Lemond Tete de Course Carbon/Ti - Build or No Build

[ntn007us]

Here is a unicorn that you or I may never see again: the 2004 Lemond Tete de Course Carbon/Ti spine in size 55CM.

Blessedly, I have it hanging in my garage, waiting to be built up or perhaps not. I am reposting my query in this section since it is likely more appropriate.

Among the various builds that I had going on, the question of ideal sizing always kept me from jumping on the golden opportunity to build it up and enjoy the glory of such a pivotal bike frame technology. At 5'10" with slightly longer legs than torso, I always found my ideal conventional frame size is a 54CM square, or maybe even a 55CM square. With the Lemond Tete de Course, the 55CM has a 56.5 cm top tube and the actual product spec brochure suggest a rider height of 6 feet. So ergo, my hesitation in building up and potentially not enjoying what should be a joyous riding experience!

The frame is in great condition. The prior owner had custom ordered it with yellow logo panels instead of the factory blue panels, as well as replacing the Tete de Course model decal with his name. By doing so, the Lemond factory also slapped on a "custom" decal to replace the left side Tete de Course model decal. At the time, Lemond allowed these minor customizations on their top-end bike frames. So naturally, I rubbed off his name, added Lemond's signature decal and re-clear coated nicely; it looks like it should have been there all along!

I am not looking for a "perfect fit", but should I risk building this beauty up?

[Gabe77]

I seriously considered buying a similar frame - same size too but w/o the custom colours. I never went thru with it and instead got a Litespeed full TI.
Dont sweat on exact frame sizing - its only really important when you are trying to seriously get to the max of your performance and ergo - since this looks like a project build what's there to risk?

[robt57]

chain stays pinch down tight there. Will it even fit a 25mm tire? super clean, but fit is paramount...

[mistermo]

I have the same frameset, built into a C11 Record bike, obviously lacking the custom bits. I've got 25s (or 26s) on it, but anything bigger would be tight.

IIRC, there were two geometries, slightly different. One, the first year, had a shorter head tube and they followed that by designing one nearly the same, but with a taller head tube. Mine has the taller HT, size 59.

I think you should build it and ride it if 25s work for you. I'm awash in bikes and am enjoying gravel bikes these days. I'd part with it, but it's a really nice bike and a bit of a unicorn as you note. Lemond Bikes were really ahead of their time in many areas. They were the first to come out with a disc cyclocross bike. This carbon/ti frame, was also very uncommon in the time.

I'm somewhere between 6'2" and 6'3" and ride a 59cm, if that helps you narrow down sizing.

[rwsaunders]

Lemond fact sheets for 2004 models.

http://www.vintage-trek.com/Trek-Fis...nualLemond.pdf

[ntn007us]

I re-measured the frame and it turned out to actually be a 57cm per Lemond brochure sizing.

It is likely too “long” on the top tube for me, so it is up for sale 😢