A new Aston Martin and an old Lotus bike

A couple of readers have inquired about the Aston Martin One-77 bike, which is billed on the website as “the world’s most technologically advanced road bicycle.” Aside from the information that can found on the website, I don’t really know much about the bike, which features a split seat tube and dual crown fork design as the most notable frameset details. The bike was designed in Great Britain by Factor Bikes and has been in development for quite a few years now. I posted about it 2007, and again in 2010 when the latest version of the design surfaced with a long list of electronics features. Every time I see it, the front end reminds me of an older (pre Lugano charter) track bike design that I just can’t seem to recall. If you remember the bike I am thinking of from the early 90s please remind me in the comments. It’s driving me crazy that I can’t think of it.

photo credit: Design Museum London

Speaking of 90’s track bikes (and British car makers), the Mike Burrows designed Lotus Type 108 pursuit bike that was ridden by Chris Boardman in the 1992 Olympics is now on display at the Design Museum London. That bike is still one of my favorites…a perfect blend of form and function. It’s too bad that the British team couldn’t get Burrows to design the bikes that they are riding this year. Oh well, the bikes definitely aren’t as interesting as they were prior to October of ’96, but I still can’t wait to watch track cycling on the London Olympic velodrome. Coverage of the team sprint finals starts soon, so it’s time to grab a bite to eat and get in front of the TV.

Posted

August 2, 2012

Road Bike

James

Tags:

British Cycling, London2012, Mike Burrows, Olympics, track bike

Comments

6 responses to “A new Aston Martin and an old Lotus bike”

Nick F

August 2, 2012

Speed holes!

Reply
Eric DeGolier

August 2, 2012

I went to the London Design Museum last night because that Lotus is one of my all time favorite bikes too. Unfortunately their advertising is a bit misleading. There’s a modern Chris Boardman brand TT bike and the blue Eddy Mercx superman bike he used to break the hour record but the Lotus bike isn’t there. On the plus side there’s parts of the Obree bike, as well as the Moser and Rominger hour record bikes.

Reply
Edward

August 3, 2012

I can’t speak to the older track bike influences, but the Aston looks to me like a clear take on the Wilier TwinFoil split fork design, which in turn is reminiscent (at least to me) of the 2004 Williams FW26 “twin keel” F1 car. None of the designs are particularly attractive to me, but fast isn’t always pretty.

Reply
Charlie

August 4, 2012

I’m looking at this on a mobile phone I might not be seeing details quite right, but the down tube looks split as well. Am I correct?

Reply
1. James Thomas
  
  August 6, 2012
  
  Yes, the downtube is split as well. As Edward pointed out, the design is definitely heavily influenced by F1 car details as bf1 systems is the company behind it.
  
  Reply
Paul Greasley

October 18, 2019

For the record, Mike Burrows did not design the Lotus bike. This was an internal project headed by Rudy Thomann and Richard Hill. It is true that Lotus bought the design rights for Mike Burrow’s Wind Cheetah, however Mike’s involvement with the subsequent bike was virtually nothing (apart from the seat clamp). He is, at best, an “inspiration” for the Lotus bike.

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