Boston’s Superb Bicycle store maintains a healthy stock of beautiful bikes and parts — we’ve previously featured Heidi Davis’ custom Fat Chance Team Comp that found its way onto their floor. Another interesting frame that came their way was this World Championship-winning Mali Pista.
It may look trim, sporting clearances that would be a liability to ride on the street, but it’s been specially beefed up. Check out the reinforced bottom bracket that lent Russia’s Galina Yenyuchina enough of an advantage to win the photo finish in the UCI World Sprint Championship in 1994.
When Galina battled France’s Felicia Ballanger for the rainbow stripes, her Mali was painted with a day-glo orange and yellow fade in the style typical of the era. It since received a much more subtle coat of paint that only emphasizes the sprint-specific reinforcements.
