1973 Spyder track bike













Spyder track bike
Tottenham, 1973

This track bike features Spyder lugs. It was restored by Hetchins; the color scheme is black pearl with green panels. The components are: TA cranks, Cinelli steel "Piste" stem and handle bar, Rolls saddle, Campag seat pin and pedals, Christophe toe clips, Airlite Continental large flange hubs, Campag sprint rims with slick track tubular tires, and no brake.

The owner writes: Track bikes had no brakes and if the rider had the luxury of driving or being driven to a meeting, the bike never saw a brake. However, those of us who rode to track meetings had to have a brake and carry racing wheels [separately]. So that the bars could be taped for no brake lever, the "trackies" brake lever had to be clear of the tape and was usually an old lever intended for straight handlebars fitted up close to the stem so that the pull was on to the straight(ish) part of the drops, and of course it had to come off easily when we arrived at the track. [There was] a standard caliper fitted to the forks. This is the way we fitted brakes when we had to ride to track meetings carrying our racing wheels. On arrival the brake came off and the wheels went in. ... this Hetchins was a re creation of a track bike I rode in the 60's, [so] I fitted the same type of brake.

Fotos courtesy of the owner.

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