Lotus Engineering and Hope Technology recently collaborated to create an innovative new track bike designed and engineered to deliver outstanding performance. The new bike will make its competitive debut with the Great Britain Cycling Team this weekend.
Lotus Engineering, the automotive consultancy division of Group Lotus, has created the unique front fork design and handlebars for the new bike, working with Hope Technology to integrate these components into the overall package. This has included a full program of wind tunnel evaluation on both bike and rider, plus testing to maximize the strength while minimizing the weight. Lotus has also worked on improving stiffness and front end feel to improve rider confidence.
In the 90s, Lotus was instrumental in the design and development of Lotus Sportbikes for cycling legend Chris Boardman at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where he won gold, and in the 1994 Tour de France, where he won the prologue time trial to take the famous yellow jersey. "Lotus has always been at the very cutting edge of lightweight racing performance with its cars, and now - after 25 years away from cycling - we've collaborated to apply the same Lotus core values to this new track bike," commented Miguel Fragoso, Executive Director, Lotus Engineering. "We look forward to working with British Cycling as testing continues towards next summer's Olympics."
A large proportion of the development of the bike's aero features was done following the 2016 Olympics when the UCI - cycling's governing body - changed the rules on bike development. At that point, a knowledge transfer was made by the English Institute of Sport (EIS) to key UK suppliers, in this case, Hope Technology and Lotus Engineering. The pair have worked closely together to refine the design and perfect the manufacturing processes of the new bike.
Photos: James Cheadle, Courtesy of Lotus Engineering