Been trolling ebay looking for a good used road bike for Deb, and have been paying particular attention to mid- to late-80s Japanese bikes. This was the height of Japan-manufactured bikes before production moved to Taiwan. There are some great marques still floating around: Miyata, Fuji, some Nishikis, Bridgestone, and so on. I think I've got a bike or two lined up for her... more on that to come.
But while surfing, I found this achingly beautiful Lotus (a brand for which I've always had a soft spot), which was in my size, and didn't appear to ever have been ridden. Incredibly, no one placed a single bid on it, and I got it for the minimum bid. Despite the fact that I wasn't really shopping for me, I couldn't resist.
The frame is clearly quality (though I'm going to have to research the tubing), and the parts have some charm, too. That Sugino GT crank is haute sweet, as is that vintage leather saddle. I'm going to steal some parts off of it for Deb's new ride, and turn this into a single-speed bar bike (not a fixie, though). It's way too pretty to call it a beater.
I'll post pix when I get her, and document the build.
6 comments:
Hey, that's great you bought that bike! I saw it on ebay too, but it's too tall for me. I'm a biker in Seattle, and I am a devoted Lotus fan. I currently own two, an "Eclair" and a "Unique," and I love them both. I owned a "Special" for a while, but sold it earlier this year. Lotus is the great unknown bike brand, incredibly well designed and well built bikes, always selling for fraction of the cost of similar Bridgestones and LeMonds. You scored!
Thanks for the good words! Yeah, mid- to late-1980s Japanese bikes are my thing lately. And that lotus flower logo from 1983-1986 just has a lovely non-commercial feel to it. I'll post pics once I build the new back wheel for it.
I just came across a Lotus ProSeries 2000r bike in a shop in Minneapolis; it's in mint condition and in my size. Since I don't know that much about the company and what these bikes are worth today, any feedback as to what a reasonable purchase/offer price might be would be much appreciated! Thanks.
Urbanachiever, just a shot in the dark (assuming you'll be notified by this post), did you end up purchasing the Lotus Pro Series 2000R? I myself have recently picked one up and was curious if you happen to come across anymore information about the bike?
I have been looking into Lotus 2000Rs recently, also in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, the information I have found on them has been little to nothing. Any information on specifically the Lotus 2000R?
I just *found* a Lotus 2000R next to a dumpster in New Jersey. After bringing it home to Boston, It needed some new spokes, a new chain, handlebar tape, and some minor cable adjustments. Other than that, It's working great for me on the Minuteman trail here! I plan on converting it to 700c wheels, and upgrading the components eventually.
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