CYCLINGFORUM.COM - Where Cyclists Talk Tech --- Return To Home

 

    Register FAQ'sSearchProfileLog In / Log Out

 

****

cyclingforum.com ****

HOMECLUBS | SPONSORS | FEATURESPHOTO GALLERYTTF DONORS | SHOP FOR GEAR

Return to CyclingForum Home Page CYCLING TECH TALK FORUM
          View posts since last visit

New Lemond bikes
 

Author Thread Post new topic Reply to topic
dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

9/12/13 11:32 AM

New Lemond bikes

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2013/09/12/lemond-introduce-three-bikes-interbike#.UjH6fLyE54k

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

sanrensho
Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 835
Location: North Vancouver

9/12/13 12:42 PM

Yawn? There are too many bike brands as is.

 Reply to topic    

dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

9/12/13 12:56 PM

I want a Lemond/Time carbon cross bike.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

9/13/13 5:44 AM

So, they're...

...repainted Time bikes with Campy 80th Anniversary groups? I guess they must not be planning on making very many, since the groups are limited production.

 Reply to topic    

Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

9/13/13 7:17 AM

Le Mond

I think the man's business acumen is highly suspect but I do admire his persistence. This is his, what, third or fourth attempt to sell bikes under his own name?

I assume using the 80th Anniversary Campy groups are just for the initial model run and later ones, if there are any, will revert to the more normal stuff.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

9/13/13 8:24 AM

He'd still be with Trek if he kept his mouth shut. That's reason enough to buy his brand for some people. He won't put his name on junk, another reason to include his brand in the decision process. If globe trotting is evidence of business success, he's successful.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

9/13/13 9:57 AM


quote:
He'd still be with Trek if he kept his mouth shut. That's reason enough to buy his brand for some people.

As I recall, Trek bailed him out of a second failing business venture and just used his name on their bikes and gave them access to their dealer network. LeMond himself had very little to do with it.

Don't get me wrong, I admire him for his persistence in calling out the dopers despite the grief it caused him personally. However, as a business man, he isn't very good.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

9/13/13 5:40 PM


quote:
Trek bailed him out of a second failing business... LeMond himself had very little to do with it.



Someone persuaded Trek of the value of the name, and he seems to relish technical details, like Merckx. Over the years his sales literature has described his involvement in the technical decisions, as does this article. Other makes, Moser for instance, don't stress the namesake's involvement.

Of course salesmanship and business acumen are not the same.

From what I read, Greg's dad had a hand in the demise of an earlier iteration of the brand.

Enough, I always end up defending LeMond.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

9/13/13 6:16 PM

"As I recall, Trek bailed him out of a second failing business venture and just used his name on their bikes and gave them access to their dealer network. LeMond himself had very little to do with it. "

Well not exactly. Lemond had a line of titanium road bikes that were otherwise, not re-branded Treks. I've no idea if Trek manufactured them or they jobbed out.

I owned a Victorie, it had a wimpy b-racket and a terribly paint application.

 Reply to topic    

Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

9/13/13 6:23 PM

"wimpy b-racket and a terribly paint application."

Out of 4, the 3 painted Lemonds the paint was not durable at all. Of course the Ti one had no issue. The Ti one was the only one I would consider having a stout BB. The OX tubes seemed better than the 853 IMO regarding being stout or not.

I did like the GEOM I can say...

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

9/14/13 5:57 AM


quote:
From what I read, Greg's dad had a hand in the demise of an earlier iteration of the brand.


quote:
Well not exactly. Lemond had a line of titanium road bikes that were otherwise, not re-branded Treks. I've no idea if Trek manufactured them or they jobbed out.


Yes, Bob LeMond was indeed instrumental in the failure of Greg's first business venture. Greg was still competing at the time and didn't pay enough attention to the business, but even his involvement may not have helped.

The Ti LeMonds predate Trek's involvement by quite a bit. They were made by Clark Kent. I think there was also a second Ti maker under the LeMond name but I'm not sure who it was. For sure it wasn't Trek.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

9/14/13 8:28 AM

"I think there was also a second Ti maker under the LeMond name"


Litespeed, the one I had was basically an Ultimate with some long and low geometry...

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

9/14/13 10:19 AM

Yes, those were the two manufacturers

I have a Clark Kent built Ti RS. It's a pretty decent bike and reasonably stiff (the RS was the stiffer of the two models offered), though not in the same league with modern carbon frames.

It's currently "retired", though I may build it up with leftover components to use as a trainer bike.

 Reply to topic    

Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

9/14/13 10:37 AM

currently "retired", though I may build it up..

I decided to build up a White Industries ENO wheel and make my Strong a SS/Fixed. I don't ride it anymore since the STIs got scavenged for the Scott. And seldom before that really.

Just a thought for your reTIree...

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

9/14/13 7:17 PM

My Victorie was purchased as a warranty replacement frame from Trek, itself replacing a Klein Quantum with a cracked seat post clamp. This was in 2003. Trek was still selling complete Lemond titanium bikes at this time and offered the Ti frame ($750 - seemed like a deal for titanium) as they had no Klein frames available. As I am a heavy rider, it was in retrospective a mistake as I discovered annoying chain rub on the front derailer when in the small ring that Shimano shifting could not deal with, due to the few trim positions. This was when I moved to Campy, as the front shifter (Centaur) had multiple trim positions and could deal with the chain rub and flexible bottom bracket (that I had not encountered on the 2 Kleins I had owned).

Then the paint started flaking ('05 ?). The frame was returned to Trek, who re-painted under warranty. That paint started flaking within 2 years and when I filed for a warranty re-paint they refused. I had the frame re-painted locally. It then developed an odd crack alongside the downtube cable stop. Trek again refused warranty as they don't do warranty on a re-painted frame. My research at the time about paint and titanium was that Ti can be tough to paint if care is not taken with the preparation, which it appears Trek was not willing to do. Some manufacturers of Ti do a good job - Serrota comes to mind. Others are smart and do a polished, Litespeed and Merlin being fine examples. I seemingly got a frame that slipped by Trek quality control as I've not read much about other Ti frames from them that had issues.

The Lemond's of old were supposed to be a "European" road racing geometry, that was somewhat relaxed in terms of head and seat tube ?, as well as a longer TT ?, or some such. In truth, at this point in the product line, they were typical 73.5/73.5 HT/ST angles or there about's and were pretty much the same geometry as about any other Trek.

My Lemond frame still sits in my basement and I doubt I would buy another, and will never buy a Trek.

 Reply to topic    

Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

9/15/13 6:54 AM


quote:
Some manufacturers of Ti do a good job - Serrota comes to mind. Others are smart and do a polished, Litespeed and Merlin being fine examples. I seemingly got a frame that slipped by Trek quality control as I've not read much about other Ti frames from them that had issues.

Did Trek ever make Ti frames themselves or just resell those sourced elsewhere?

As to painted Ti, Litespeed did offer painted Ti frames for a few years but I don't know how durable their finish was. I've also heard Ti is difficult to paint and see no benefit to doing so. My Litespeeds have either their matt bead-blasted or brushed finish and require no upkeep and can't chip.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

9/15/13 7:33 AM

I don't think Trek every built Ti frames

AFAIK, they were all built by either Litespeed or Clark Kent.

I agree about Ti finishes. One of the nicer aspects of Ti frames is their lack of need for upkeep. Brushed finishes are the pinnacle of low-maintenance. If they get rubbed or scratched, a few seconds with a Scotchbrite metal prep pad (the maroon ones) restores the original finish. Or you can just ignore it.

 Reply to topic    

Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

9/15/13 10:22 AM

I used to re-decal after a citrus cleaner/scotch-brite treatment every other season. When I kept them for more than a few seasons. Or just before I sold them.
The brushed finish sure did get dirty, although you could not really tell. Like a white car if you wipe one part and realize just ho dirty it really is. ;)

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

9/15/13 3:02 PM

I think Trek did build Ti frames. I seem to remember that when Merlin was bought out by ABG, Trek hired some welder(s) from the old Merlin and they built the Lemond ti that had the stupid integrated headset that wore on the headtube. I may be wrong about all this...

It seems that lemond is going in deeper than just rebadging Time frames. The first frames are to be rebadged, but Lemond has bought Time USA facilities and will be staffing it. They plan to design and produce different bikes than the Times and introduce these in the not so distant future.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

9/15/13 8:23 PM


quote:
The brushed finish sure did get dirty, although you could not really tell. Like a white car if you wipe one part and realize just ho dirty it really is. ;)

I agree if we are talking about the bead blasted finish. It has enough texture to hold and hide a fair bit of dirt and Lemon Pledge is one of the better ways to get it truly clean. The brushed finish is super smooth and, as far as I can tell, doesn't allow dirt to hide anywhere. It wipes clean with a damp rag.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

9/15/13 9:03 PM

Satin and brushed, satin a lot worse IMO.

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail

Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

9/16/13 5:36 AM

Time USA?

Isn't (or wasn't) that just an office and distribution warehouse? Time doesn't build frames here. At most, I would expect Lemond to offer different component packages on rebadged Time frames. It seems like a real stretch to expect that they're going to build frames here.

 Reply to topic    

dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

9/18/13 8:27 AM

Lemond buys Time USA

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2013/09/17/lemond-buys-time-usa-taking-over-disribution#.Ujm34byE54l

 Reply to topic     Send e-mail


Return to CyclingForum Home Page CYCLING TECH TALK FORUM
           View New Threads Since My Last Visit VIEW THREADS SINCE MY LAST VISIT
           Start a New Thread

 Display posts from previous:   


  
Last Thread | Next Thread  >  

  
  

 


If you enjoy this site, please consider pledging your support

cyclingforum.com - where cyclists talk tech
Cycling TTF Rides Throughout The World

Cyclingforum is powered by SYNCRONICITY.NET in Denver, Colorado -

Powered by phpBB: Copyright 2006 phpBB Group | Custom phpCF Template by Syncronicity