"Bicycle" TV series from 1991

[Rhys W]

Anybody remember this? I found it in a pile of VHS tapes, so I've put a few of the more interesting parts on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAXkqG7GkHc

Mike Burrows talks about his monocoque frame design, some wind tunnel testing and some mad HPVs. Good bit showing the how trail affects stability (reverse the fork and the bike stays upright with no rider).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2erouy3oIL0

Keirin school & racing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mfEly2_OrE

Interesting bit on how globalisation was starting to affect the bike industry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htAF9K822L0

Beryl Burton time trialling, some geek called Steve Roberts who mounted an early Macintosh into a recumbent, Nick Crane on lightweight touring and RAAM racer Elaine Mariolle.

Enjoy!

[rogerzilla]

There was a book to accompany it.

[Palinurus]

I'll check that out later, ta.

[drossall]

I've got two copies on VHS - the duplicate was a mistake.

My memory is of the rider-less bike rolling off into the distance down an old runway.

[twiddler]

That's really interesting.  Thanks for posting and uploading.

[Rhys W]

Yes, that riderless bike bit was quite memorable. A lot of it is very dated though - the Specialized employees in their fluo pink and yellow.

The most interesting bit I found was the piece on the bike industry, caught right on the cusp of globalization when Raleighs were made in the UK, Peugeots made in France and Specialized had just started getting this little-known Giant company to make frames in Taiwan.

[Toady]

That's really interesting.  Thanks for posting and uploading.

+1

Edit:Just watched another one, and harrumphed a couple of times

"The faster a wheel turns, the heavier its inertia.  A gram saved off the wheel is worth a kilo off the frame."
Harrumph.

Also
"A drag of X kilos"  Wind resistance measured in kilos?
Harrumph

All the same, really interesting, and nice to see lots of down tube shifters.

[Fohat]

enjoyed that, thanks

[Canardly]

Hugely enjoyed thanks.' If Beryl were French Jean D'arc would come second' amazing.

[Cunobelin]

IIRC the video was part of the Encycleopedia franchise