LeMond Tete de Course carbon

[Cloozoe]

Can anyone tell me anything about this frame? Overall good, bad, so-so? Quality of construction/robustness? Ride? Geometry? Comparison to, say, Time, Look, Colnago frames of same vintage or any others I might have some familiarity with? Any notable quirks, problems or virtues?

Thanks

[jamesdak]

I can't speak for Lemond's carbon bikes since the six Lemonds I have are all steel. I can say there's not a bum bike in my lot though.

Here's the link to all the Trek era Lemonds. You'll find your Tete de Course there. Also, notice that some of the manuals are the tech books. So if you dig into those you'll find a lot more detail on the bikes, how they are made, etc.

http://www.vintage-trek.com/trek-fisher-klein-lemond.htm

[Cloozoe]

I can't speak for Lemond's carbon bikes since the six Lemonds I have are all steel. I can say there's not a bum bike in my lot though.

Here's the link to all the Trek era Lemonds. You'll find your Tete de Course there. Also, notice that some of the manuals are the tech books. So if you dig into those you'll find a lot more detail on the bikes, how they are made, etc.

http://www.vintage-trek.com/trek-fisher-klein-lemond.htm

Thanks - much appreciated

[herb5998]

If it is a late 2007/2008 Tete, very good quality, similar to the Madone of that era, good all rounder.

[Idris Icabod]

A buddy of mine that has hundreds of thousands of miles in his legs, so an opinion I trust had this frame and loved it. He still says it is one of his favorite bikes he has owned. Anyway, his cracked on the downtube, started at the bottle boss. Trek warrantied it but gave him a Madone. It was the second frame his shop had seen with the same failure.

[John H.]

Nice bikes but high failure rate- If buying one, don't pay a lot.

[Cloozoe]

Thanks all. Frames that are prone to failure are a no go for me.

[GregL]

A friend had one of these frames. It was warrantied - twice... He liked the ride, but not the reliability.

Greg

[Peter P.]

Maybe the frame is worth buying, understanding it may fail, perhaps at the bosses, with the plan to possibly get it repaired by Calfee etal, thus making the frame more reliable and longer lasting.

Food for thought.

[Idris Icabod]

Maybe the frame is worth buying, understanding it may fail, perhaps at the bosses, with the plan to possibly get it repaired by Calfee etal, thus making the frame more reliable and longer lasting.

Food for thought.

I might have given bad information. The bike my friend had was titanium and carbon. The frame failed/cracked on the titanium downtube at the boss so something Calfee would not be able to fix. I didn't read the OP carefully, I wasn't aware Lemond made a full carbon frame. It is the Ti/C mixed material frames that our local shop had to warranty.

[Cloozoe]

Thanks for the addendum; lit's especially useful as I was also considering a ti/carbon Victoire.
Frame reliability is kinda the sine qua non for me. Once that's established I can turn to other aspects, but the idea of it failng during a 40 mph descent has no appeal. Spoiled in that regard by my riding steel exclusively over the decades, but considering entering the 21st century and lugging seven fewer pounds up hills. I also overpower my bottom brackets when standing on double digit climbs, so a little more stiffness there would be useful.

[jamesdak]

Thanks for the addendum; lit's especially useful as I was also considering a ti/carbon Victoire.
Frame reliability is kinda the sine qua non for me. Once that's established I can turn to other aspects, but the idea of it failng during a 40 mph descent has no appeal. Spoiled in that regard by my riding steel exclusively over the decades, but considering entering the 21st century and lugging seven fewer pounds up hills. I also overpower my bottom brackets when standing on double digit climbs, so a little more stiffness there would be useful.


Well shoot, if you like steel why not find an old Lemond Zurich? I have one that is 18 lbs 7 ozs built up with Dura Ace 9 speed. I bet it wouldn't be that hard to build one of those up under 18 lbs.

[weisan]

I guess I will say sumthin' because I don't want this misconception to be propagated...

I used to have one.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=34403&stc=1&d=1197570236

No...it's not especially prone to breakage or lacking in reliability...any more than the next brand or bike in the store.

I rode it for a couple of months and I sold it. It was a fine machine. Why? I am just not a big fan of mixed material. I like to go all carbon or all Ti...not in between. I understand the "benefits" and the sales pitch being doled out to consumers...it's just me, I don't bite on that bait. Plus I got it for a song, don't mind passing it along. Catch and release

[Cloozoe]

Well shoot, if you like steel why not find an old Lemond Zurich? I have one that is 18 lbs 7 ozs built up with Dura Ace 9 speed. I bet it wouldn't be that hard to build one of those up under 18 lbs.

I "like steel" in the sense that all my bikes have been steel and I liked building and riding them and I don't break them. Do I prefer steel? How the heck would I know, having never owned anything else?

As to weight, it may prove not to matter to me at all or I might find I prefer a heavier bike, but as something to experience it's unlikely that at my weight of 180 lbs going from a 22 lb bike to an 18 lb one (1.98% bike/rider weight reduction) would be particularly noticeable, much less life altering whereas getting to around 15 (3.46% reduction) might have some tangible value.

Or not. But if I'm going to indeed enter the 21st century & learn about the pros and cons of contemporary bike design, out of curiosity if nothing else, it should be carbon and it should be light by current standards.

[Rusty Luggs]

I guess I will say sumthin' because I don't want this misconception to be propagated...

I used to have one.


No...it's not especially prone to breakage or lacking in reliability...any more than the next brand or bike in the store.

I rode it for a couple of months and I sold it. It was a fine machine. Why? I am just not a big fan of mixed material. I like to go all carbon or all Ti...not in between. I understand the "benefits" and the sales pitch being doled out to consumers...it's just me, I don't bite on that bait. Plus I got it for a song, don't mind passing it along. Catch and release

So on the basis of a sample size of one, and experience amounting to only a couple months you refute all other experience of all other persons to the contrary?

[weisan]

So on the basis of a sample size of one, and experience amounting to only a couple months you refute all other experience of all other persons to the contrary?

Oh no...I thought it was the other way round. Who can provide the hard numbers that there's a preponderance of broken Tete Course frames? Simply by the ones that come through your shop? I don't think so. The logic cuts both ways.

[Rusty Luggs]

No...it's not especially prone to breakage or lacking in reliability...any more than the next brand or bike in the store.


Sorry, I believe it is YOU drawing a conclusion based on ZERO information. What evidence do you have supporting your conclusion, that it is as reliable as any other bike? I have never owned or ridden one, known anyone that did or discussed it with anyone, so I have nothing to say about their reliability, and your minimal experience doesn't justify drawing any conclusions either.

Of course, I'm not sure the criteria other people apply to what is "broken" is the same as yours......

[weisan]

Guilty...until proven innocent.

or

Innocent...until proven guilty.


Pick your preference.

I know what's mine.

[weisan]

How the heck would I know, having never owned anything else?

But if I'm going to indeed enter the 21st century & learn about the pros and cons of contemporary bike design, out of curiosity if nothing else, it should be carbon and it should be light by current standards.

Cloozoe pal, I think you should definitely venture boldly into the 21st century.

[whateveronfire]

I've owned a Zurich twice (it's the steel/carbon spine version). Bought the first one new in 06 and then, after regretting selling it, bought an 05 a couple of years ago. Love the way that bike rode. Only got rid of it because I couldn't bring myself to upgrade the drivetrain.

Always wanted to try the ti one. Seat stays are thin, but I certainly didn't have any trouble with the frame itself. Obviously, others' mileage may vary.

[eric01]

Review here. Never owned one but i was on my short list for some time.

Top of the line back in the day and manufactured by trek who do know a thing or two about carbon

If you can acquire at a reasonable price, I think it’d be a good ride.

https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/latestnews/pez-test-lemond-tete-de-course/

[justinrchan]

I have the all carbon Victorie which I think for 2007 was the same as the Tete. In 2008, the Tete moved to a lighter carbon layup. Great bike, super responsive, and no issues.

I did have a carbon/Ti Tete which I loved but was a bit too big for me. So I sold it but the buyer let me know a couple of years later it failed. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt.

[jamesdak]

I "like steel" in the sense that all my bikes have been steel and I liked building and riding them and I don't break them. Do I prefer steel? How the heck would I know, having never owned anything else?

As to weight, it may prove not to matter to me at all or I might find I prefer a heavier bike, but as something to experience it's unlikely that at my weight of 180 lbs going from a 22 lb bike to an 18 lb one (1.98% bike/rider weight reduction) would be particularly noticeable, much less life altering whereas getting to around 15 (3.46% reduction) might have some tangible value.

Or not. But if I'm going to indeed enter the 21st century & learn about the pros and cons of contemporary bike design, out of curiosity if nothing else, it should be carbon and it should be light by current standards.


I hear ya! Funny thing is I went from Carbon back to steel. Found both my C.F. bikes to ride worse on the rough chipseal roads and after compiling 7 years of daily ride data I found I wasn't any faster on C.F except in very long (10 miles+) climbs. But that's just my take. I too still toy with the idea of trying a new C.F. bike. I did try a Domane back about 4 years ago and found nothing superior about it.

[polyhistoric]

I had the all carbon Buenos Aires - basically the lower mod version of the Tete. Was still a 900g carbon frame in 2008. Was a good ride, no complaints about durability or build quality. Threaded BB, stiff in most of the right places, without being unduly harsh. I recall not being overly impressed with the alu/carbon fork - but I think the Tete has the all carbon. Trek dumped a lot of money into molds and production only to discontinue about 2 years after introduction due to Lemond/Armstorng issues. I think frames were raced by a Pro Conti team. Make sure the Lemond / long and low geo works for you. I usually ride a 54 and fit the 51 just fine.