So, today I want to talk about something that’s been on my mind lately – Lotus cycles. Yeah, I’ve been digging into these vintage bikes, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride.
It all started when I stumbled upon a forum thread about vintage bikes. Someone mentioned Lotus, and my ears perked up. I’ve always been a sucker for retro stuff, and the idea of owning a classic bike really appealed to me.
First thing I did was to hit up the internet. I found out that there are these Lotus 110 bikes, and some guy named Tony Wybrott is on a mission to track down every single one of them. The story goes that Lotus teamed up with the British Cycling Federation to make a bike for this dude Chris Boardman. And guess what? He snagged a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics riding it!
The bike they made was called the Lotus Sport 108. It was the first of its kind, super high-tech, and it smashed world records. Turns out, these radical aero designs got outlawed, and strict rules were put in place for frame shapes and dimensions. I read that even today, the Lotus holds its own against modern designs in terms of aerodynamics. I thought, “Man, imagine where bikes would be if they hadn’t stifled their progress.”
Then I found out about this new Lotus bike, the Type 136. The first edition costs a whopping $25,000! Only 36 of these babies are being made, all decked out in Lotus’s black-and-gold Formula 1 colors. And get this, it’s got an electric motor that was developed for the Mars Lander. Talk about out of this world! The standard model is supposed to go on sale in spring 2024, and it’s going to cost around £20,000. They’re also making a limited run of 136 individually numbered bikes with a unique motorsport-inspired design.
I also did some rough calculations on the cost of cycling around the world. I figured for a 6,000-mile trip, the average total cost is around £7,610. The range is crazy, though, from £773 to a high of £30. Insane, right? That is totally out of my expectation, it is so high!
Here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve gathered:
- Lotus has a history of making groundbreaking bikes.
- The Lotus 110 is a legend, thanks to Chris Boardman’s Olympic gold.
- The new Type 136 is a $25,000 marvel with a Mars Lander motor.
- Cycling around the world is pricier than I thought, ranging from £773 to £30 for 6,000 miles.
So yeah, that’s my Lotus journey so far. I have to say, these bikes are pretty fascinating. I’m still on the fence about getting one, given the price tag, but the history and the tech behind them are seriously tempting. I’ll keep you all posted if I take the plunge!
What do you guys think? Are any of you into vintage bikes? Let me know in the comments below!
