A vintage piece of footage has surfaced on YouTube of 'bicycle ballerina' Lilly Yokoi running through her extraordinary cycle skills routine at the Hollywood Palace in 1965.
Yokoi was part of a family of bicycle acrobats who found fame during the 1960s and 1970s thanks to their astounding skills on a bike, and according to Circopedia.org Lilly went on to become one of the highest-paid entertainers, touring the world with her famous golden bicycle. She ended her career in Britain, performing for the last time in Blackpool in 1982.
Many of the tricks would go on to become staple skills for BMX freestylers and trials riders, but there's no doubt that Yokoi paved the way. We're sure there is something in her routine that Peter Sagan can adapt for a victory celebration for new team Tinkoff-Saxo in 2015.
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
