Lotus Cycling

[Scruff111S]

There are 3 in the US. Currently running Evoras - not sure when they’ll be getting Emiras.

Lotus Announces Three New USA Track Partnerships to Deliver the Lotus Driving Experience

Lotus has announced that three U.S. tracks have joined its Lotus Experience track program for 2022

www.thespeedjournal.com

Anybody watching the Lotus/Hope bike in the commonwealth games?

 

[TomE]

Anybody watching the Lotus/Hope bike in the commonwealth games?

Yes. And did some wind tunnel testing with it last year before Tokyo

30 years ago today - Boardman takes Olympic gold riding a Lotus bike

With the medal successes of Team GB in track cycling over the last 10-15 years, it's difficult to imagine a time when winning an Olympic gold in track cycling was such a major event that it made front page news and caught the world's attention. That day was 29 July 1992, the day Chris Boardman...

www.emiraforum.com

 

[Scruff111S]

Yes. And did some wind tunnel testing with it last year before Tokyo

30 years ago today - Boardman takes Olympic gold riding a Lotus bike

With the medal successes of Team GB in track cycling over the last 10-15 years, it's difficult to imagine a time when winning an Olympic gold in track cycling was such a major event that it made front page news and caught the world's attention. That day was 29 July 1992, the day Chris Boardman...

www.emiraforum.com

Did Richard Hill have a hand in it? I think it is a great looking bike and obviously very aerodynamically efficient. I do a bit of cycling myself, clocking 3500 miles last year. I enjoy it and it has helped keep me in trim to get in my 2 Caterhams and an S2 Elise over the years.

 

[TomE]

Did Richard Hill have a hand in it? I think it is a great looking bike and obviously very aerodynamically efficient. I do a bit of cycling myself, clocking 3500 miles last year. I enjoy it and it has helped keep me in trim to get in my 2 Caterhams and an S2 Elise over the years.

Yes, Richard worked on it. A short video here:

 

[Scruff111S]

Yes, Richard worked on it. A short video here:

Thank you, that was great. Do you know if they are doing a road version of it. As they did 30 years ago, Type 108 track to Type 110 Road.

 

[TomE]

Thank you, that was great. Do you know if they are doing a road version of it. As they did 30 years ago, Type 108 track to Type 110 Road.

Hope said last year they were developing a prototype road version but there's been very little news since then. Lotus weren't involved. The HB.T track bike retails for £15-25k depending on spec, so the road version won't be cheap!

Hope unveils prototype for road-going version of Team GB’s Lotus track bike

The Olympic bike is being overhauled for the road; drawing on its in-house expertise of making brakes, specially designed dropouts have been made to integrate the disc brake calipers

road.cc

 

[Scruff111S]

Hope said last year they were developing a prototype road version but there's been very little news since then. Lotus weren't involved. The HB.T track bike retails for £15-25k depending on spec, so the road version won't be cheap!

Hope unveils prototype for road-going version of Team GB’s Lotus track bike

The Olympic bike is being overhauled for the road; drawing on its in-house expertise of making brakes, specially designed dropouts have been made to integrate the disc brake calipers

road.cc

Thank you for the information Tom. I am surprised that Lotus are not involved with the development of a road version. Some 108/110 attended a Brands Hatch Lotus Festival some years back. It was good to have a close look at them. I hope one day to have a good look at the Lotus/Hope bikes.

 

[TomE]

Thank you for the information Tom. I am surprised that Lotus are not involved with the development of a road version. Some 108/110 attended a Brands Hatch Lotus Festival some years back. It was good to have a close look at them. I hope one day to have a good look at the Lotus/Hope bikes.

The Brands Hatch 108/110 gathering in 2017 was organised by me. Richard Hill brought his Olympic memorabilia and did the commentary when we rode on the circuit.

 

[Scruff111S]

The Brands Hatch 108/110 gathering in 2017 was organised by me. Richard Hill brought his Olympic memorabilia and did the commentary when we rode on the circuit.

View attachment 7806

Wow, so I watched you cycle round the circuit. I remember thinking it was quite a tough ride up to Druids, especially on a 108 with one track gear. Small world. I have followed the Elise Trophy since we travelled in convoy to Brands Hatch for the very first race 24th March 2007. As a Lotus enthusiast it was amazing to be part of such a large convoy of Lotus. I am also a member of Lotus on Track and have done many trackdays.

 

[Scruff111S]

Hope said last year they were developing a prototype road version but there's been very little news since then. Lotus weren't involved. The HB.T track bike retails for £15-25k depending on spec, so the road version won't be cheap!

Hope unveils prototype for road-going version of Team GB’s Lotus track bike

The Olympic bike is being overhauled for the road; drawing on its in-house expertise of making brakes, specially designed dropouts have been made to integrate the disc brake calipers

road.cc

Thank you for the information Tom. I am surprised that Lotus are not involved with the development of a road version. Some 108/110 attended a Brands Hatch Lotus Festival some years back. It was good to have a close look at them. I hope one day to have a good look at the Lotus/Hope bikes.

The Brands Hatch 108/110 gathering in 2017 was organised by me. Richard Hill brought his Olympic memorabilia and did the commentary when we rode on the circuit.

View attachment 7806

Just thought, reference 2017, was that your 108 on Top of a Lotus Evora, if memory serves, using suction pads?

 

[TomE]

Wow, so I watched you cycle round the circuit. I remember thinking it was quite a tough ride up to Druids, especially on a 108 with one track gear. Small world. I have followed the Elise Trophy since we travelled in convoy to Brands Hatch for the very first race 24th March 2007. As a Lotus enthusiast it was amazing to be part of such a large convoy of Lotus. I am also a member of Lotus on Track and have done many trackdays.

Just thought, reference 2017, was that your 108 on Top of a Lotus Evora, if memory serves, using suction pads?

Small world! Yes, you'd have seen me and ten others cycling on the circuit. We were all nervous about making it up Hailwoods/Druids and hadn't had a practice before we did it in front of a large crowd. It was only 110s in that session, so there were a handful of gears to choose from, but mainly it was about getting a decent run downhill from Paddock!

And yes, it was my 110 on top of my Evora

 

[EspritGuy]

Small world! Yes, you'd have seen me and ten others cycling on the circuit. We were all nervous about making it up Hailwoods/Druids and hadn't had a practice before we did it in front of a large crowd. It was only 110s in that session, so there were a handful of gears to choose from, but mainly it was about getting a decent run downhill from Paddock!

And yes, it was my 110 on top of my Evora

Nice picture.... This brings to mind the whole Wheel gap thing?

 

[Scruff111S]

Small world! Yes, you'd have seen me and ten others cycling on the circuit. We were all nervous about making it up Hailwoods/Druids and hadn't had a practice before we did it in front of a large crowd. It was only 110s in that session, so there were a handful of gears to choose from, but mainly it was about getting a decent run downhill from Paddock!

And yes, it was my 110 on top of my Evora

Wow. I thought your car and bike looked very impressive. I remember taking a photo of it. Who said an Evora was not a practical car. I had an S2 Elise 111S at the time. Great day, great memories.

 

[TomE]

It was a really good day, a shame the Lotus Festival format hasn't continued. Maybe post-Covid we'll see it again.

The Evora is very practical. I can fit a bike in the back across the +2 seats too. I've also had DIY materials, a TV, cases of wine, a suitcase and the kids travel in the back. I'm wondering if I might still be able to squeeze a bike into the luggage space in the Emira, but it might have to be a Brompton!

 

[Scruff111S]

It was a really good day, a shame the Lotus Festival format hasn't continued. Maybe post-Covid we'll see it again.

The Evora is very practical. I can fit a bike in the back across the +2 seats too. I've also had DIY materials, a TV, cases of wine, a suitcase and the kids travel in the back. I'm wondering if I might still be able to squeeze a bike into the luggage space in the Emira, but it might have to be a Brompton!

Yes, it is a shame. The Lotus Festival at Snetterton was also memorable, with Clive Chapman miraculously somehow managed to get every F1 Lotus car in one place. Yet another great day. I have got great memories of days out, weekends away, trackdays, runs with other Lotus owners. In my opinion, a Lotus is not about A to B transport, it is about enjoying the drive out with other like minded Lotus enthusiasts.

 

[TomE]

That was another great event.

Pic: Copyright The Colin Chapman Foundation

The 60th and 70th Anniversary events at Hethel were excellent too, with access to the design and production areas, special displays and loads of cars from across the decades.

At the 70th Lotus did say "see you next year" but then Covid happened. Maybe they'll do something next year for the 75th rather than wait for the 80th.

 

[Scruff111S]

That was another great event.

View attachment 7835
Pic: Copyright The Colin Chapman Foundation

The 60th and 70th Anniversary events at Hethel were excellent too, with access to the design and production areas, special displays and loads of cars from across the decades.

At the 70th Lotus did say "see you next year" but then Covid happened. Maybe they'll do something next year for the 75th rather than wait for the 80th.

Yes I was at both the 60th and 70th. At the 60th I actually had the pleasure of speaking to Hazel Chapman, one of my greatest memories. At the 70th I had a chat with Elisa Artioli, Richard Paramint and Bob Dance. I first got into Lotus after watching The Prisoner repeats in the 80's. Since then I have has 2 Caterhams, an S2 Elise and hopefully soon an Emira.

 

[Scruff111S]

That was another great event.

View attachment 7835
Pic: Copyright The Colin Chapman Foundation

The 60th and 70th Anniversary events at Hethel were excellent too, with access to the design and production areas, special displays and loads of cars from across the decades.

At the 70th Lotus did say "see you next year" but then Covid happened. Maybe they'll do something next year for the 75th rather than wait for the 80th.

Also, the year of the 60th, I was at Shelsley Walsh ( I did the hill climb school there in my Elise) and I had a great chat to Murray Walker.

 

[TomE]

Yes I was at both the 60th and 70th. At the 60th I actually had the pleasure of speaking to Hazel Chapman, one of my greatest memories. At the 70th I had a chat with Elisa Artioli, Richard Paramint and Bob Dance. I first got into Lotus after watching The Prisoner repeats in the 80's. Since then I have has 2 Caterhams, an S2 Elise and hopefully soon an Emira.

We've been at a lot of the same events and spoken to the same people!

I was in my M100 Elan at the 60th, part of a big sub-gathering with LEC over that weekend, including a huge convoy to the coast for fish and chips. Peter Stevens was guest at a LEC dinner and gave a talk on several of his design projects for Lotus and other manufacturers.

 

[TomE]

Some dad-daughter bonding today. She started cycling about 3 years ago and at university this year joined the cycling club and started competing in triathlons.

I said if she could get to a certain level (under 30 mins for a 10 mile time trial) she could try riding my Lotus Sport 110. Target achieved.

Today we took advantage of an open cycling session at Goodwood Motor Circuit for her first ride on the Lotus and first time riding with tri-bars.

She’s fast, but honour retained as she’s getting used to the new position and so not quite as fast as me yet. But on our road bikes she was faster than me and recorded a personal best averaging nearly 23mph for a 10 miler.

Great to ride alongside and see this bike in motion and nice that a new generation is taking an interest in them.