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Roger de Vlaeminck 6hr 11min 26sec

Aldo Gios prepared bikes especially for Roger De Vlaeminck. He rode one of them in 1977 to win the last of his four Paris-Roubaix victories. In August last year, Aldo decided to resurrect the famous blue machine Roger used in 77. At the very moment I stepped into his shop, I could see that classic 70s steel frame hanging on the rack. Gathering the original componentry and wheels, Aldo talked while re-assembling this iconic Italian design ridden by the great Belgian.

RESURRECTIONPaolo Ciaberta with Rohan Dubash

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Bicycle of Roger De Vlaeminck

Winner of Paris Roubaix 1977

Restored January 2011-07-11

By Aldo Gios No1 Mechanic GS Brooklyn

The bike Gios is restoring does not feature a

flat-topped fork crown with coin inserts, both

of which are his signature. Instead we find a

chrome-plated affair with semi-sloping crown

that features the red GT Gios Torino logo.

Of course, the Aheadset system was not even

a figment of someones imagination back then

and all racing bikes used a one-inch threaded

steerer. From the picture it looks as if Gios

has opted for loose ball bearings packed with

grease, rather than the caged option that is

normally used to save time during assembly.

Loose balls run smoother and increase the

load bearing capacity of the headset thus

increasing its lifespan and reducing the

occurrence of brinelling, which causes the

annoying self-centring that signals the death

of a bearing surface.

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How did you prepare for Paris-Roubaix?

A week before the race, I scoured the course studying the pav, checking for the presence of mud, imagining what the weather would be like, and how to avoid the bloody punctures and, consequently, the delays. De Vlaeminck punctured three times in his 14 Roubaix, and the first time was only in 1979 when he was no longer in our team. In fact, many racers punctured much more often in just one edition. Is that due to luck or good bike handling?

A bit of luck is always necessary and his great technique from cyclo-cross helped him to find the best lines, often along the edge of the unpaved country roads, avoiding holes or sharp stones. I also had a secret which I jealously guarded: I kept the tyres with the wine in the basement, in total darkness, because light weakens the tread, and I wanted a hard and more resistant rubber which would be more suitable to rough ground. They had to be ventilated and turned over so they wouldnt warp. We actually had some spare bikes in case there were any mechanical breakdowns or punctures, but I never needed them.

Who built the frame? Did it have any special features?

I made it myself. All in all, it was a normal race frame but with one special feature that Roger and I had developed especially for that race: the fork was forged slightly forward, enough to overcome bumps and stones. Obviously this feature was especially designed for rough terrain and was completely useless on paved roads. Roger also asked me to mount the brake levers just a couple of centimetres lower than normal to adapt them to his very low riding style. Also, he always asked me to put protective rubbers on the gear levers, which would help avoid bruising when sprinting, as he shifted the gears with his knees without moving his hands from the handlebar. Other than that, he had no other requests. Actually, no I remember that he also didnt want the Allen key seat clamp. In fact, in those days they were a little fragile. I assembled the seat clamp with a nice bolt, maybe a little ugly, but stable and safe. He kept repeating that he didnt want to risk losing the race because of that little bolt.

I see the front tyre is different from the rear. Was that common?

I do not know if it was that common but this was how we did it. When it rained we mounted a tyre with a slick tread so it could easily penetrate, while the rear was embossed to get a better grip on the cobbles and mud.

Its a beautiful blue. Have you always used this colour?

The blue Gios was born in 1972 when Giorgio Perfetti, then president of Brooklyn chewing gum, was so dazzled by our bicycles on display at the Milan Cycle Show that the following year

he decided to sponsor a professional cycling team. Thats when we got involved. Until then, we had only used orange and blue, so we kept the blue. It has been our distinguishing colour ever since then.

Was a bicycles appearance more important then?

It was very important, much more than nowadays. The graphics remained simple right up until the early 80s. Also, cycling jerseys were made in line with the bicycles graphics before they became, with some exceptions, just a bunch of scribbles in every size and colour. But that was in the old days when business was not so important. I could easily go to Roger and ask him to wear our cap during the race, as you could do among friends, and he would wear it; that would be impossible now.

Did you have a good relationship with De Vlaeminck?

Yes, he was definitely a great racer but also a great personality. He trusted me and we worked well together. His brother Erik, seven times cyclo-cross world champion, once woke me at four oclock in the morning asking me to fix his bike before a race, even though I wasnt his mechanic. The trust between rider and mechanic was, and I believe still is, essential.

He was a prolific winner. Were many of his victories on Gios bikes?

Yes. Among the most important are the three Roubaix, Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, the two Tours of Lombardy, the cyclo-cross world championship, the five Tirreno-Adriatico and the tour of Piedmont and many stages of the major tours.

How much has new technology changed cycling?

Lets say there have been two innovations that have significantly changed cycling: clipless pedals and ergopower shifters. The rest is questionable. For example, this bike has the shift cables passing over the bottom bracket and the chainstay. This avoids the build-up of dirt, and having a slightly shorter cable keeps the right tension. Plus, the rear shifter cable works as a chainstay protector. But I think that many innovations are dictated more by commercial demands rather than actual efficiency.

Would you still like to work in racing?

After more than 35 years in professional racing, I have chosen to continue the tradition of building frames in Italy and to only sell them here in my shop to maintain and guarantee the high quality of our bikes. The economic commitment needed to follow a professional team is so high that I would have to produce or buy lower quality frames in order to sell them at higher prices. This certainly doesnt fit with my philosophy.

Paolo Ciaberta is a photographer based in Turin

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De Vlaeminck punctured three times in his 14 Roubaix, and the first time was only in 1979 when he was no longer in our team. In fact, many racers punctured much more often in just one edition.

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No messing here: the inner chainring is the beefier Record

version with additional braces. The outer, however, has not

escaped the pantographers deft touch. The GT logo can be

seen clearly, and small, subtle grooves have been milled to

shave grams without reducing rigidity. The over the top

cable guide for the rear derailleur can also be seen which,

despite being awkward to clean, did provide a smooth route

for the inner wire.

Campagnolo Pista pedals were a popular choice among

many road racers of the time. The quill of the Strada variant

proved an irritation to many and restricted exact shoe

position: many riders either cut the quills off or sourced the

track designated design which also allowed better clearance

while cornering. These pedals look like the Pista XL version.

They had black alloy cages, as opposed to the heavier chrome

steel of their Record siblings, and also incorporated an

Archimedes thread on the axle where it exits the pedal body

to help keep debris from entering the bearings. The clips are

chrome-plated spring steel from Italian manufacturer Galli

and selected to suit the individuals foot size. Leather straps

from Alfredo Binda, perhaps the most celebrated toe strap

manufacturer, complete the ensemble.

Tubular tyres were still developing in the late 70s and the

Italian artisans at Clement were probably responsible for

some of the finest (and weirdest) products to grace our

rims. The tyre featured here is a Clement Grinta that was

developed as a special wet weather tyre they even featured

little umbrella graphics for emphasis. The tread pattern is

interesting, especially when you consider tyre engineers had

no CAD systems to help them during the design process.

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The Record side-pull brake callipers are no match for modern

dual-pivot designs, but in De Vlaemincks day these were

the best brakes money could buy. They were made from

top quality alloys and featured an effective quick release

mechanism, easy-to-use brake cable adjuster and wheel

guides on the brake shoes to assist in rapid wheel changes.

A solitary chrome steel bottle cage together with an original

Brooklyn team water bottle can also be seen. Hydration was

still something