Design: Steve Bauer
Client: Eddy Merckx
Date: 1993 At the 1993 Paris-Roubaix, Steve Bauer unveiled his secret weapon …the stealth bike. He actually created this odd looking bike to battle the pave of Roubaix. It was made of steel and had an unusual seat tube angle. It made Bauer look like he was fighting to stay on the bike. I did some research and found that a special seat had to be constructed with a high back to prevent him from slipping back. The bike looks awkward with a very long chain to a very long wheelbase. Journalists were expecting to see Bauer with his new stealth bike. But he rode well with a normal bike at the ITT. “Where’s your funny bike, Steve?” asked the press. “I abandon my funny bike after the first week of the Giro. It wasn’t giving me enough mobility, so you won’t be seeing it anymore,” said Bauer. Via the excellent Cycling Art Blog