Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Lotus Aero Super Pro

Picked it up late last year from someone who was moving. Owner says that it was used less than a dozen times. I don't have pictures but have listed a link to a similar bike. The only difference is that mine has a Cinelli stem and a blue Cinelli saddle. Condition is very comparable to the bike listed. It appears to be a 24" frame. Any idea as to it's value would be appreciated.

http://collection.rydjor.com/bikecollection/1981lot.htm

Is yours all Dura Ace? If so, maybe $400 in the right market. Some lesser group maybe around $250, if marketed carefully, good ad, great pics, etc.

Large frame may depress pricing a bit.

Need to provide a breakdown of components and also frame material.

I saw one sell for $400 a few years back, and I think it was incomplete, too. There was only one tubing that this could be built from: the Tange Aero tube set. Don't ever lose that seat post, what ever you decide to do with it. I understand that Tsunoda of Japan built frames from this tubing that were sold under a few brandnames, maybe Lotus was one. An Aero bike of this tubing might have been equipt with Shimano 600AX or DA AX, or a mix of the two.

It is aero tubing and complete Shimano Dura Ace AX group except for the stem being Cinelli. Pretty light and rides very nicely.

My Lotus is Tsunoda made. Sounds like $400 plus, not the market I usually deal in (I don't find bikes that nice). If you try to sell locally (Craigs List), just be sure to write an awesome ad, put quality pictures into it via Flickr or similar. The standard Craigs List pics are crap. To get full market value, you may have to go the ebay route. But if you do not have ample spotless feedback, and experience shipping bikes, your return could be limited. Might have to try a Buy It Now sale at a price you are comfortable with. You will have to ship the bike, local pickup option = give away pricing.

I've got one of the Dura Ace seatposts for that oval-teardrop tubing, just in case you ever lose yours. It's brand new. I've had it for a couple of years and bet I'll have it for a couple more!

Found a Lotus Aero Super Pro on the curb last fall. Cleaned it up. Seems to be all original. Complete DuraAce AX, tsunoda aerodynamics frame, Araya Aero1 wheels. The rear Araya was crimped but I had a matching Araya aero-style wheel and hub ready from my spare parts and swapped it in. Beautiful paint job and component condition. scuffing on the saddle (also original) and the tape needs to be re-wrapped:

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7071/1010427.th.jpg (http://img12.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1010427.jpg)

I haven't ridden it yet. Can't believe it was on the curb.

For the sake of posterity I though I would post this Lotus SuperPro Aero listed on Ebay today:
This one has a history so the seller's asking $1400.00! :o
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150383824877


"Up for auction is a very rare vintage bicycle that was given to the USA speed skating team to train on in the off season. This bicycle was given to Kimberly Klein, who I am selling the bike for. It is a Lotus Aero Super Pro made from Tange butted chrome molly aero tubing. The frame is in very good condition with no dents or dings only a very few paint chips with the majority of them being on the seat tube which are visible in the pictures. The chrome is in excellent condition. The seat tube measures 52 cm center to top. The top tube measures 55cm center to center and the head tube measures 9.5 cm. It has a complete Shimano Dura Ace AX group, headset (very cool plastic cover over it), brake calipers(Lance Armstrong used this brake in the 2000 tour on his time trial bike because they are very aero), crankset 170 mm 52 42 chainrings, front and rear derailleur, brake levers which are the first aero levers made by Shimano, shifters which were the precursors to the index shifters, 7 speed freewheel, pedals which have an oversize spindle so your foot was at the center of the pedal spindle and aero seat post. Also very rare and unique is the stem and handle bar made by Nitto. The stem is called Crystemblue 85mm long and the handlebar called Aerodynamics and is 40 cm center to center. It has a San Marco Rolls saddle. The rims are Araya Aero 2 tubular 32 hole laced with semi bladed spokes. The tires are Wolber Neo Pro tubulars, the front holds air the rear doesn't, the glue is dried and the tires will easily come off the rims. Next is a letter sent to Kim explaining a little about the bicycle. Dear Kim, lotus bikes were designed by Sidney Star(formerly Stern German for Star) and built for his company by the Tsunuda company in Japan. This frame is made from Tange aero cro mo tubing and is all cromed and than gold painted. Is 1982 issue first full aero components Shimano Dura Ace AX aero. The design was way ahead of its time and did not catch on, as it should have been, It was like a betamax in a country of VHS. because of the use of the dyna drive pedal with the oversize hole in the pedal axel the only weak point in the serie the bearing was not very good, you did have your foot at the level of the center of the whole in the crankl arm which allowed the rider to ride 1/2 an inch smaller size frame., The bike has become quit vintage because of the small series made, the extreme aero seat post, the parapull brakes, the bladed spokes the araya teardrop rims , the nitti aero handlebar with the top blue enclosure, headset which require a special set of adjsuting tools, the aero waterbottle, The hubs with their recessed spoke settings, were all new inovative designs The light weight black aero saddle was one of the first that light and very functional. The story go's that in 86or 87 the whole yaer production on a ship from japan to the west coast went down with the ship it sailed on, you dont have insurance on maritime losses, that was the end of the comapny, The guy stern or Star is now a prof at Hofstra what I hear, I bought 6 bikes of tham when they introduced them at the reg bike show at the horizon cntr in Chicago in feb 82 or 83 can't remember anymore."

Beautiful bike, terrible ad, marginal pictures. We'll have to see how that combination works out for the seller.

Found a Lotus Aero Super Pro on the curb last fall. Cleaned it up. Seems to be all original. Complete DuraAce AX, tsunoda aerodynamics frame, Araya Aero1 wheels. The rear Araya was crimped but I had a matching Araya aero-style wheel and hub ready from my spare parts and swapped it in. Beautiful paint job and component condition. scuffing on the saddle (also original) and the tape needs to be re-wrapped:

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7071/1010427.th.jpg (http://img12.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1010427.jpg)

I haven't ridden it yet. Can't believe it was on the curb.

Updated Slideshow more pics: http://img14.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=1010431.jpg

This one was up on ebay three times so far. Started at $1200, now $600:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140351342336


"A rare opportunity to buy a near-complete, excellent condition Lotus Aero Super Pro! Made in 1981, the Super Pro Aero was the top of the line Lotus bicycle, selling for $1200 (according to an inflation calculator, this is approximately $2,800 in today's dollars). These bikes were one of the first experiments in the aerodynamic technology that is now standard in top-of-the-line, pro bicycles. With tear-drop tubing and the beautiful Shimano Dura-Ace AX component group, these bikes are truly stunning.

This auction is for a 54 cm frame in pristine condition--no paint chips, no dents. (While I don't know it's history, it does seem as if it has been restored and repainted.) The parts, too, are pristine, as you can see in the photos. The bike is nearly complete with period-correct Dura-Ace AX parts (detailed below), lacking only handlebars, brake levers, and stem. The bike will be disassembled and professionally packed at a bike shop to ensure that it arrives in perfect condition.

Frame: Lotus Super Pro Aero
Seat tube: 52 cm center-to-center; 55 cm center-to-top.
Top tube: 55 cm center-to-center.

Parts:
Dura-Ace AX Cranks and chainrings
Dura-Ace AX pedals
Dura-Ace AX down tube shifters
Dura-Ace AX front and rear derailleurs
Dura-Ace AX seat post
Blue Cinelli Unicanitor Seat
Dura-Ace EX Headset with plastic cover
Dura-Ace AX Front and Rear Brakes

Wheels:
Dura-Ace AX hubs laced to Ambrosio Durex Aero rims with Michelin Haute-Densite Hi-Lite Bi-Synergic Gumwall tires.

Also included in auction: two Dura-Ace AX headset wrenches.

For more pictures, please see my flickr account at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/uffishness/sets/72157622325495401/"

The seller also has a lot of links that I have found over time as well to images and brochures for the Lotus SuperPro. I'll post those in YET ANOTHER post next. :>

(Don't ask me why I'm doing this. I just got a bee in my bonnet about my own Lotus and thought I would update. :>)

Compiled links for Lotus SuperPro "Aero":

Other Owner's Galleries:
http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/hetchinspete/Lotus-Areo/

http://collection.rydjor.com/bikecollection/1981lot.htm

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/David-G-Whites-Bikes/1981+Lotus/

Nearly if not identical Araya:
http://www.43bikes.com/araya.html

1981 Catalog:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3418/3965542747_1f35331b33_o.jpg

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/joe_bunik/lotus/catalog/

For sale listing from 2005 on www.oldroads.com:
http://www.oldroads.com/arch/LTW2005_9_253_03_32_PM.html


FOR SALE: early 80s 56cm Lotus Super Pro Aero with full Dura Ace AX group. posted by: Peter Naiman on 9/23/2005 at 5:55:51 PM
For sale: Very early 80s Lotus Super Pro aero bike with full Dura Ace AX group, size 56cm center to center. The frame needs full restoration and most components are in very good to good condition as I wanted to leave the bike as original as possible, but I've purchased NOS chainset in box with rings, pedals with toe straps, aero seat post and rear derailleur to complete the restoration and these will be included in the sale. This is a very unique bike with very unusual Nitto drop bars and stem. For full picture set in detail, please write off list. I'm selling as I just do not have time in the foreseeable future to get to complete this restoration as I've got too many other Hetchins restorations and work coming up.

Asking price to the group $950 or B/O.