Mike Burrows
Encyclopedia
Mike Burrows is a bicycle designer from Norwich
, England
.
He is best known for the design of the track carbon-fibre Lotus 108
time trial bicycle
manufactured by Lotus
for Chris Boardman
, when he won the 1992 Olympic
4000m pursuit in Barcelona
. He also attempted to copy the famous "old Faithful" bike used by Graeme Obree
, to be used as a spare in an attempt on the world hour record. However the bike was not liked by Obree and not used in any record attempt.
Burrows has long been involved in the recumbent bicycle
/tricycle world, having designed the Speedy or Windcheetah trike and more recently the Ratcatcher, Ratracer and Ratracer B. He has collaborated on projects with Richard Ballantine
.
He is also involved in utility cycling
and has designed a folding cycle (the Giant Halfway), an especially thin machine (the 2D) that takes up little space in a hallway and a freight bike (the 8-Freight) in use with cycle courier companies such as Outspoken and makes customised screen and PA carrying freight bikes with extendable "batwings" for AV2Hire.com limited.
In the 1990s, Burrows worked for Giant Bicycles and designed the compact frame TCR road bike among others.
Burrows' designs often feature cantilever suspended wheels. He supplied a bike fitted with a front monoblade to television science presenter Adam Hart-Davis
, which featured in some of Hart-Davis' programmes. Hart-Davis also owned a Speedy, finished in pink and yellow.
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
He is best known for the design of the track carbon-fibre Lotus 108
Lotus 108
The Lotus Type 108 is an Olympic individual pursuit bicycle. The revolutionary frame is an advanced aerofoil cross-section using a carbon composite monocoque....
time trial bicycle
Time trial bicycle
A time trial bicycle is a racing bicycle designed for use in an individual or team time trials raced on roads. Special time trial bikes also exist for use in a velodrome....
manufactured by Lotus
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
for Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman
Christopher "Chris" Boardman MBE is a former English racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and broke the world hour record three times, as well as winning three stages and wearing the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France...
, when he won the 1992 Olympic
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
4000m pursuit in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. He also attempted to copy the famous "old Faithful" bike used by Graeme Obree
Graeme Obree
Graeme Obree is a Scottish racing cyclist who twice broke the world hour record, in July 1993 and April 1994, and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995. He was known for his unusual riding positions and for the "Old Faithful" bicycle he built which included parts from a...
, to be used as a spare in an attempt on the world hour record. However the bike was not liked by Obree and not used in any record attempt.
Burrows has long been involved in the recumbent bicycle
Recumbent bicycle
A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks...
/tricycle world, having designed the Speedy or Windcheetah trike and more recently the Ratcatcher, Ratracer and Ratracer B. He has collaborated on projects with Richard Ballantine
Richard Ballantine
Richard Ballantine is a cycling writer, journalist and cycling advocate. Born in America the son of Ian and Betty Ballantine of Ballantine Books fame, he now principally resides in London, England. He is most famous for his 1972 book titled Richard's Bicycle Book and its subsequent editions...
.
He is also involved in utility cycling
Utility cycling
Utility cycling encompasses any cycling not done primarily for fitness, recreation such as cycle touring, or sport such as cycle racing, but simply as a means of transport...
and has designed a folding cycle (the Giant Halfway), an especially thin machine (the 2D) that takes up little space in a hallway and a freight bike (the 8-Freight) in use with cycle courier companies such as Outspoken and makes customised screen and PA carrying freight bikes with extendable "batwings" for AV2Hire.com limited.
In the 1990s, Burrows worked for Giant Bicycles and designed the compact frame TCR road bike among others.
Burrows' designs often feature cantilever suspended wheels. He supplied a bike fitted with a front monoblade to television science presenter Adam Hart-Davis
Adam Hart-Davis
Adam John Hart-Davis is an English scientist, author, photographer, historian and broadcaster, well-known in the UK for presenting the BBC television series Local Heroes and What the Romans Did for Us, the latter spawning several spin-off series involving the Victorians, the Tudors, the Stuarts,...
, which featured in some of Hart-Davis' programmes. Hart-Davis also owned a Speedy, finished in pink and yellow.