Classic & Vintage - Lotus bicycles?

-more pictures at bottom of page 2-


I picked one up, $15, new tires and tape, and now have a bike I know nothing about. Done research, found nothing about the brand. I found a thread about them but really no useful information.

It is a blue Lotus Grand Prix Luxe, stem shifters, all Dia-compe brakes/levers and suntour components. I think it is an 83 or there abouts, any info on this company would be great.


http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0946.jpg

Lotus was a 1980's US brand. Most of the bicycles were made in Japan by Tsunoda, but other manufacturers were also used, most notably some mid-1980's high end models manufactured in Italy, in conjunction with Cinelli. The parent company had a few name changes, starting out as Alpha Cycle & supply, then Lotus Int'l Corp. and finally Lotus Distributors Corp. The brand produced a complete range from entry level to pro models.

The Grand Prix I've seen were from the very early 1980s and were an entry model with a hi-tensile steel frame. Offhand, I don't recall a Luxe version. They were typcial of Japanese bicycles of this era and level, being well made, durable and good value.

Just consider Lotus a marketing company, selling a wide range of good Japanese bikes, from entry level to high end. As TMar points out, yours is on the entry end of the scale, but like most of the Japanese bikes from that era, all of them were pretty good.

Your best bet on dating your bike is to just look up the component codes. I have seen very little info on the web on Lotus bikes.

This is my 83 Lotus Classique, hand brazed Tange 1 Champion frame. This is my favorite bike. Like any typical thrift store find, it took a fair amount of work to clean it up.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/3113301693_a19435b262_o.jpg

I have a giant (65cm) Lotus Eclair full tourer with three sets of water bottle bosses ,front and rear racks and canti's that I use for commuting. It's my go to workhorse bike and I love it. some things have changed since this pic, but you get the idea:

http://www.brian-payne.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2671&g2_serialNumber=1

http://www.brian-payne.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2525&g2_serialNumber=2

I've also had a few other Lotus come through my hands, such an Excelle. They're very nicely built bikes IMO.

Alright. Yeah it says on both sides grand prix luxe. Everything I've found people say theirs weighs 19.5, 21, 23 lbs, where as mine weighs 28. haaaa.

28 pounds is really light for a gas pipe bike (hi ten steel).

Is it? Where does cromoly compare to that? It is tange something I don't know what that means really.

28 pounds is really light for a gas pipe bike (hi ten steel).

Yep my low ender is a pound or two on the wrong side of 28. Unkillable tho.

Put up a picture of your Tange label. Tange is cromoly which is better than gas pipe. Tange had five levels, #1 the best and #5 the worst.

Low end cromoly bikes were commonly in the 28 pound range, as often, only the frame tubes were cromoly, the rest of the bike was high ten steel (gas pipe). Then there is butted tubing, double butted, triple butted, etc. Butted tubing was a way to lower the weight of the frame. Your label will mention butting if it has it.

Basically, anything not on the label can be assumed to be the low end. Manufacturers tended to brag up any and all features, and selectively forget to mention less desirable features.....

My Lotus Classique is all Tange 1, butted (or double butted, I'll have to look). Weighs in at 22 pounds.

Nice nice, yeah I'm up in MA till sunday, I'll get some photos then. Not butted I think. Nice lugs though.

My question is, what do you think (without knowing the material..) the bike ran for in its day? How 'bout what its worth now? Finally, was Lotus a good brand? Or something from a department store.

1. Use the search function and be sure to check the box sort by relevance.

As far as original price, without pics and more details on components, anywhere from $100 to $200.

Definately better than departement store. These were actual bike shop bikes. Some were great. Some were just good. All the ones I've seen are pretty. Nice colors and lugs and such.

They had full-page ads in Bicycling Magazine back then - when Bicycling was a good publication. Lotus was certainly considered good machines. They were down the road from me at the time - in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I already had my Puch by then, or I might have picked one up.

Hmm. Made in england? Are you sure thats the same one? Either way, I guess its good. Nice lugs, yeh. Color? I find it a rather "icky" light blue. Decals not clear coated.

I think it was Lotus that was in Cambridge... Anywho they were nice bikes in the day. I wish I had bought a few. And kept 'em in boxes for a later date. Along with Zeus and Masi and Cinelli and .......

cinelli. /drools

I can say one thing about them, every one I've seen has a really nice color. This one I owned for a short while, rode like a dream and never failed.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vqzZHQl3xrI/SiLf05qd33I/AAAAAAAAAMU/i391huUWOC8/s512/CIMG2185.JPG

The weight will depend on the frame size and components. A high tensile frame with all steel components will typically weigh 30+ lbs. However, substitute an aluminum cotterless crankset and aluminum rims and you've got something in the 28 lb range. Given this is a Luxe version, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a substantial amount of aluminum components.

Just because there is Tange decal, don't assume it is chrominium-molybdenum. Tange did make hi-tensile steel. Given the weight, if it is chromium-molbdenum, it is probably plain gauge Tange 5 and only in the main tubes. Butted Tange hi-tensile steel, is also a possibility.

In the end, we'll just have to wait for Sunday.

Yes about waiting till sunday, but I know for sure that it does say Chrominium-molybdenum. Everyone keeps saying they have nice colors. I guess I got the ugly one. ;_;

Hmm. Made in england? Are you sure thats the same one?
NEW England. Massachusetts. USA. Walking distance from me. :)

My question is, what do you think (without knowing the material..) the bike ran for in its day? How 'bout what its worth now? Finally, was Lotus a good brand? Or something from a department store.

Well, I sold mine about a month ago on Craigslist for $200, had it posted for $220. Had bought it about a month before for something like $50? The gal was really happy to get it and I needed the money at the time, who am I kidding I still need money now :cry:


Yes about waiting till sunday, but I know for sure that it does say Chrominium-molybdenum. Everyone keeps saying they have nice colors. I guess I got the ugly one. ;_;

Well, it IS a bit more subdued than the others I've seen. Just makes it more unique! :D

Ohhhh new englandddd. I only read Cambridge, ha. So I guess I'll hold onto the bike, considering making it a fixie

Lotus bikes were made in JAPAN, not MA. Lotus was a marketing company out of New England, that imported japanese bikes with their name on them.

Yah, what I thought. Why is so little known about lotus?

Lotus bicycles were a flash-in-the-pan. One day they were heavily advertised. Then, pretty quickly, they sort of disappeared. And they weren't exactly cheap "baby-boomer" bikes, though their lower tier were competitive with such as Univega, Miyata, and Motobecane.

Here is my Lotus Legend. Looks a little different these days. I do not know much about them either, nice frame and finish. Rides great.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b21/bsonpics/IMG_1037.jpg

Jake

Someone posted thier catalouge on here a while back. Keep searching, tons of info. Been riding mine since new, 1981. 18-speed Odessey. Bought it across the river from Cambridge at International Cycle.

As far as I remember, Lotus was a marketing company out of hicksville, long island. Really nice bikes -great quality , nice paint jobs, etc. I think that the Grand Prix sold for $225 or so, retail. That blue Elcair touring bike was beautifully built and a great choice for touring. Someone actually thought this one out before they manufactured it.

I found a lotus challenger a couple weeks ago. Took it to the local bike shop because the threading was striped on the crank. The shop owner got excited to see a lotus. You dont get a reaction from this guy easily. He had good things to say about the quolity of lotus over all and sold a ton of them back in the day. Mine says tange 900 double butted.

Got any pictures, tolfan?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3500019412_ecc1100573_b.jpg

I was lucky to find this - a 1981 Lotus Classiuque - which I cleaned up & added many things to

It's a great bike & definitely well built. All shimano 600 abaresque & tange butted tubes

Why no pictures of the OP's bike? Lets see it eh?

Just got home from massachusetts, I'll post pics right under this post and in the first post, off to take some photos! :D

Here we go.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0946.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0947.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0948.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0952.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0984.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP1017.jpg

So i finally posted pics and nobody looked :p

& you don't like this blue? Has a subtle quality that matches the ride. How's the seat? Looks comfy Mine came with a Kashimax that got unbearable after 12-15 miles.

Looks comfy? Was that sarcastic? This thing is awful, I just keep it on because its original.

I'm building up a Legend right now. Very excited to get the whole thing set up finally.

How did I miss this thread?? Anyway, I am glad it came up because it answers a lot of my own questions about Lotus. I really like the blue on the OP's bike too.

I just picked one up very similar to the OP's bike, entry level-ish,tange 5 etc etc. I am rebuilding it with north road bars as a city bike. I replaced a lot of the components with some better ones off of a Fuji. It seems like a really nice entry level bike and I am excited to see how it rides, I assume it will take the place of my Schwinn. The model of my Lotus is the "America".

Here is the disgusting state I bought it in for 10.00.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3497/3726479377_44a260493e_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2512/3727284012_00eab33d00_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/3726479863_4ea38da605_o.jpg

After a little cleaning up:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2521/3728082082_dcf5a3abdc_o.jpg

Lucky! You have a shiny headbadge!

mine.. not so much..

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0954.jpg

The pastel-blues and other gentle colors indicate all the LSD from the 60's and 70's was beginning to wear off in Cambridge, Mass. Then Reagan took hold. Everything turned dark...

Lucky! You have a shiny headbadge!

mine.. not so much..

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0954.jpg

Mine looked just like that too, rub it with a little brasso or aluminum polish and yours will be shiny too! I used Mother's aluminum polish, it only took about 5 minutes.

My biggest complaint about my Lotus is there are 0 water bottle mounts. I guess it's probably since it's entry level, I will either put one on the handle bars or seat post I think.

I just got a Minoura water-bottle bracket - with screws to hold the actual bracket - for pretty cheap at Niagara. Hunt around.

Mine looked just like that too, rub it with a little brasso or aluminum polish and yours will be shiny too! I used Mother's aluminum polish, it only took about 5 minutes.

Hm, kay, thanks for the advice. I'll have to pick some of that up later.

How did I miss this thread?? Anyway, I am glad it came up because it answers a lot of my own questions about Lotus. I really like the blue on the OP's bike too.

I just picked one up very similar to the OP's bike, entry level-ish,tange 5 etc etc. I am rebuilding it with north road bars as a city bike. I replaced a lot of the components with some better ones off of a Fuji. It seems like a really nice entry level bike and I am excited to see how it rides, I assume it will take the place of my Schwinn. The model of my Lotus is the "America".



I also have a Lotus America. It has Shimano Altus rear deraileur, stem shifters, Shimano Tourney side-pull brakes with safety levers, Steel Ukai rims with Shimano hubs (quick-release on the front wheel only), Sakae Custom alloy crank set, Sakae Custom "Road Champion" alloy bars with cloth tape, SR alloy stem, Tange No. 5 Chrome Molybdenum frame tubing with stamped ends, braze-on cable guides on the top tube, low-end steel seat post, padded vynl saddle. Bike weighs about 26 to 27 pounds. A nice looking, entry-level bike. Can't find much information on them.

I also have a Lotus America. It has Shimano Altus rear deraileur, stem shifters, Shimano Tourney side-pull brakes with safety levers, Steel Ukai rims with Shimano hubs (quick-release on the front wheel only), Sakae Custom alloy crank set, Sakae Custom "Road Champion" alloy bars with cloth tape, SR alloy stem, Tange No. 5 Chrome Molybdenum frame tubing with stamped ends, braze-on cable guides on the top tube, low-end steel seat post, padded vynl saddle. Bike weighs about 26 to 27 pounds. A nice looking, entry-level bike. Can't find much information on them.

That is nearly identical to how mine was spec'd. Mine had Tourney center pull brake calipers and chromed steel rims. I turned mine into a commuter and I really really love it. The only original parts are the FD, headset and bottom bracket.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2517/3860040915_6b4d5a803c_o.jpg

As far as I remember, Lotus was headquarterd out of Hicksville, Long Island , New York. The owner of the firm visited me a number of times trying to pitch me on his product, and it was always out of NY.

Here we go.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj86/dolphinsnats/IMGP0946.jpg


Sweet bike -- clean.