1986 Lotus Odyssey
0
1
Last year my brother-in-law bought an '84 Lotus Eclair and since then I've been on the lookout for a Lotus touring bike. Last month this 1986 Lotus Odyssey popped up on CL for $150. I was able to snag it for $120 the day after it was listed.
According to the Vintage Lotus site: Odyssey it was almost entirely original. The frame had some surface rust which I cleaned up with Bar Keepers Friend. Most of the components just needed a thorough cleaning. The rear derailleur, a Shimano Light Action, was shot so I replaced it with a Shimano Deore MT-60. Stem was hard to get out of the fork, and in the process it sustained some deep scratches. I replaced it with a 100mm kalloy. I was able to find some KKT toe clips for the Pro Vic II pedals and I added some blue toe straps to match the frame. Replaced the hard old brake pads with Kool Stops.
Here is a pic of what it looked like when I bought it:
Here is the crankset before cleaning. Not too bad. Aluminum parts just got some soap and water. Rusty bolts got a vinegar bath.
I finished up the rebuild last week and was able to take it out for a 50 mile ride yesterday. What a nice ride! Very well balanced and it just feels solid.
Currently it has some Wheelmaster wheels with Weinmann RM19 rims I had lying around. Original wheels are 36 spoke front, 40 rear with Suzue "sealed" hubs and Araya alloy rims. While the rear is straight and true, the front had a couple bent spokes. I unlaced it and the rim was straight so I am going to be rebuilding it with new spokes and getting the original wheelset back on the bike.
Overall I am incredibly pleased with this bike. Currently on the lookout for a Blackburn lowrider rack for the front and I would love to get another bottle cage with the black plastic bits for the seat tube.
According to the Vintage Lotus site: Odyssey it was almost entirely original. The frame had some surface rust which I cleaned up with Bar Keepers Friend. Most of the components just needed a thorough cleaning. The rear derailleur, a Shimano Light Action, was shot so I replaced it with a Shimano Deore MT-60. Stem was hard to get out of the fork, and in the process it sustained some deep scratches. I replaced it with a 100mm kalloy. I was able to find some KKT toe clips for the Pro Vic II pedals and I added some blue toe straps to match the frame. Replaced the hard old brake pads with Kool Stops.
Here is a pic of what it looked like when I bought it:
Here is the crankset before cleaning. Not too bad. Aluminum parts just got some soap and water. Rusty bolts got a vinegar bath.
I finished up the rebuild last week and was able to take it out for a 50 mile ride yesterday. What a nice ride! Very well balanced and it just feels solid.
Currently it has some Wheelmaster wheels with Weinmann RM19 rims I had lying around. Original wheels are 36 spoke front, 40 rear with Suzue "sealed" hubs and Araya alloy rims. While the rear is straight and true, the front had a couple bent spokes. I unlaced it and the rim was straight so I am going to be rebuilding it with new spokes and getting the original wheelset back on the bike.
Overall I am incredibly pleased with this bike. Currently on the lookout for a Blackburn lowrider rack for the front and I would love to get another bottle cage with the black plastic bits for the seat tube.