Tech Gallery – Assos’ 1976 carbon fiber aero track bike
- By Zack Vestal
- Published Sep. 12, 2010
- Updated Jan. 28, 2011 at 5:04 PM UTC
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
Believe it or not Assos founder Tony Maier's first project was a carbon fiber bike.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
The radical bike was extremely ahead of its time in 1976.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
Maier had to import carbon fiber from military sources because no other supply of the material was common.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
Like the Exxon bike sold in the U.S. in the same era, the Assos bike was about a decade ahead of the bike industry's real push into carbon frames.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
The bike was built for track cycling.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
Blade-shaped tubing on the Assos bike was also uncommon in 1976.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
Perhaps the wildest design element on Meier's carbon bike is the steerer crown-mounted handlebar.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
It looks sketchy now but for 1976 it was probably pretty fast.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
It was probably not too stiff or light but progressive for its time.
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Assos' 1976 carbon fiber track bike
Assos has a history of the bike in a special corner of its Lugano showroom.
While visiting Assos’ ‘manga.Yio showroom in Lugano, tech editor Zack Vestal had a chance to check out a carbon-fiber, aero-tubed track bike made by Assos founder Tony Maier in 1976.
The frame was well ahead of its time. While the Exxon Graphtek debuted in the U.S. in 1975, Maier’s bike used a different construction method and was radical in its use of aero-section frame tubes and a handlebar mounted to the fork crown.
FILED UNDER: Bikes and Tech / Gallery TAGS: carbon / tech-gallery
Zack Vestal
Zack joined VeloNews in 2009, bringing 15 years of industry experience to the Tech Editor position. Most recently manager and mechanic for the Trek-VW mountain bike team (2004-08), he has an unused geology degree from Whitman College (and a well-worn Ph.D. from the school of hard knocks). Vestal covers the latest in cycling gear online, and brings in-depth perspective to the magazine.
