Hope and British Cycling reveal dope looking track bike slatted to debut at 2020 Olympics

The last time Lotus — winners in Formula 1, Indy 500, Le Mans 24 Hour and others — were this excited about bike racing, Chris Boardman was riding their now iconic Lotus Type 108 track bike in 1992 at the Barcelona Games.

With Tokyo postponed, the company is now hyping what might have been -- their fast, atypical aerodynamic whip born from the same minds that made the Type 108 (a bike that will undoubtedly be used once track racing returns in full).

Richard Hill - the chief aerodynamicist for Lotus - worked alongside Boardman on the Type 108 and developed the Type 110 - the bike Boardman would ride to victory in the 1994 Tour de France prologue time trial. Here, Hill explains the reasons for the new bike’s front-end design and what’s he’s learned from the bike that will shape Lotus designs in future.

How far has aerodynamics moved on in the years since you worked on the Lotus Type 108 in 1992?
The basic rules of aerodynamics haven’t changed – you can’t alter the laws of physics – but what we have learned over the last 28 years is to take a more holistic approach to every project.

What do you mean by ‘a more holistic approach’? Back then it was simply about developing an aerodynamic bike that would go fast. But really there are two separate elements – the bike and the rider – which come together as one to move through the air. That was the approach we took with the new bike. Put simply, since 1992 we have learned how to use the bike’s design to make the rider more aerodynamic, and also vice-versa. What’s improved is our understanding of how to get a bike and its rider round the track together in the fastest possible time.

Were any specific lessons learned from the Type 108 and Type 110 incorporated into the creation of the new track bike? They were both extremely low-drag bike frames in their own right, with every element designed as an efficient aerofoil and the monocoque frame itself acting as a 'wing sail'. The frames were designed to operate best in complete isolation from the rider. Chris Boardman’s famous 'Superman' riding position was about creating an airflow channel between the rider and the bike frame, minimizing sing interactions. These frames are no longer allowed under track cycling regulations, so the new bike – which meets the updated regulations – is all about getting the rider and the bike to positively interact with each other. In this way they can benefit each other and cause each to lower the drag of the other. We achieve that by careful manipulation of the interference between the two.

The new bike has very wide front forks, far wider than other track bike that would have been at the Olympics. What is the thinking behind this design? The geometry of the forks and handlebars lower the drag of the rider, which in turn lowers the drag of the frame. In some ways it's a similar concept to how riders position themselves in a team pursuit race – so one behind the other and very close – to benefit each other. Careful alignment of individual elements of the bike and the rider cause the drag of the two together to be lower than the sum of the individual parts. As far as track cycling goes, I believe it’s man and machine in perfect harmony.

Is there any relevance of the aerodynamic performance of the bike to the next generation of Lotus sports cars? Yes there is. Old-school aerodynamic car design was all about pushing the air around your vehicle in the most efficient way. The latest Lotus designs are all about the interactions between various elements of the airflow around a vehicle and also through the vehicle where appropriate. The Lotus Evija hypercar, with Venturi tunnels through the rear quarters, is a great example of that. It’s all become a lot more nuanced. What we have learned with the bike is absolutely having an influence on some of the features we are currently developing and testing for our future vehicles.

Standard framesets start at £15,550 + VAT. More details at https://www.hopetech.com/news/hbt/