Bicycles! form and function

When I was in high school I spent more time ogling bike catalogs than studying. I was drawn to the art and science of bicycles. I liked riding too and did a fair amount of racing. I subscribed to bike magazines and learned about the Tour de France and the Alps and Pyrenees, form and function, I learned about strengths of ferrous metals, I learned about health and nutrition. But mostly I just liked to look at bicycles. In a big rural Maine high school that labeled me as weird, at least by those who noticed which was practically nobody. Of course there were the lycra riding shorts ... I still ogle bikes and am fascinated with the whole evolutionary process I have witnessed over the last 30 years in bicycle design. High end professional level bikes used to cost $1500 in 1985. Now they cost 7 to 10 k. Bikes used to be made out of steel with lugs holding the tubes in place (mine still is) Now they are also made from titanium and carbon fiber. High end bikes used to weigh 22 lbs, now they weigh 15 lbs. Oh and mountain bikes didn't exist in 1985. Here are some ogle worthy images. A Campagnolo Super Record equipped Bianchi (Italy) from about 1985

Modern Bikes: