Lotus 108
The carbon-fibre bicycle on which Chris Boardman won Olympic gold in 1992 – shaped in a wind tunnel like an aircraft wing.
The bicycle builder Mike Burrows had made one-piece carbon-fibre frames when the car company Lotus took up the idea. The frame was shaped like a wing to cut through the air, and the single-sided fork reduced drag further.
Chris Boardman won the individual pursuit at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and caught his opponent in the final. The bicycle showed what new materials could do and led to new rules on what a racing bicycle may look like.
Materials: One-piece carbon fibre, rear disc wheel, single-sided fork
Manufacture: Built by Lotus Engineering in a handful of examples.
The one-piece carbon-fibre frame, without tubes.
The front and rear forks with only one arm.
The rear disc wheel and the long bars that stretch the rider out.