The use of monocoque frames for bikes was not new, but their development was improved through the work of Norfolk based designer
Mike Burrows, who advanced both the design and build through utilising
carbon fibre mouldings. Burrows's design was initially rejected by British cycling manufacturers. However, it was to be received more enthusiastically by the
British Cycling Federation. The design was considered illegal by the
UCI. Therefore the project was prematurely shelved in 1987. Three years later, in 1990, the
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) revoked its previous ban on monocoques. By this time
Mike Burrows had lost enthusiasm for the concept and was focusing his attention on
recumbent bicycles. However, his Mk2 Monocoque caught the attention of a keen local cyclist (and
Lotus Engineering employee),
Rudy Thomann. Aware of the revocation of the ban, Thomann took Burrows's design to
Lotus Engineering. and presented it to his boss, Roger Becker. Roger could immediately see the potential of the design. Not only did it offer the opportunity for Lotus to utilize its expertise and diversify into a new market, but it also offered a morale lift to Lotus’s beleaguered workforce, which was suffering from the effects of the
early 1990s recession. With Roger Becker's enthusiasm and support on the Lotus board, Rudy headed a small team of specialists to explore the design further, harnessing Lotus’s knowledge of aerodynamics and carbon fibre. By February 1992, Lotus Engineering had acquired the rights and marketed the bike as the LotusSport Pursuit Bike. In addition, the design was modified and perfected through a series of wind tunnel tests conducted by the Lotus aerodynamics specialist Richard Hill. UCI approved the bike for competition, and
Bryan Steel rode it at an international race meeting in Leicester, shaving five seconds off his time in the two kilometre pursuit. == Racing ==