Can We Beat A Bike So Fast It Was Banned? | Lotus 110 Vs Modern Superbike

[@J.S.A.]

The prolonged look by the random cyclist when he realises it’s a lotus 😂 - a “remember the moment” moment

[@johnfleming5038]

Is that bike giving him the "jealous girlfriend meme" look (at 7:51)?

[@rangersmith4652]

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."

[@dibqip]

He did well I’d have fallen off

[@djrlloyd]

I noticed that too. I think we’d all be like that guy😂😂

[@J.S.A.]

@@mikewood9284 quite possibly - but I prefer the idea he spotted the lotus. 😊

[@bruuhhhh]

7:51 I love how that other cyclist turns his head like 'wait is that a f*cking lotus?'

[@michaeljohnson254]

right!!!

[@radjeck9346]

Yep , its awesome 😂😂😂 . Its a leap back in time , but no one can beat the Record 😊 . 1h more then 63km/h - nobody is so good and crazy 😅

[@jeanmartin963]

or he is just staring at the GCN team !

[@almerindaromeira8352]

It deserves an updated version with electronic shifters, new tires, lighter weight, internally routed cables and optimised ergonomics

[@appa609]

There are plenty of modern TT bikes with wild shapes like that. Look at the Ventum One or the Cervelo P5X.

[@benbraceletspurple9108]

This shape would still be faster.​@@appa609

[@Nick-lm9hg]

And headset spacers

[@radjeck9346]

Never !!!!!!!!! It DONT NEED a fu******ng Update !!!!!! Dreams from E-Kids . May you need a APP , too shift the gears or too check the Presure . Allday E-Noob ....... More Respect for OLDTIMERS

[@ME0WMERE]

@@radjeck9346 wat.

[@johnkinder9041]

Thank you to Steve. I have never seen Si and Ollie look so excited and happy for a whole video before. Brilliant!

[@Kimberly_Sparkles]

Si dancing around like a puppy is my favorite thing.

[@RichardMigneron]

Like 2 kids in a candy shop 😂😂😂😂

[@CarlForde]

"fizzing with excitement" :-) :-) :-)

[@aarondangelo6313]

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.

[@gcn]

Thanks Aaron! The bike certainly a head turner.

[@georgeslammin2127]

Ollie: "This bike... technically still holds the hour record" Ganna: "Hold my beer"

[@colincarstens4074]

And Ganna smashed it. :D

[@Tamanisawesome]

Yeah Ollie's comment aged terribly

[@stevedouglas3975]

@@Tamanisawesome Yes, if only he could tell the future eh....

[@MachielG]

*isotonic sports drink

[@evanatkins1888]

@@Tamanisawesome Ollie without doubt is a sports presenter without peer. Well ahead of his time.

[@VIEultimate]

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.

[@appa609]

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.

[@squngy0]

Probably, but then the frame isn't able to even fit the wider modern tires.

[@benbraceletspurple9108]

It should be noted that's at an aerodynamic cost of 10-15 watts at 30mph.

[@JohnyG29]

Tyres wouldn't make much difference.

[@Alan_Hans__]

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.

[@ironmantooltime]

There's no such thing as triathlon illegal, everything is triathlon legal 😉

[@XenFPV]

@@ironmantooltime Recumbents?

[@jandl1jph766]

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.

[@ironmantooltime]

@@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!!! 😎

[@jascollinscork]

Ya I want to see Ollie with his “dialed in” TT bike vs the new Cadex bike 🤔🤤😍

[@EvySpaghetti]

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!

[@EMC2Scotia]

One of the coolest GCN videos ever. We are all that cyclist who turned their heads at around the 7:54 mark.

[@tejashwarrana9834]

Lol

[@ikarimisu0184]

He was like "oh wait is that a Lotus??!"

[@Superstocker669]

07:50 actually

[@JKG_Brandon]

Its similar to driving a beautifully restored classic car. The head turns are worth every cent.

[@Dequere9933]

was about to comment the cyclist, just an epic shot!

[@finestjosh]

7:50 the cyclist staring at the lotus 🤣🤣

[@clintonchico9547]

Dude nearly broke his neck.

[@roberttell1587]

Si jumping around excited to try the Lotus like it’s his first bike on Christmas morning is just beautiful.

[@swites]

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.

[@derickcastillo9083]

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 KZbin 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.

[@B_KFC_Leg]

Great video, and thanks Steve for borrowing the bike to let this happen 💪

[@jonglass]

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!

[@antonlvdm]

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.

[@stephennidds565]

Its a bike that has made a place in cycling history. This thing gave birth to the evolution of modern TT bikes. Love it.

[@gioelenunziatini9415]

7:13 "It still holds the hour record.." - That statement aged well

[@michaelsigismonde7958]

Okay, so I'm assuming that's 60 minutes then?

[@chrisvig123]

It’s actually the rider that holds that record not the bike

[@bubblesezblonde]

1:55 Thanks Steve! Loved this vid. The Lotus speaks SPEED.

[@darrendunn54]

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

[@trevorhayes5414]

Boardman looked so good on a bike. Totally natural like he was built to ride TT bikes.

[@mickchaganis6607]

Hasn't this test cemented our racing history......it shows just how amazing our Chris Boardman was and still is 💪🚀

[@scottlaliberte4027]

When he didn't crash that is :)

[@mickchaganis6607]

@@scottlaliberte4027 well how else do you know your limits 🤪

[@william6171]

Well Ganna just beat his record last night on a UCI legal bike

[@mickchaganis6607]

@@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.

[@william6171]

@@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.

[@hmmboost]

"So the bike could be faster but we didn't actually do the work to do the proper test. Thanks for watching"

[@bryanooi8815]

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.

[@a1white]

Si dancing around like an excited toddler at 8:25 😂

[@sodinel]

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.

[@daviddjerassi]

Thank you Steve and GCN a great video.

[@ericb8985]

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.

[@CarlForde]

working against the Lotus is its weight. On a rolling course weight matters.

[@WWNSX]

Thanks Steve for making Si look like a kid waking up at Christmas and getting the present he always wanted.

[@Max-et4ck]

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.

[@DominicRighiniBrand]

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!

[@MinusStatue11]

The fun you guys have on your bicycles is why I subscribed. The love and appreciation is there.

[@douglasbooth6836]

Let’s get Ollie doing the hour record on the lotus. The tires would make a big difference too.

[@rogerbloom9721]

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.

[@APSheshy]

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

[@russbetts1467]

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.

[@vintagevelos9517]

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.

[@josephkool6326]

Someone needs to do another version of that frame with a modern cockpit/electronic groupsetp and wheels.

[@theforgottenbrawlers]

I'll do it.

[@ItimDave]

The Tririg Omni is pretty close.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

It would be fascinating, and a travesty all at the same time.

[@josephkool6326]

@@ItimDave Dang it's ugly!

[@MrTaxiRob]

@@josephkool6326 Z.A.P. or Mektronic vs. Etap or Di2

[@Harry-rj6kh]

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.

[@appa609]

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.

[@durschfalltv7505]

@@sathyaki does it have 2 wheels and is human powered? Thats a bike to me.

[@ZesPak]

Wouldn't recumbent bikes clean house in a lot of disciplines though?

[@carlholland3819]

@@appa609 lets make e bikes that are remote control. think how fast they could go without idiots weighing them down

[@inferno7181]

@Jeff This but unironically

[@dctbass]

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.

[@chrisvandergoes2787]

Cool series... Thanks for bringing these historical benchmarks back into the fray.

[@leskennedy]

A guy at our local bike cafe had the road version. Always had admirers checking it out.

[@InHisName999]

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.

[@Hambini]

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

[@johngannon1]

How could you not give this vid a thumbs up? The sheer joy from both of you had me grinning all the way through!

[@w.7474]

7:50 even bro at the back knows what's up with that Lotus bike 😳

[@Twisted1409]

I don't think he is checking out the bike haha

[@ethangodridge6833]

Thanks Steve, Ollie and Si for making this possible. Ollie and Si were like two brothers at Christmas fighting over the best present 😂.

[@stug45]

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

[@brianbrowne206]

I tend to agree with Hambini when he says this is complete bollox.

[@waynehollard]

Thank you Steve 👍🏻 just wow, that lotus is a work of art

[@SunnyJim93]

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.

[@gcn]

🤔 ummm interesting... very interesting.

[@worldcomicsreview354]

The Lotus Carlton car ran into some trouble in the 80's, too.

[@woolfel]

I'm a programmer and tech nerd. The lotus definitely sets off my tech nerd radar. thanks to steve

[@tomrachellesfirstdance7843]

9:25 stiff out the blocks...si or the bike 😂 they do look very excited Nice video though enjoyed it 👍

[@karlsimpson4391]

It’s a shame you didn’t use the top of the range tt bike from now rather than a road bike

[@gcn]

Should we go back to take this bike on with the best kit we have? 👀

[@kenyonmoon3272]

@@gcn no, you need an excuse when you fail 😁

[@aksting]

Thank you, Steve! 🤩

[@GIN93R]

Thanks Steve

[@Jayneflakes]

That was joyous, the enthusiasm of both presenters alone was worth seeing before they even got on the bike. Thanks for a lovely video.

[@oliverleibbrandt8067]

There is a company called ventum that make a carbon copy of the lotus if you want to put those 2 against each other

[@larrylem3582]

carbon copy, hahaha!

[@gattmolson]

I love these TT vs. aerobike videos just for the novelty but I think they are misleading. I don't think you can just jump on an extreme TT bike like that and give it a fair test.

[@adzaharmdsharipin641]

interesting to see ollie and si have similar bike sizing and fitting on the lotus

[@conwyvalleymaze8419]

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 👏

[@joegamas1194]

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

[@alparker24]

Well done Steve with yet another bike from your collection!!...can also recommend his shop, Elmy Cycles in Ipswich

[@alfabetti66]

Thanks Alan

[@chrisjohnson9758]

Held the human best effort and hour record... Until the day this video was released 😂 Filippo Ganna is a beast!

[@michaeldeluca4699]

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!!

[@manji001]

@07:38 Made the other guy look! damn, that Lotus is fantastic!

[@torma99]

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.

[@jimmyhor78]

Old tires vs modern tubeless tires. And these are amateurs not trained to hold power in the time trial position.

[@ash7774]

We just have to take their word ... No data ! No proof ! This channel is for amateurs and newbies.

[@GetPsyched6]

​ you guys do know that these are ex pro's right? They're beyond qualified. You guys are nothing but infants compared to them.

[@The_High_SeAs]

​@@jimmyhor78I don't think they are amateurs, their ex pro I thought.

[@HkFinn83]

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

[@garyeanes4747]

7:51 LOL!!!! Fellow rider going the other way CLEARLY turning his head and looking back in awe to check out the Lotus!

[@neillgibbons9964]

Quality content fellas.

[@chevystuffs5971]

Right On Steve!

[@saschawolff8368]

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!!!

[@gcn]

It's all about the Engine!

[@adamgriss2025]

Thanks, Steve!😊

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

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. . .

[@jimhize]

Plus electronic gears, modern tyres, and other improvements. Just imagine.

[@TwiceAsVice]

Thanks Steve 💪👏🏆

[@martincornish1737]

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.

[@propertyriiich]

What a legend Steve is for letting you use his Lotus wow its still today the coolest bike

[@hackfabrication139]

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?

[@Kimberly_Sparkles]

I hope he lost very little and mostly gained muscle. He wasn't carrying around much to spare to begin with.

[@tarlneustaedter]

The real question is how much his beard costs him in aero?

[@fugazi1971]

The size of the spider on the Lotus and Si’s ankles…. I was worried there may be clearance issue.

[@carlwaterman]

I generally like these kinds of videos, but it would give a lot more of credibility if you show the power data behind it all. I have a really hard time beliving that the road prosition, be it on a modern bike, is faster than the super aero position on the Lotus. After all the aero drag from the rider is by far the biggest drag component...

[@888julianman]

So Boardman set the world hour record on the Lotus, of 56.37Km. The inference seems to be that the Orbea, is at least as quick, so by that rationale are we saying that , had Boardman rode that Orbea in 1996 , he would have set just as fast a time, just using standard drop bars ?????😂

[@urbanjungle9600]

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.

[@willehster]

i find it hilarious that they’re talking about how “un-aero” the stem and cockpit of the lotus is. like… you do realize that there’s a whole ass torso right behind the cockpit right?

[@BryceJ82]

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.

[@lunam7249]

And tell how it felt!!

[@ianlawrence4256]

Steve very wise being there to make sure he gets his bike back!

[@BratislavMetulskie]

Next step: make it faster with modern components. Rebuild the frame with modern carbon and make it lighter. Pls GCN 🤗

[@nwbudro9210]

Thanks, Steve, for letting Si and Ollie ride the Lotus!

[@ukdnbmarsh]

props to steve for loaning out hat is the holy grail there

[@desroin]

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 ^^

[@sasha371]

That is the best looking bike ever built. Imagine it with modern di2 and disc brakes, and modern cockpit! Would be awesome to see such

[@stefanstadlberger]

The Ventum One is basically bike you‘re thinking about. Similar shaped frame, disc brakes and electronic shifting.

[@calv1nandh0bbes]

I’m wondering if in addition to the aero position element is there a psychological element?

[@TheZweric]

they used a powermeter and can't use magic, so no, not in this test

[@Pratalax]

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!

[@manueldeubler1127]

7:50 every cyclist when they spot a nice bike

[@MrBenandbriar]

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.

[@huffytoss]

Rob English built a modern Old Faithful for the North American Handmade Bike Show, but haven't heard if he actually rode it.

[@thecoffeeblog]

Wait a minute !. The Lotus 110 is the predecessor of the TT bike as we know it today. I am not an expert but it is evident to me the riding position on the lotus is way more aero (less air drag). elbows are tucked in and the riders head is so low the air can flow smoothly on top of the rider. This is as true today as it was when the lotus 110 was released back in the 90s. I see Simon doing an effort to stay as low as possible on the superbike but it would never be as efficient as a TT bike position. I am sorry guys but I do not agree with your results. If you do a wind tunnel test on both bikes the lotus 110 would win hands down. This is not about the bikes anymore this is about simple physics.

[@playmoreguitar5393]

Thank you Steve... That is beautiful. Nice to see the South African flag on the side too. What an episode, thank you GCN.

[@jonnythelegs2597]

The Burrows/Lotus frameset built up with modern components, centre pull tt brakes, tt tyres etc it'd still be a proper weapon.

[@yeyeTF2]

cute video love the double take by the random cyclist lol

[@donnecheli2721]

7:56 was gooooold