Re: [CR]Lotus Cinelli Designed bike all super record

(Example: Framebuilding:Brazing Technique)

From: "Ed Braley" <edbraley@maine.rr.com>
To: "walter skrzypek" <wspokes1@hotmail.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <F1660J20rhHHrcgHLA5000049a2@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Lotus Cinelli Designed bike all super record
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 10:43:02 -0500


I have owned three or four decent Lotus bikes from the early eighties; Legends, Classique, and Odyssey. Mine were all handmade in Japan by Tsunoda. These bikes were all bought NOS ten years past their model year for about $300 each. They were road bikes with pre-index drivetrains when no one wanted that kind of thing.

The workmanship is typical of better production bikes from Japan of that period. The brazing is thorough and consistent, but the tube mitering inside the bottom bracket is only fair. The chrome and paint work is very good, and the frames were all reasonably straight and true. The tubing was all Ishiwata, No.1 or No.2 grade double butted CrMo, and the dropouts forged Suntour or Shimano. They had metal nameplates and gold lug linings. The Legend and Odyssey frames had semi wrapped seat stays, sloping fork crowns and other details similar to some of the 70's vintage Raleighs I've owned. The Classique had fastback seat stays and semi sloping fork crown.

I owned a Japanese built Raleigh Super Course, vintage '84 or thereabouts, and although the main triangle was Reynolds 531 the fork was Tange. The frame was a dead ringer for a Tsunoda, and I'd bet they were contracted for the build.

My only complaint with these bikes was that the bottom brackets were higher than I prefer, coming in at around 270mm with 23mm tires. They make great fixed gear bikes! My '82 Legend is configured this way now.

I bought a leftover '87 Lotus Legend for a friend of mine two years ago; brand new in the box with a full Suntour Sprint index 6 speed group. She wanted a triple crank and barcons, so I reconfigured the frame with a Shimano triple road group and 7 speed barcons. This Legend had the best geometry of them all, in my opinion. They dropped the bottom bracket, tightened the front end and kept reasonably long stays. She loves the bike.

There was a Legend Comp model that came with Campy parts; I've seen a couple but never owned one. The last one I saw was a pretty jade green with gold transfers. This model was probably introduced to compete with the Campy equipped Fuji.

I'm with Dale; Id say the Super Record Lotus is worth no more than the sum of the Campy parts. The frame should be considered separately, and the most anyone is likely to pay for the frame alone is $200, and it would have to be mint to get that much. Personally, I'd buy the bike, put the Campy stuff on a classic European frame and rebuild the Lotus with something else like a SunTour Cyclone group.

Ed.


----- Original Message -----
From: walter skrzypek
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 9:48 AM
Subject: Re: [CR]Lotus Cinelli Designed bike all super record



> Gee Dale, my friend Bertrum built up for his wife an early Lotus which has
> stunning chrome lugs and chrome chainstays, beautiful cut-out lugs, very
> nice design. Which brings me to wonder, there must have been better Lotus
> frames as well as the straight piped Lotus frames as well. I agree on the
> Cinelli designed part, That probably doesn't amount to a hill of beans,
> similar in respect to looking at a current "insert brand name bike" and
> seeing the Made in China or Made in Taiwan sticker with the "designed in the
> USA" sticker. I know the Lotus I saw with the lugs and chainstays sure is
> pretty. It came from Brand's bike shop of New York where my friend
> resides.So, Were there indeed better or high end framesets from this
> company?
>
> Walt Skrzypek
> Falls Creek, Pa
> >From: OROBOYZ@aol.com
> >To: pdscott@gte.net, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >Subject: Re: [CR]Lotus Cinelli Designed bike all super record
> >Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 22:06:35 EST
> >
> >In a message dated 12/20/00 7:59:34 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> >pdscott@gte.net
> >writes:
> >
> ><< What would a lotus super record equipped bike be worth? It was supposed
> >to
> >be designed by cinelli. It is a 50cm CC! Syy blue paint chrome stays and
> >chrome frok crown. >>
> >
> >In my opinion, the sum of it's parts.. I am afraid Lotus-
> >designed-by-Cinelli
> >is about like Centurion-designed-by-Cinelli.
> >
> >Dale Brown