Bandera

With the considerable interest in C&V in pre-1975 racing bicycles I'm curious as to how many competed on them when the sanctioning body was the Amateur Bicycle League of America.

unterhausen

I still have an ABLA license in a scrapbook, but I don't remember what bike I rode. I don't think I would wish to have that bike though, I tended to wear them out.

They changed to USCF in the next couple of years

Bandera

"The Amateur Bicycle League of America was organized in 1920 and incorporated in New York in 1921. In 1975, the name was changed to the United States Cycling Federation."

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Cycling

PS: Did you vote for #2? You know that you want to......
PPS: Did you mean "I wrecked it" for "I tended to wear them out."?

wahoonc

I voted number 2... however I doubt I would find that bike comfortable anymore. When I was racing I was 138#... I weigh a bit more than that now.

Aaron

Jim G

I confess to being an ABL of A member, bicycle owned before it became USCF would be a new PX-10 bought in the 60's. One development made in the 70's before the name change was licenses would identify the holder as an A, B,or C level competitor. Also by '75 I was the first owner of Paramount road and track bikes in matching blue with chromed head lugs and half stays.

VRJAKE 

Raced in ABLA sanctioned events in Northern California in the earliest 1970's as an Intermediate. 87 inch gear limit. Raced on a Raleigh International. I couldn't sprint, only chance was to break away, so I tried, but never finished first...

Trakhak

ABLA license (intermediate class) in 1964. My first ABLA race was the National Track Championships, held in the Kissena Park Velodrome in Queens, New York. (The only reason I was there was that the local bike shop owner had checked with the ABLA rep and confirmed that I was the only kid my age in Connecticut with a track bike - a Helyett Speciale. The race was a learning experience, if nothing else.)

Raced that same track bike in criteriums and short road races for a couple of years. At that time, ABLA rules still permitted the use of a track bike in road events as long as the bike had one working brake.

obrentharris 

Nope. My first (and only) year was 1976, USCF.
Any other former NORBA racers here? (National Off Road Bicycle Association)
Brent

repechage

I am about a decade younger. First racing season 1973. First District Championship 1974. Southern California and Nevada as it was broken up at the time.
the renaming year to USCF was 1975.
I still have and still fit my first Championship winning bikes.
Only fit one of the jerseys I would think, I grew out of the first in 1975, probably would still fit the others.

Fredo76

Started as an Intermediate in 1973 in the ABLA, ended as a Senior III in 1977 in the USCF, after a knee injury playing touch football in college with dorm mates, of all things. Raced on my father's 25" Romana 300, a 24 1/2" Crescent with Nervex lugs, painted the Tucson Wheelmen team color (baby blue) by Mark Wilson, and a new 26" Paramount, silver with chromed Nervex lugs, whose frame was purchased during Nixon's wage-price freeze, iirc. The Paramount was stolen, but my brother still has the Romana and the Crescent. I can't remember if I ever raced Fredo, the bike I built with Colin Laing 1976, but it's 'my old racing bike' either way. Actually, I may have won Marana in spring '77 on it, before it was stolen too, but I got it back a year later, a minor miracle in itself.

Chain smoker

Yes I raced in the ABLA starting in 1972. Southern California,Paramount Cycle Club. Catagories were A, B, C, and D. I believe this changed to 1, 2, 3, 4 in 1974 or 1975.
My race bike was a ItalVega Record which my son now has set up as a fixed gear.
In 1973 I bought a white Lejune track bike that was awarded to Gary Campbell who won the junior sprint national championship that year.
I eventually ended my racing in early 1976 and sold the track bike in 1977.

79pmooney

I started racing a year too late. 1976. First club races only but got my license to race the Maine International that August. Bought my Fuji Professional the next year and rode every race I could get to without a car. That fall, my head injury, then a final season of racing where I rode much smarter races but didn't have the form. Left racing, had the Mooney built and sold the Pro; a bike so quick steering it was really only fit as a race bike (that was quick enough to get me through a whole bunch of Cat 3/4 crashes unscathed! Thank you, bike!) I still fit in my '77 custom club jersey that I wore for all of my hardest races.

big chainring 

I started as a Junior... ABLA in 1974. The big race of the year was in October, the first Boul Mich Bike Rally in downtown Chicago, sponsored by Raleigh. Raced '75 and '76 junior catagory. Pretty much every 7-11 team member had their start then. Huge junior fields back then. Around Super Week and National Championships the Northbrook velodrome was the place to be... 60-70 junior riders on the track. '77 I turned Senior and was up to Cat 2 by May. First Cat1-2 race was the Kentucky Derby of cycling. Two days, a criterium the first day, I was just outside the top ten, and a road race the following day on the National Championship course in Louisville. 1980 was my last year although I did race a few times in 1984.
Started on a Motobecane Grand Record, then a Motobecane LeChampion, a Somec, and ended racing a Raleigh Superbe. The Superbe I had up until 2010. Raced a Paramount track bike too.

RCMoeur 

Nope. Just 3 seasons or so in USCF, firmly ensconced in Cat IV. Do still have a few trophies (Apollonaris Cup, Turkey Day Crit). Still have the same bike (Raleigh Pro).

Fredo76

Was your Turkey Day race put on by a family, and run around farmers' fields in Chandler?

BTinNYC 

Wow, when the track was brand new. That is awesome.

RCMoeur 

Nope, that was just before I started group riding. One year the race was on the ASU campus, and others were up on the then-empty roads near the Scottsdale Airport.

CV-6 

I rode one race under ABL. A race at Florissant Valley CC where I learned I was not in shape for the action. Never raced again. I am not competitive enough to go out and put in the time to be a decent rider. Still have the bike. Two pics, one in my apartment in Columbia, MO about the time of my one race and the other a bit more recent.

Lejeune Pro ca 1974 by L Travers, on Flickr

Note the Shiba Western seat post installed, Simplex derailleurs gone. Mafac CPs replace with Weinmann 500 calipers and Univeral levers. I ride that same saddle to this day. The Suntour RD is on my basement bike. The crankset hangs on the wall with the other spares.

20220507_175401 by L Travers, on Flickr

bbbob

My first year racing as a junior ABL, then next year was USCF.

This guy is to blame for all of it: