Can We Beat A Bike So Fast It Was Banned? | Lotus 110 Vs Modern Superbike
You asked and we listened, and we've got the Lotus 110 timetrial bike made famous by being the the fastest bike ever - so fast that every bike like it was BANNED by the UCI! But is it actually that fast? We pit it against our Superbike to see just how far aero tech has come since the dawn of space-age carbon fibre bikes!
Big thanks to Steve Grimwood for helping this video dream become a reality!
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The prolonged look by the random cyclist when he realises it’s a lotus 😂 - a “remember the moment” moment
Is that bike giving him the "jealous girlfriend meme" look (at 7:51)?
You could be around lots of road bikes for decades and never see a Lotus. Then you see one, and you're not even sure you saw it. You're like, "No, it couldn't have been a Lotus."
He did well I’d have fallen off
I noticed that too. I think we’d all be like that guy😂😂
Or maybe he thought, "isn't that the guy from GCN? Ah yeah it is, that's why he's following a scooter and there's someone filming on the side of the road."
It deserves an updated version with electronic shifters, new tires, lighter weight, internally routed cables and optimised ergonomics
There are plenty of modern TT bikes with wild shapes like that. Look at the Ventum One or the Cervelo P5X.
This shape would still be faster.@@appa609
And headset spacers
Ollie: "This bike... technically still holds the hour record" Ganna: "Hold my beer"
And Ganna smashed it. :D
Yeah Ollie's comment aged terribly
@@Tamanisawesome Yes, if only he could tell the future eh....
*isotonic sports drink
@@Tamanisawesome Ollie without doubt is a sports presenter without peer. Well ahead of his time.
7:51 I love how that other cyclist turns his head like 'wait is that a f*cking lotus?'
right!!!
A road legal (without that extra aero aid) versus a top quality triathlon legal bike would be a decent contest. It may show how much the UCI is holding back cyclists. An equal dollar value road and tri bike would also be interesting.
There's no such thing as triathlon illegal, everything is triathlon legal 😉
@@ironmantooltime Recumbents?
The very definition of modern triathlon bikes is taking every advantage you can get without risking dangerous failures, so the Lotus 110 really marks the point where UCI legal and triathlon bikes started to diverge. Or, in other words, the modern tri bike should be faster by some margin, though I suspect that the difference wouldn't be huge - after all, the main source of drag is still the rider and it should be possible to dial in the Lotus to much the same extent as any of its modern successors.
@@XenFPV sure, people with no legs often do ironman in recumbents 🤟 FFS a guy with Downs raced Thursday, now he's a fncking hero 👏 Chris Nikic, you are an Ironman!!! 😎
Ya I want to see Ollie with his “dialed in” TT bike vs the new Cadex bike 🤔🤤😍
The owner saying "we'll talk" when they jokingly asked if they could borrow the Lotus again just gives me something to look forward to.
Thank you to Steve. I have never seen Si and Ollie look so excited and happy for a whole video before. Brilliant!
Si dancing around like a puppy is my favorite thing.
Like 2 kids in a candy shop 😂😂😂😂
"fizzing with excitement" :-) :-) :-)
Honestly I bet the main thing holding back the older bikes is probably the tires. The fastest road tires available today produce under half the rolling resistance of the best tubulars of the 90's. At these weights and speeds, I reckon the difference is up to 20-25W in rolling resistance.
Probably, but then the frame isn't able to even fit the wider modern tires.
It should be noted that's at an aerodynamic cost of 10-15 watts at 30mph.
7:50 the cyclist staring at the lotus 🤣🤣
Dude nearly broke his neck.
One of the coolest GCN videos ever. We are all that cyclist who turned their heads at around the 7:54 mark.
Lol
He was like "oh wait is that a Lotus??!"
07:50 actually
Its similar to driving a beautifully restored classic car. The head turns are worth every cent.
was about to comment the cyclist, just an epic shot!
THANK YOU STEVE! I am not a TT guy but this is such an Iconic bike. Watching Ollie and Si so genuinely excited to ride this bike, and the cyclist turning and looking. This is perhaps the best video done so far.
Thanks Aaron! The bike certainly a head turner.
That cyclist rubber-necking Olly at 7:51--Priceless! And I seriously almost had goosebumps watching this video! I can't imagine how Olly and Si felt riding that thing!
Just goes to show how good Boardman's hour record was on it's sister track bike. And how good his fastest ever prologue win was on this one.
I don’t know how I ended up here. I know nothing about bike racing so I only understood like half the words in this video but I love the passion you guys have for bikes! Great video!
7:13 "It still holds the hour record.." - That statement aged well
Okay, so I'm assuming that's 60 minutes then?
It’s actually the rider that holds that record not the bike
Great video, and thanks Steve for borrowing the bike to let this happen 💪
Si jumping around excited to try the Lotus like it’s his first bike on Christmas morning is just beautiful.
Thanks Steve!! What a fantastic way to showcase an icon. Ollie looked uncomfortable in that position on the Lotus. Maybe that was the difference? I'm surprised there was no adjustment made on that multi-position Look stem 😉 Either way, very cool video. Amazing to see how far modern road bikes have come.
Hasn't this test cemented our racing history......it shows just how amazing our Chris Boardman was and still is 💪🚀
When he didn't crash that is :)
@@scottlaliberte4027 well how else do you know your limits 🤪
Well Ganna just beat his record last night on a UCI legal bike
@@william6171 and the lotus was UCI legal at the time and technology has moved on so I believe Gannas bike and whole package is more aero than Boardman's package was at the time.......maybe proven by this GCN video.
@@mickchaganis6607 oh for sure Boardmans effort was amazing. I also think it's highly likely that Ganna's setup was more aero. It shows how far aero and engineering have come that even with more restrictive regulations, todays bike setup is faster than an "unrestricted"/less restricted 1996 setup.
I had a Lotus back in 99 and it was an absolutely amazing bike!! Fastest by far in its time. Well, Eddy Merckx and Pinarello also had some awesome TT bikes that I never rode, so maybe a bit biased from my side. That said, I stopped riding for many years, and then a few years back I rode a Venge Vias with Zipp 808 wheels for a couple of weeks and it was flying too. So not too surprised by the results, but still think they should move their elbows inwards on the Lotus.
Hello GCN Hello GCN I was a racing cyclist in the 80s, and a serious cyclist from the age of 15 to 36. In 2005 I got married and turned my focus from bikes to horses and have hardly thought about cycling since. I discovered your KZhead channel recently and really enjoy your videos. It is amazing to me how much technology has changed the sport! I might as well have been on a penny farthing bike or been a cast member for the Flintstones. That a regular road bike would be on the same par as a Lotus bike is incredible. Keep up the great work.
Its a bike that has made a place in cycling history. This thing gave birth to the evolution of modern TT bikes. Love it.
Hi Guys, love this series of TT comparison videos - if your looking for two more contenders I have a real deal ex Team Once `03/`04 Giant TCR TT bike and Jan Ullrichs `05/`06 Giant branded special order Walser TT bike, feel free to put them through their paces, Dan.
7:50 even bro at the back knows what's up with that Lotus bike 😳
I don't think he is checking out the bike haha
Someone needs to do another version of that frame with a modern cockpit/electronic groupsetp and wheels.
I'll do it.
The Tririg Omni is pretty close.
It would be fascinating, and a travesty all at the same time.
@@ItimDave Dang it's ugly!
@@josephkool6326 Z.A.P. or Mektronic vs. Etap or Di2
I started racing MTB with Steve when I was a kid (well, timed loops around woodland outside Ipswich), a great guy with an unmatched passion for cycling. Also find memories of Mike Burrows, seeing him racing his wind cheetah.
Cool series... Thanks for bringing these historical benchmarks back into the fray.
Throw out the ancient rules and let the bike manufacters build any thing they like. I'd love to see more advanced bikes coming into racing.
It depends entirely how far you relax the rules. If you throw out everything other than no motors, then you get something like the Eta speedbike, which can cruise at about 100 kph on 250W and a flat straight road.
@@sathyaki does it have 2 wheels and is human powered? Thats a bike to me.
Wouldn't recumbent bikes clean house in a lot of disciplines though?
@@appa609 lets make e bikes that are remote control. think how fast they could go without idiots weighing them down
@Jeff This but unironically
Thank you Steve and GCN a great video.
Thanks Steve, Ollie and Si for making this possible. Ollie and Si were like two brothers at Christmas fighting over the best present 😂.
How could you not give this vid a thumbs up? The sheer joy from both of you had me grinning all the way through!
The fun you guys have on your bicycles is why I subscribed. The love and appreciation is there.
Thanks Steve, for allowing us to enjoy your bike through Si and Ollie and feeling totally geeked out and at the edge of our seats waiting for the end results, thank you again Ollie, Si and Steve
I tend to agree with Hambini when he says this is complete bollox.
1:55 Thanks Steve! Loved this vid. The Lotus speaks SPEED.
The Lotus 108 & 110 are absolute icons in 90s. I'm mid 40s now, when I talk to younger riders. I always tell them I was grown up in a era of Broadman's Lotus 110.
It'd be super cool to compare the Lotus bike to the Ventum bike (since they have a similar frame, UCI-illegal design) and a UCI legal TT bike
Thanks to Steve, for the loan of the Lotus. I remember Chris Boardman breaking the World Hour Record on it and always wondered where it went, after the UCI banned it. I also remember the track bike.
Thank you Steve 👍🏻 just wow, that lotus is a work of art
That was joyous, the enthusiasm of both presenters alone was worth seeing before they even got on the bike. Thanks for a lovely video.
Thanks Steve for making Si look like a kid waking up at Christmas and getting the present he always wanted.
Ok, when do you do the Obree Tuck and the Obree Superman positions?! 😁 Remember, the Superman is the position Chris used when he "shelved" the Hour.
love how stoked you guys were to ride that thing, what a beauty!! result was kinda surprising but i guess it goes to further cement BFJ's belief that you can have all the bells and whistles you like but you'll be slower if it don't fit ya!
Si dancing around like an excited toddler at 8:25 😂
Got to say that the aero gain of the rider on aerobars is arguably the biggest advantage of the Lotus. It doesn't feel right to ever call such a legend outdated, but modern tech took every advantage and improved on it.
working against the Lotus is its weight. On a rolling course weight matters.
This is THE BIKE hands down no contest thank you so much for this. I actually sat on (didn’t ride!) one of the 108’s at a time trial in 1993, I’m not only the same age as Chris Boardman but also a very similar height, the position on that track bike was insane I couldn’t have breathed properly let alone pedal fast he was the best IMHO
Boardman looked so good on a bike. Totally natural like he was built to ride TT bikes.
That’s the exact reason the ergo stem is on that bike. One wrench and you can put your position where it belongs. Proper position is more than a marginal gain. You fit on the canyon and have only complained about your position on each of the time trial bikes you tried.
A guy at our local bike cafe had the road version. Always had admirers checking it out.
So cool seeing the Lotus bike in action! I don't think I've seen one being ridden before. I'd love to see a comparison between the aero road bike, a TT bike and a non UCI Triathlon type bike.
🤔 ummm interesting... very interesting.
"So the bike could be faster but we didn't actually do the work to do the proper test. Thanks for watching"
Tension sorted out nicely you two! This time you were just giddy school kids, but I can see why! Loved it
I've got a classic steel framed TT bike with 11 speed, big chainring and tubeless 25c tyres. It's got a front aero hydrobottle breaking up the stem and a high hands position. The 1" steerer tube doesn't present much to the air and the tubes aren't wide so it can't be far off how aero a modern bike with modern shapes is
Thanks Steve
The conclusion is correct, dialling in your position on any tt bike will make a huge difference. If they just swapped bike, then one of the presenters could have been more compromised than the other! However what I don’t understand is why GCN keep doing these fantastic experiments against modern road bikes instead of a modern tt bike? It would be interesting to see the difference between all these bikes verses your typical modern tt kit!
Amazing looking bike! Absolutely beautiful. It would be interesting to see this bike with a modern drivetrain…12 speed, SRAM or DI with blips…It would have to be a new frame build. Bummer! No doubt technology has changed immensely.
Great video. Thanks Steve!
Let’s get Ollie doing the hour record on the lotus. The tires would make a big difference too.
interesting to see ollie and si have similar bike sizing and fitting on the lotus
Thx steve for loaning the bike, great video
Great video. I enjoy Ollie's engaging affect as the Richard Simmons of cycling: Acts like just an amateur but is actually in very good shape.
I'm a programmer and tech nerd. The lotus definitely sets off my tech nerd radar. thanks to steve
There is a company called ventum that make a carbon copy of the lotus if you want to put those 2 against each other
carbon copy, hahaha!
Has GCN ever taken Graeme Obree’s contraptions out? Speaking of iconic moments in cycling. I doubt I was the only person who attempted the egg tuck and Superman for about 0.3 seconds. Crazy.
Rob English built a modern Old Faithful for the North American Handmade Bike Show, but haven't heard if he actually rode it.
Mike Burrows changed frame design, the sloping toptube became the 'compact frame'. From an artframe I did the seattube began vertical from the bb moves where downtube joins it above the chain rings. This while a big cutaway was stiffer than a trad diamond cut the join was about equal from headtube to rear axle, and by the tube having a big gap air rejoins behind it to be laminar flow over the top of the rear wheel. It's like overdrive, doing coast tests on club rides I drop all good bikes around 32mph/52kmh and go to ~36mph. Ymmv, great to see it ridden 🥂 🍺🍺🍺
I'd love to see this going up against the new Cadex Triathlon frame xD Simply because the Cadex only has a down tube and no top tube ^^
Averaging 55K hr. is just insane! I only ride for enjoyment and exercise. Thanks for the background on the bike since I have no knowledge of this stuff.
Steve very wise being there to make sure he gets his bike back!
Next step: make it faster with modern components. Rebuild the frame with modern carbon and make it lighter. Pls GCN 🤗
Quality content fellas.
Love this passionate vid……. I bought Boardman’s original Lotus Tour de France TT bike on EBay about 15 years ago. Sold by a mature Lake District friend of Chris’s farther. On line chit chat apparently cast doubt on it’s origins…… but actually totally genuine. Apart from one small evening outing ( far too big ) , but memorable for a small crowd of appreciative youngsters …….coming over saying “ nice bike mister”. Hung on wall in my Snowdonia cafe for some time…… that is until a certain young aspiring lad by the name of Ryan Mullen deserved a bit of kit to match his obvious blossoming talents ! Blitzed a number of TT’s on this steed …… wonderful sight ….. except for the one occasion I was entered in our local valley TT…… only to be total humiliated being passed by Ryan on our downhill Bodnant hill 😂😂 ! Ryan’s father, a character par excellance ……twisted my arm to part with said icon …… for which he’ll never be forgiven 😢 ever ! 😂 Really sorry to have learnt of Mike Burrows passing…… had a memorable extremely long phone conversation with him, on his passionate theories on the benefits of shorter cranks ! Thanks lads for the memory lane trip 👏
Thanks Steve!
7:50 every cyclist when they spot a nice bike
Held the human best effort and hour record... Until the day this video was released 😂 Filippo Ganna is a beast!
I've still got one of those period adjustable look stems in the loft and the same flite saddle.
9:25 stiff out the blocks...si or the bike 😂 they do look very excited Nice video though enjoyed it 👍
It’s a shame you didn’t use the top of the range tt bike from now rather than a road bike
Should we go back to take this bike on with the best kit we have? 👀
@@gcn no, you need an excuse when you fail 😁
First rule of aerodynamics to make something fast, get rid of it. - ditch the down tube. There was a BBC QED documentary about the bike, originally made in South Africa
Thank you, Steve! 🤩
A model of those stands in the Museum of modern arts and design (Pinakothek der Moderne) in Munich along with a full exhibition about the history of bikes. You can find literally every evolutionary step, bicycles went through since their invention & ongoing there. It’s definitely worth a visit if you are around
What stands out for me is, that even though you invest a huge amount of money in new tech, your body position can ruin the gains you expected or the other way round that even an older bike can get quicker if you optimize your body position to it. I think overall this is good news to all leisure riders trying to improve speed / performance. Happy riding!!!
It's all about the Engine!
Best comparo ever! What a legend. If you could modify the Lotus by burying the cables and clean up the cockpit. I mean, DON'T DO IT - but if you could - just imagine. . .
Plus electronic gears, modern tyres, and other improvements. Just imagine.
Stupendous. Very cool to see that these bikes hold up- this thing was the real deal even then.
Excellent video loved the enthusiasm
My expectations were low, but boy you managed to fall short even from that level. I would really like to see, tge detailed gpx file, the route, and wind conditions. There is simply no way that you can be so close in any bike to a TT, only if it is a really short course with lots of corners. Just have to look the different positions. The Lotus should be at least 10 percent faster around and over 40 kph.
Old tires vs modern tubeless tires. And these are amateurs not trained to hold power in the time trial position.
We just have to take their word ... No data ! No proof ! This channel is for amateurs and newbies.
you guys do know that these are ex pro's right? They're beyond qualified. You guys are nothing but infants compared to them.
@@jimmyhor78I don't think they are amateurs, their ex pro I thought.
Dude all the modern gear online is a sponsor. It’s basically an infomercial for this seasons kit. I don’t judge them it’s their business, but it it was it is
Great video guys. Cant imagine how you must have felt riding the Lotus. That guy seeing Ollie, had one if those, "WTF is he riding?", moments. I'm trying to imagine how fast that lotus could be with modern components, di2, integrated hoses, modern tubes and tyres, and a more aero cockpit. It would be even more of a rocket.
I just love the bit when a guy coming the other way spots Olli on the Lotus. It was like a man on a Penny Farthing seeing a someone riding a modern bike in the 1800s. Brillant
Thanks, Steve!😊
Makes me wonder just how fast Boardman could have gone on a modern bike! Unquestionably he was a phenomenal athlete and wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest he has deity status on a track.
Wow! Just wow! You guys got to ride a piece of history. How about round 2? An all out effort on both bikes with proper rest between rides?
Seeing this brings back memories. It also makes me wonder what a genius Mike Burrows was. Maybe now us the time for the big manufacturers to start producing machines that are not pandering to UCI standards, but are a giggke to ride fast.
@07:38 Made the other guy look! damn, that Lotus is fantastic!
As I've watched Ollie progress over the past couple of years, I'm duly impressed at his present level of fitness. Good job mate! Care to divulge just how much weight you have lost?
I hope he lost very little and mostly gained muscle. He wasn't carrying around much to spare to begin with.
The real question is how much his beard costs him in aero?
This bike was top of the tech food chain for years and is still incredible, but this video clearly demonstrates how much tech advancement there’s been over the last 30 years. And also how it can turn two grown adults into giggling children after riding it☺️. Incredible feets of technology!!
Wow, that was a brilliant video. Now it‘s time to call channel sponsor Pinarello and ask for Indurain‘s TT bike or the one Riis fired into the field in the 97 tour. Or what about a track match against GCN auf Deutsch with Lotus against FES?
Very very clever I understand what they mean by the weights in the wheels makes it spin harder and faster that's well cool
cute video love the double take by the random cyclist lol
props to steve for loaning out hat is the holy grail there
It makes more sense to have the 3 spoke wheel in the back to reduce rotational mass and have the solid spokeless wheel in the front since that is where it first catches the air
the green at Acton Turville looking lovely as ever.
Do guys remember the Trek “Y” bikes? I would love to see a performance test on one of those? I rode one many years ago after giving it a tune up at a shop I worked at.
And tell how it felt!!