Antonio Maspes and meticulous racers!

[FKLance]

I would just like to show an interesting interview I found about a legendary frame builder for those that have not read it..

http://bikeraceinfo.com/oralhistory/masi.html

The great Faliero Masi, passed away founder of Masi bicycles tells us Antonio Maspes, italian world champion on the track in the 1950s, was his most demanding racer:

He even boiled his ball bearings in English oil.

I have never heard anyone do this!

Later in the 70s Merckx and a lot of other racers did a lot of drillium which probably did more harm than good because of aerodynamics.. There was a lot of superstition because of the lack of real evidence! Can you think of any other ways to improve speed (that maybe have no base in reality!) that the racers and mechanics have done for their bicycles?

 

[Derrick]

In the 60/70s trackies and T.T. riders used to take one ball bearing from each side of the wheel races and run the wheels on Singer sewing machine oil. You could hear the clickety- clack a mile off.