Have your Phil

More Hooker woes

Recently posted to EBAY was a Hooker Elite.  As so few Hookers survive to the resale environment each that does eventually come up is often paired with an interesting story.  This particular offering was, according to the description, an actual Rebecca Twig bike.  While it was signed, the authenticity of this bike having been actually ridden by Rebecca is suspect. I would like some actual proof, pictures of her riding the bike, etc...  Pictures of Rebecca riding anything are difficult to find, but having the providence of an actual picture of her with the bike would have been an awesome item to add too the collection.

Of course timing is everything on EBAY and so another Hooker slips through my fingers as does the search.  For now I can at least add it too my on-line museum of posterity, but nothing is like owning the real thing.     

A quick history (Part 1)

January 19th 1984, en Cedom, Mexico, the Hour Record, previously held by the great champion Eddy Merckx is Broken by Francesco Moser.

2 great innovations:  introduction of the Funny bike. Training preparation using a Heart Rate Monitor. Some might be able to argue for clipless pedals as well but those were not unknown at the time, in fact they had been around since 1895 and track riders had been using the Cinelli M-71's for over 10 years.

Funny bike features: 

• Top tube slopes downward toward front of bike.
• Front wheel smaller than rear wheel
• handlebars take on bullhorn shape
• Wheels become solid discs (Rear, sometimes front)

                                     

 July 1989, Tour de France.  In the final time trial from Versailles to Paris American Greg Lemond out rides Frenchman Laurent Fignon and captures the maillot juane, winning the tour, avg speed 34 mph.

More innovations:  Aerodynamic handlebar extensions (tri-bars) are added to the center of the bull horns.  Aero helmet is used in combination with one piece skinsuit. Previous to this Aero Helmets, shoe covers, skinsuits and aerodynamic articles of clothing were sporadically used seperately but rarely in combination

 

  1990 bike, repainted version of 1989 bike.

French translation

   In previous posts I have been making reference to the time trial as course de verite.  Many of you more savvy time trialists and cycling aficionado's will try to correct me and say the French call the ITT (individual time trial) contre le montre.  This is true, the time trial is called contre le montre, which literally translates to "against the watch". Why, because that is what a time trial is, a race against the clock.  However when referencing the ITT as "the race of truth" the translation becomes Le course de Verite. 

Think of it this way, since the clock does not lie when you race against the clock you are racing the race of truth. 

The Quest

As described I am a self diagnosed time trial junkie.  perhaps it was the many times I was dropped on my head as a wee child, or maybe my singular obsession with the whooshing sound of disc wheels being accelerated, the perfect white noise, but more likely it is simply because I grew up in the Greg Lemond era. I thought that "funny" bike of his was the coolest looking bike ever and I wanted one for myself, and maybe someday crush my very own French teammate.

Putting a side the fact that I was never a great time trialist myself has not stopped me in my quest to own a collection of TT "funny" bikes and create my own little museum dedicated to the "Race of Truth".  My first TT funny bike was a Land Shark, built near my home in Southern California.  It had an awesomely 80s paint job. pink and green splatter over white, complete with matching Bianchi celeste green rear disc. The bike was actually labeled Park Pre, team sponsorship thing, but it was all land Shark long before they moved up to Oregon.

In the 90's came my series of beam bikes to mate with my custom Orbit TT bike from Jolly old England.  Followed for a brief stint with my owning of the Holy Grail of TT bikes, A black Hooker Elite.  My one biggest regret was selling off this Black Beauty in 2000.  As time goes on I will be chronicling my newest additions to Le Musée pour la Course de Vérité as well as my current residents and any previous additions that are sadly no longer in situ.  Some day my Black beauty you will come back home to me...

In future posts I plan to upload pictures as I find them, many sadly are not available, but some I will be able to archive here.