts. Sure enough I had one fail while on some rollers, the fork mounts delaminated and just disintegrated. I still have the fork and plan to turn it into a lamp or something.

[@tomrachellesfirstdance7843]

Gcn in 4k!!! What do you think TT bikes would look like today if uci did not restrict the rules? Full fearing almost super(motor)bike looking bikes?

[@AnvilAirsoftTV]

Have a look at the Cadex TT bike. Made for triathlon.

[@Evaso_CC]

My dream bike back when I was at school. 😊

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

Once you have seen a Spinergy wheel explode at speed (tube down through the rim, as it delaminated) you never want to see another one again. I'm surprised they rode it.

[@sosci8888]

Nice one - I've an nearly 25 years old C4 Joker with also Spinergys and it's also an really fast bike. But you can't ride it on any UCI ruled events.

[@Norm0770]

I went back to watch the Ullrich TT bike episode and Ollie was 30 seconds quicker than on the modern aero road bike at the same power and Si was exactly the same speed. It would be interesting to the see the Walser TT bike with modern position vs a modern TT bike.

[@leighdickinson8299]

Brilliant Lads

[@oldfrend]

that speed wobble is wild. even wilder is that pros could handle that in real races. was that just cuz the carbon forks were too skinny?

[@seal1mas]

Still got my Giant MCR, such a unique TT bike, but i've given it the modern updates!!

[@martinfisker7438]

I swear Si is still going to be a beast at 70 years old

[@JollyGiant0]

Loved this test, well done chaps. But..... You should have also tested Oli's Speedmax too, to see the difference there!

[@gcn]

Next time maybe 😉