1994 U.S. Cycling Team Time Trial Bike
1994 U.S. Cycling Team GT
This tall bike is a U.S. cycling national team bike. It is a time trial machine (also known as a “Funny Bike”) from 1994.
It may be hard to tell from the pictures but the wheels on this bike are different sizes. The idea was that the smaller front wheel helped the rider maintain a lower, more aerodynamic body position and in team events the smaller front wheel allowed the racer to stay closer within the draft of the rider in front. Dissimilar wheels sizes did have a couple of drawbacks, however. The team mechanic had to deal with an additional rim and tire size, and the rider had to deal with a bike that cornered a little funny.
Profile aero handlebars
True Temper steel aero frame tubing
United Airlines sponsored the Olympic program for years
This GT was built for a lanky national team rider, possibly Mariano Fredrick or George Hincapie.
The bike came at a technological crossroads for racing bikes. In the mid’90’s there was a lot of new knowledge about aerodynamics that was hard earned in the few low-speed wind tunnel facilities that were being used by bike companies. That knowledge was, unfortunately, held back in some instances by materials and construction techniques from earlier eras.
The last era for steel forks?
This design wasn’t very aerodynamic…
Curved this way and that
Airfoil tubing shapes probably helped somewhat with wind drag, but there are a dozen places on this bike where those tube edges funneled the air into areas (like the rear wheel) where the air would just be broken up again, creating extra drag.
Mavic components
Custom saddle
A few of the parts on this machine aren’t quite “correct” for 1994. Selle San Marco didn’t provide the National team with the custom embroidered saddles until 1995, and while Profile was a sponsor in ’94, this forward-position seatpost sat in a cupboard unused for years. We just thought that it added to the unusual look of the bike.