Thank you for the interesting post. It reminded me that last year I met Peter Nye and I bought a copy of "PUSHING THE LIMITS, The Story of John Howard, The Incredible Human Machine" (Published by WRS Publishing, ISBN 1-56796-015-4) by John Howard and Peter Nye.
I have never gotten around to reading it but skimmed it tonight. Lots of references to Skip Hijsak (spelling in book) who ultimately built the bike Howard used in the record setting 152.284 MPH ride in July, 1985. The record had been 138.7 MPH set in 1973 by Allan Abbot.
More skimming, and found this passages: "....the investment atmosphere encouraged Howard to consider producing his own line of signature frames......with the capital to start the enterprise , Howard hired Dave Moulton and his assistant, Dave Tesch, who built expensive custom bicycles in their shop in San Marcos. His signature bicycles sold for $1,100 and up, and drew praise in the cycling industry. ""I took a great deal of pride in those bicycles,"" Howard said. ""They had my name on them. I made sure they had no flaws whatsoever. Each one was beautifully finished. They were snazzy. We had a limited edition of 500 which came out over a couple of years. We sold everyone."
Howard, according to the book, was also involved heavily with the Exxon Graftek bikes, and Campy gave him a Cinelli to race the third annual IRON MAN in 1980. Looks like the book deserves some time to read through it carefully.
Angel Garcia Long Valley, NJ
snip
>
> Anyway , I was very impressed by the beauty of those
> Moulton-for-John-Howard frame-sets . I've always remembered those
photos
> , from the day John Howard came into the shop .
>
> And , historically speaking , that small shop had been the main
source
> for Skip Hujsak frame-sets . However , at just about that time ,
Skip
> and his wife Vicky were setting up their own little shop , for the very
> first time . So , it might have made sense for the shop I was in to
look
> for another line of top-quality frames . However , there were plenty
> of financial problems , at that shop , at that time . So , we sold
no
> John Howard branded bicycles .
>
> And , speaking of that small bicycle shop in Austin , where I once
> worked , and of Skip Hujsak , and of John Howard - - - That little
> shop was where the World Land Speed Record bicycle was stored , out on
> the shop display floor , for something like a little more than a year !!!
> The bicycle was the creation of Skip Hujsak . It ushered in a new era ,
> by having a "jack-shaft" to allow for one EXTREMELY TALL gear ratio ,
> without the need for the problems caused by an extremely large single
front
> chainring . ( no this was not the first application of a
"jack-shaft"
> on a bicycle - but it was the first modern use , which set a modern
> ultimate speed record ) John Howard had made a couple of attempts on
> the record . He'd taken the bicycle to a very straight and level
stretch
> of highway in Mexico . The Mexican authorities were willing to shut
down
> that section of the highway for the record attempts . However both the
> bicycle , and the pace vehicle ( wind-breaker ) had problems with the
> rough and abrasive surface on that road . So , the bicycle was sent
back
> to Austin , for quite a while . Skip Hujsak had also made a rigid
little
> display-&-storage stand for it .
>
>.
If I recall correctly ( and please correct any > mistakes I make ) the old
record had been set by Paul Abbott at something > like 130 M.P.H. ??
John Howard , on that Skip Hujsak bicycle , set
> a new record at 151 M.P.H. ?? That was the first bicycle ride to
ever
> break 150 m.p.h. ??
>
> Raoul Delmare
> Marysville Kansas