Author Topic: Motor-paced cycling  (Read 227 times)

GM

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Motor-paced cycling
« on: July 04, 2025, 16:17:17 »
José Meiffret was born in 1913 in France and was not a conventional cyclist by racing standards. Instead, he pursued a unique and perilous branch of the sport: motor-paced cycling—a form of speed racing where a cyclist rides closely behind a pace car or motorcycle to take advantage of the slipstream and reduce air resistance.
By the early 1960s, Meiffret had already made several attempts at breaking speed records on a bicycle, with varying degrees of success. But in 1962, at the age of 49, he set out to break the existing world speed record for a cyclist riding behind a motor vehicle on a flat surface.
(Note the vehicle used)
Gary
1971 280SL - Sold
(98 from the end of production)
DB180 Silver Gray Metallic
Black MB Tex

DaveB

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Re: Motor-paced cycling
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2025, 23:18:14 »
Great! I was thinking maybe he got to 150kmh but looked it up and it was 204!
It looks like his bike’s front fork is installed backward. Maybe just to get a little closer to the vehicle.
DaveB
'65 US 230sl 4-speed, DB190

Duncan200

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Re: Motor-paced cycling
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2025, 23:51:59 »
He could’ve gone faster, only I think his balls slowed him down
1966 MB 230SL DB 717 4sp Australian Delivered Matching Numbers Car. One day has come and she is back on the road
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Jack the Knife

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Re: Motor-paced cycling
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2025, 00:27:10 »
I recall seeing this car when I was doing some research on the steering wheel in my car. This 300SL is special.

https://www.octane-magazin.de/mercedes-benz-300sl-schrittmacher-fuer-den-weltrekord/

You can use Google Translate, but basically Adolf Zimber, the driver, made gun stocks until the end of WWII and then shifted to wooden paneling. He was successful, so he got into fast cars, and started a little business making steering wheels, too. One of his cool wheels is shown in the pics. That 300SL also has no bumpers and plastic windows from the factory, or at least that's what the article makes it seem like.
1964 230SL "Blue Note" -- #009785
2015 G550 "Milk Truck"

 

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