Early Leather Head Harness/Helmet...What sport is this for?

[steve B]

I collect bike racing stuff. I have a good collection of 1980's bikes and other equipment used by the US national team, plus a few other things.

Thanks for showing the program I'm very interested in the history of the bike land speed record but I hadn't seen the pic of Marquet.

I saw a talk about 6 day racing by the guy who runs the site and shop in Wa state. Really interesting, since he went out and found a bunch of those guys and interviewed them before they died. Saved a ton of history.

On his museum pages the prewar section has Bartells speed record bike that he got directly from Bartell. Cool story. While doing the interviews he rarely asked for anything besides the interview. After a bunch of interviews Bartell asks him if he can help with something outside. He goes to help, and it's basically moving his grandkids department store bikes in the shed to get at the snow blower or something. He moves a last item, forget what, plywood or wading pool something big, and behind it is an old racing bike. When he asks what it is Bartell tells him "that's the speed record bike and I need you to put it in your car"

You can see the difference in helmets on his site. The prewar ones aren't rare, but they're not exactly common either. The ones from the 60's-70's are actually pretty easy to find, and the last generation of hairnet helmets from the 80's when they were on their way out and hardshell helmets were the new thing are common. Sometimes you still find new old stock ones.

Here's one of the bikes I have. Built for the 1984 Olympic team time trial. I had to make a bunch of the special parts to make it a bike again. (Acceptable in old bike circles as long as it's not hidden) I can't be sure it was actually used. They made 12 of them and used 4 so it's about a 33% chance. They did make one that was different, someday I'll measure the angles to see if it's that one. If it is I'll know for sure as well as which rider.


Steve B