I love my 1982 Lotus Legend. But I was wondering what its modern equivalent would be in a bike store today? Lugged steel frame, Shimano 600 groupset, Belt/Fujita leather saddle, presta-drilled alloy rims, SR bars. . . . It wasn't top-of-the-line, but a nice bike, I think. I think it weighed 18 pounds at the time. Any ideas? Or does nobody pay attention to bikes after 1990 in here?

I'm guessing thats like a "sport touring" model? the only modern day equalivant is a comfort bike which is perhaps why people on this forum ignore modern day bikes. Sport touring steel framed road bikes are way cooler. actually shimano 600 is the equalivant to shimano 105 as far as i know. Neat bike. they don't make'm like that any more.

600 is Ultegra, not 105. (sorry to nitpick)

Kind've hard game to play, because it is like comparing apples and oranges. Technology has advanced too much to do a straight, meaningful comparison.

Yeah, I kind of figured that. I guess I was hoping someone would say with great authority: "The Lotus Legend was the Bianchi San Jose of its time. . . ." Or not.
I sort of inherited this bike — it was mine in high school, but I left it untouched in my parents' garage for 30 years. (Not kidding.) Only when I started bike commuting recently did I look into getting it back. Now I love it, but . . . the cassette failed, and so did the rear rim. I was thinking that if other parts need replacing, maybe I'll just replace the bike. But I fear that I'm looking at an Atlantis rather than a Cross-Check. And I can't afford an Atlantis.

Has it gained weight as it's aged, like us? Seriously, I'm having difficulty believing that it weighed 18 pounds even in 1982.

If I were playing the game, though, I'd say its modern equivalent is a Jamis Eclipse or Quest.

Very difficult comparison to make though I have given it much thought myself. One simple way would be the consumer price index. If bike X cost $150 in 1970 it would cost $794.46 today for example. Then you see what models are available in that price range. Crude but it provides a starting place. I suspect though that bike prices have increased faster than inflation however. I mean did a top of the line full Nuovo Record, Columbus or Reynolds 531 bike cost $1400 in 1970? ‘Cause that’s what it would have had to cost to be the equivalent of today’s top end $7000+ models (maybe they did, I don’t know, I was but a wee lad back then but I doubt it – I’m thinking more like $500). Also, I think you will typically find that there are many more models today to choose from then back then when many manufacturers may have only had 4 or 5 models. Take a look at today’s BianchiUSA website. There are more bikes there then you can count.

I consider my 1972 Bottecchia Giro d’Italia to be the equivalent of today’s Bottecchia BS 815 8avio or a maybe a Bianchi 1885 - Carbon Centaur (neither available stateside) but those are certainly arbitrary comparisons based on where the bikes fit in the manufacturers lineup or among other bikes generally. In my case I would look at the top end frame on the Giro (hand made from double-butted Columbus tubing, same as the top of the line Professional) but with a lower end set of components (not a group really since it’s a mish-mash of stuff) that I would compare to Centaur or Ultegra in today’s market.

haha.
Yeah. That's a pretty fuzzy way to put it. I meant that, at the time, I was told it weighed 18 pounds. But that's 25 years ago, like I said.... (Actually, I said 30, didn't I? Oh, well. So much for facts.)