Alf Engers and his drilled bike.

I remember Alf Engers riding the first sub 50 minute 25 mile TT when I was a kid.
I just looked it up to find out exactly when it was. August 1978, I was 15 years old.
I looked at a couple of pictures and realised I had forgotten all about the fashion at that time for lightening bikes by drilling holes in them, something that Alf took to the extreme.

Just look at the chainring, brakes and even seatpost on this. 😯

It’s a bit clearer on the full size picture.
http://bikebrothers.co.uk/engers_files/alfscan_pic.jpg

Yup, drillium alloy. Still love it.

Ever seen Merckx’s drilled handlebars?

and his shoes!

Don’t suppose they realised the havoc they were playing with the aerodynamics…

He had drilled kneecaps as well.

He’s only a wee fella too.

Don’t suppose they realised the havoc they were playing with the aerodynamics…

I dunno, dimples help on golf balls.
Must be an extra 20g of unnecessary toe strap there though.

Wasn’t there a kid on the pre hack site who drilled holes in everything including rims and was asking why they collapsed?

Seem to remember Alf Tupper doing something similar in the Victor when challenged to a bike race, as he couldn’t afford a posh bike – obviously, being a welder as well as a superb athlete, the bike held up and he went on to win comfortably.

I think fish and chips may have been involved as well…….

Whilst feeding after an event once we were reminiscing about Alf Tupper when one of the guys asked if he was the one with the sister Gertie. I nearly choked on my roll.

Anyone else remember the 90s trend for drilling MTB components as well?

He had drilled kneecaps as well

I didn’t know that at the time. He won many of the events I rode in. Though not a local bloke, his association with Shorter made him a local.
We all drilled stuff. I remember taking bits into my old school and drilling them, never risked the seat pillar though. Drilling candidates were – Brake levers, gear levers, rear mech cages, bottom bracket shells, saddles drilled or ‘butchered’ and stirrups were ‘lightened’ even the edges of sunglasses didn’t escape the drill a la Jan Raas.
Edit; seat pillar detail.

they seem to spare the frame from the drill though?

Don’t worry oldgit I too took various components into metalwork and drilled the living shit out of them (a few failures later) I worked out that with optimum drilling I could loose 100g!!!
@ 6’3″ & 12.5 stone I decided that it was a right waste of time so followed Sean Yates and did aero

Check the stem?

Yeah but in them days stuff weighed more so drilling holes made a more significant weight saving than if you did it to today’s components. Which fall apart without a drill going near them anyway tbh.

in them days stuff weighed more so drilling holes made a more significant weight saving than if you did it to today’s components.

Percentage wise, it would probably be near enough the same.

The master at weight paring was Jack Lauterwasser. He was building all steel bikes at 17.5lbs in the late 1920s.

(Steel cranks, stems, and bars)

Reminds me of the Alistair Laurie lightweight triumphs – i can’t find pic of the best of them but he was handy with a drill