In my vast googling over the years, I’ve come across some extremely good articles from Bike Tech magazine which came and went before I was born. I’ve been searching for a complete archive for some time and finally found it on @bulgie aka Mark Bulgier’s website. I don’t see any copyright info on these so I’m going to go ahead and link them here in the hopes that it makes them more widely accessible.
Volume 1 Number 1
IN THE LAB
Frame Rigidity - Our new frame-testing machine enables us to measure exactly how much a frame deflects - and how and where the deflection takes place.
RESEARCH
Getting the Numbers Right, Part 1 - Paul Van Valkenburgh describes his efforts to get reliable data in his research on human power.
On Some Much-Misused Terminology - Mario Emiliani sets us all on the right track with precise definitions and discussions of terms and ideas that tradtionally get muddled.
BOOK REVIEW
Fahrradtechnik - A new book from Germany gives a rare look inside the bicycle industry.
DESIGN CRITERIA
Would Transmission Covers Be a Drag? - Is it worth a few ounces to keep your chain clean? David Gordon Wilson thinks it is.
INVENTIONS
This Bike Steers With Both Wheels - A radical approach to the handling problems of long, low two-wheelers.
SHOP TALK
Hook-Edge and Straight-Side Tire and Rim Compatibility - With the new lightweight rims and tires, this subject is less clear-cut than it once was. John S. Allen explains what fits what, and why.
LETTERS
The industry greets Bike Tech and Winnett Boyd clarifies some aspects of his new brake.
Volume 1 Number 2
MATERIALS
The Metallurgy of Brazing - Mario Emiliani opens a comprehensive series on the process that sticks a frame together.
DESIGN CRITERIA
Tubing Rigidity - This quality varies in proportion to… (pick your favorite function). Here are the functions that do apply, and the reasons for them.
RESEARCH
Getting the Numbers Right Part 2 - Paul Van Valkenburgh reviews methods of measuring air drag.
SHOP TALK
When is a wheel Too Far Gone? - Eric Hjertberg explains the practicalities of reviving badly injured wheels.
DYNAMICS
“Balancing and Steering” from Whitt and Wilsons’s new second edition of Bicycling Science - Riding is a balancing act, but the bike does a lot of it for you.
LETTERS
Stalking the elusive pilot issue; and nominating a new subject for rigidity testing: rims.
Volume 1 Number 3
SPECIAL REPORT
The View from Japan - We all respect the products of the Japanese bicycle industry. In this “letter home” from a business trip, Gary Fisher tells us why we should respect the process, too.
MATERIALS
The Metallurgy of Brazing, Part 2 - Metallurgist Mario Emiliani continues his series. This installment is on the behavior of molten filler metals during the brazing process.
INDUSTRY TRENDS SPECIAL SECTION
What does the advent of international standards for bicycle components fit and interchangeability mean to you? Quite a bit. Fred DeLong and John S. Allen explore this question in a series of articles explaining and critiquing the international standards. And a chart lists them all.
MATERIAL STRENGTH
What is Fatigue? - Metallurgist Richard Brown gives a rigorous answer to this hazily understood question
PHYSIOLOGY
The Elite Athlete Program - Exercise physiologist Ed Burke, PhD, explains how the Elite Athlete Program for 1984 Olympic cyclists will advance our knowledge and our bicycles.
RESEARCH
Getting the Numbers Right, Part 3 - Paul Van Valkenburgh concludes his series on HPV research with an installment on safety and stability.
Volume 1 Number 4
AERODYNAMICS
Testing for Aerodynamic Drag: A New Method - Glen Brown has cooked up a new, cheap, self-contained drag-testing rig.
ENGINEERING ANALYSIS
The Performance of Machines and Riders on Hills - David Gordon Wilson ponders why one bike should climb better than the next.
MATERIALS
The Metallurgy of Brazing, Part 3 - Mario Emiliani discusses several types of joint strength and tells us how they depend on joint clearance, materials, and bonding.
STRUCTURES
The Front Quadrilateral Behaves as a Triangle! - The top and down tubes don’t suffer the bending loads you’d expect. John S. Allen explains the quirk of geometry that spares them.
SHOP TALK
Internal Hub Gear Interchangeability Tricks - Keep your hub running with other models’ parts; and Chainwheel Interchangeability Quirks - Similar tricks for external gears. John S. Allen tells what fits what.
INVENTIONS
Projects and Prototypes - A new feature! What have you built in your garage?
FIRST CALL
Bike Tech involved in bicycle industry seminars in New York next February. Aerodynamic design, ballooners, more. Details inside.
Volume 2 Number 1
SPECIAL HPV SECTION
Streamlined Human Powered Vehicle Anatomy - Crispin went to the IHPVA’s 1982 Speed Championships. here’s what he saw:
Form and Structure - How to glide through the air and still have wheels on the ground is one of several decisions facing the deisgner.
Controls - Ways to see, steer, and stop range from the humble to the preposterous.
Drivetrains - The machinery between the muscles and the wheels may harness the rider’s efforts in the familiar way, or in several new ones.
SHOP TALK
Understanding Bicycle Tire Sizes - How come 700c tires are smaller than 27s when 700mm is 27-9/16"? There’s a system behind such contradictions - John S. Allen explains it.
PROJECTS & PROTOTYPES
The Design of an All-Weather Cycle - Most HPV builders design for the racecourse. Carl Rasmussen tells how he designed his machine for a ten-mile commute in Danish winters. John Schubert reviews the result.
Volume 2 Number 2
MATERIALS
The Metallurgy of Brazing, Part 4: The Effect of Temperature on Steels - Mario Emiliani concludes his series by exploring the complex relationship between heat and the internal structure of steel, and produces data for the bottom line - what happens around a joint when the torch hits it?
TEST RESULTS
Rolling Resistance of Bicycle Tires - Rob Van der Plas describes how a tire slows you down, and presents his homemade test that tells how much.
SHOP TALK
Spoke Tension: How Tight Is Right? - Eric Hjertberg tells you why you should have your spokes tight (but not too) and how to know when you do.
ERGONOMICS
Physiology of Cyclist Power Production - John Forester says efficiency is beside the point, and examines the makeup of muscle tissue for reasons that spinning might make sense.
Volume 2 Number 3
ERGONOMICS
The Optimum Pedaling Rate - Han Kroon reviewed an analyzed studies from many countries and compiled this authoritative overview.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
ISO Proposes New International Bicycle Lighting and Reflectorization Standards - Fred DeLong and John S. Allen describe a new effort to standardize bicycle light performance, and analyze it in the context of other light standards for bikes and automobiles.
DESIGN
The Evolution of a Hand-Powered Tricycle - Bill Warner and Chris Hager have solved several design problems to develop a stable, efficient “Handcycle.” Here they explain teh problems and their solutions.
SHOP TALK
Odd Tire: Sizes and Compatibilities - Some tires fit rims that their markings wouldn’t lead you to expect; this can make odd rim sizes less of a problem. John S. Allen unmasks the hidden compatibilities.
Volume 2 Number 4
IN THE LAB
Designing Chainwheels to Optimize the Human Engine - Shimano’s new non-circular chainwheel represents an extensive program of biomechanics research. Shinpei Okajima explains the goals and procedures of the project.
SHOP TALK
Wheelbuilding - A Tension Method - One big secret of durable wheels is uniformly tightened spokes. Eric Hjertberg tells how to build stronger wheels, and build them quickly - by using your ears.
TEST RESULTS
Calibrated Destructive Testing of Bicycle Frames - Do you want to know how your frame will do in a head-on impact? Well now you can find out how it would have done. Jacquie Phelan describes Charlie Cunningham’s new way to run amuck with a force gauge and a scissor jack.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Developing Lighting and Reflectorization Standards - Making sure you show up in the dark can be tricky. In this second half of their report on ISO standards for bicycle lighting and reflectors, Fred DeLong and John S. Allen explain what’s tricky and what you can do about it.
Volume 2 Number 5
SPECIAL REPORT
“Heat-Treated” Rims: Are They Really Worth the Money? Haven’t you wondered how a rim could be worth $100? Mario Emiliani answers this question
INVENTIONS
The Bent Crank: Chronology of an Idea - Have you ever wondered what happens to some of the bicycle industry’s more bizarre inventions? Harvey Sachs’ fanciful chronology will tell you.
ENGINEERING ANALYSIS
Raymond Pipkin and Crispin Mount Miller enumerate the forces that act to hold a bicycle on course.
SHOP TALK
Cutting Oil - Exactly how does cutting oil protect your tools and give you the best results? Jeff Davis explains
DESIGN CRITERIA
Stress Raisers in Bicycles - Gary Klein describes how stress raisers can creep into bicycle designs, and gives examples of how designers avoid them.
BOOK REVIEW
Fahrradkultur: Early Bikes From a New Perspective - A noted German bicycling author, Hans-Erhard Lessing, gives the reader a well-guided tour of “The World of Bicycling at its Zenith in 1900.”
Volume 2 Number 6
TEST RESULTS
News and performance test makes its way from France on the aerodynamic Roval wheel. We test a pair on the road and find that they really work!
MATERIALS
Can Surface Finish Affect the Performance of Your Frame? Mario Emiliani begins a new metallurgical series on surface finishes. The first installment discusses the effects of particle blasting.
SPECIAL REPORT
Ed Scott decries caliper brake designs in his article “On Brakes.” Bike Tech reviews and tests his innovative prototype brake.
IDEAS & OPINIONS
Do you have questions, answers, or ideas on the current and future trends of bicycling or HPVs? Bike Tech opens up a new readers’ forum to tap into the collective thinking of its readers. Let’s hear from you!
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Taking a break for now but I’ll keep typing up synopses soon.