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billygoat8
@mattpurdon
Hey all,
Been lurking on here for a while, thought I'd best introduce myself properly. Can't see anywhere for introductions so this seemed the best spot! I'm Matt, 27, born & raised by the sea in Southend but currently living in Finsbury Park. Mild addiction to things with wheels. Spent many years playing with singlespeeds, BMXs, street bikes, yet to indulge in anything fixed but it's on the to-do list! I've been charging around London on my old Raleigh Competition for the past couple of years, still love that thing but my neck doesn't anymore so currently on the lookout for a frame that actually fits me...
The one everyone gets excited about, however, is the next 'big' project. Not big in terms of effort or workmanship (though extending the seat post is gonna take some thought), just in terms of my shallow pockets and the parts I'm after. Getting there slowly, it's definitely top of my to-do list for the post-Corona world.
1994 Lotus 110, ex-GAN frame used by Pascal Lance in their 94 / 95 seasons (including that big old ride through France) before being bought by my dad in '96 or '97 when the frames were sent back to Lotus, where my aunt was working at the time. He built it up with whatever was affordable and commuted on it for 7 years, before the company moved and he had to drive instead. Was pretty handy for drafting vans down the A127 in Southend or sending through the woods on dry days. Spent its not-so-retirement kitted out with Shimano 600 groupset, ITM try bars, a Gipiemme Techno up front and then either a Mavic 3g or Sugino tension disc on the back depending on the weather.
I inherited it the best part of 10 yrs ago now and haven't really given it the love it deserves. How it's survived is beyond me given how many seem to split themselves in half, will very much be a high days and holidays bike but I love riding it and really want to get some more time on it in future. Phenomenally fast bike and, obviously, cool as.
Recently picked up a Mavic Cosmic Carbone for the front, as well as some Mavic 355 bullhorns and 357 extensions. Next on the list is a very gradual move through the rest of groupset to change over from Shimano 600 to Mavic stuff as and when I can afford to, but by main goal now is just to extend the seat post, fresh tyres and lose the horrifically 90s mishmash of green and purple from it. Love my old man to bits but he didn't have an eye for colour! It's beat up, it's not perfect but it tells such a good story and all the wear and tear is only ever gonna be added to.
Anyway, bunch of pics of how it was, and one of where it's at now ripped from an old insta story (apologies). Hope to update this soon!
Cheers
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