Identify Lotus Frame

I remember that in the 80s both Lotus and Centurion used to make a top
of the line bike with a nice Itaian looking frame with nice lugs, etc.
I don't know if they would buy the tubing and lugs and make the frames
in Japan, or rather get italian made frames and put their decals on. I
think that they likely did the later. Centurion called their frame the
Cinelly Centurion.

Andres

"Dave Reckoning" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<rczmd.620045$8_6.352949@attbi_s04>...

Quoted message said:

I am trying to find out more about a Lotus frame that is serving on my fixed
gear bike. It has a load of lovely Cinelli parts including, rear dropouts
with deraliler hanger, BB shell, fork crown and fork ends. The fork was in
chrome when I got it.

The only reason I know it is Lotus is that the upper beveled face of the
seat stays have a nice little lotus logos embedded in them where they meet
the seat tube.

I got the frame from someone who did not know anything about it other than
the fact that he agreed the lime green paint on it was truly ugly. Sheldon's
site says that Lotus made bikes in Japan in the early 1980's but that is all
I konw at this point.

I am hoping that someone here can tell me a bit about when and where it
might have come from and what kind of tubing it might be comosed of.

Thanks

Dave

[email hidden] (make it hot)

Dave Reckoning said:

I am trying to find out more about a Lotus frame that is serving on my fixed
gear bike. It has a load of lovely Cinelli parts including, rear dropouts
with deraliler hanger, BB shell, fork crown and fork ends. The fork was in
chrome when I got it.

The only reason I know it is Lotus is that the upper beveled face of the
seat stays have a nice little lotus logos embedded in them where they meet
the seat tube.

I got the frame from someone who did not know anything about it other than
the fact that he agreed the lime green paint on it was truly ugly. Sheldon's
site says that Lotus made bikes in Japan in the early 1980's but that is all
I konw at this point.

Yes, Japanese bikes from the early/mid 1980s. Their most popular model
was the "Odyssey" touring bike. They were only around for a few years.
As I recall, they had a range of bikes of different quality. I suspect
most of the better models used Tange or Ishiwata butted tubing, but
it's possible their top of the line model had Columbus SL tubing. I'm
a little surprised at the Cinelli bits you mentioned.

Art Harris

I have a Lotus Supreme, the top of the line Lotus from 1983, that came with
Shimano Dura Ace. The dropouts are semi-vertical Shimano, angled halfway
between vertical and horizontal and they do have very short screws to adjust
axle position. Chrome lugs on the head tube with a badge rivited to the
head tube showing a lotus logo. The inside of the seat stays attach to the
outside of the seatclamp with a flute for the last 4cm. Note that Cinelli
style seat cluster have the seat stays attached to the back of the seat
clamp and the seat bolt goes through the seat stays. The Lotus is not that
style. The tubing is Columbus SL with a third of the seat and chain stays
chromed from the dropouts. The bottom third of the front fork is also
chromed, along with the crown. Mine is a beautiful metallic violet color.

Most other Lotus models used Tange tubing. They might have a different seat
cluster with the lotus logos that you see.

My brother sold them so you might call him at Tailwind Bicycles,
610.287.7870. Ask for Jac.

Bruce

"Dave Reckoning" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:rczmd.620045$8_6.352949@attbi_s04...

Quoted message said:

I am trying to find out more about a Lotus frame that is serving on my
fixed gear bike. It has a load of lovely Cinelli parts including, rear
dropouts with deraliler hanger, BB shell, fork crown and fork ends. The
fork was in chrome when I got it.

The only reason I know it is Lotus is that the upper beveled face of the
seat stays have a nice little lotus logos embedded in them where they meet
the seat tube.

I got the frame from someone who did not know anything about it other than
the fact that he agreed the lime green paint on it was truly ugly.
Sheldon's site says that Lotus made bikes in Japan in the early 1980's but
that is all I konw at this point.

I am hoping that someone here can tell me a bit about when and where it
might have come from and what kind of tubing it might be comosed of.

Thanks

Dave

[email hidden] (make it hot)

andres muro said:

I remember that in the 80s both Lotus and Centurion used to make a top
of the line bike with a nice Itaian looking frame with nice lugs, etc.
I don't know if they would buy the tubing and lugs and make the frames
in Japan, or rather get italian made frames and put their decals on. I
think that they likely did the later. Centurion called their frame the
Cinelly Centurion.

Quoted message said:

"Dave Reckoning" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<rczmd.620045$8_6.352949@attbi_s04>...

Quoted message said:

I am trying to find out more about a Lotus frame that is serving on my fixed
gear bike. It has a load of lovely Cinelli parts including, rear dropouts
with deraliler hanger, BB shell, fork crown and fork ends. The fork was in
chrome when I got it.

The only reason I know it is Lotus is that the upper beveled face of the
seat stays have a nice little lotus logos embedded in them where they meet
the seat tube.

I got the frame from someone who did not know anything about it other than
the fact that he agreed the lime green paint on it was truly ugly. Sheldon's
site says that Lotus made bikes in Japan in the early 1980's but that is all
I konw at this point.

I am hoping that someone here can tell me a bit about when and where it
might have come from and what kind of tubing it might be comosed of.

Although many builders worldwide have used elements of
Italian style, Centurion/WSI had a particularly close
relationship with Cinelli in the middle eighties and indeed
sold a Cinelli-built Centurion. Columbus but I don't recall
which.

Notice how nicley I addded my comments at the bottom? It's
less [censored] up that way.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971