Lemond bikes - hierarchy of frames

[weehastogopee]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but does anyone know the lineup of lemond bikes?

Like for Specialized the Tarmac is the road racing frame, roubaix is the endurace frame, tarmac is the aero bike, etc.

What are the main differences in the models?

Thanks!

-Wei

[oliver1850]

The Trek era Lemonds were mostly all road bikes (with the exception of Poprad and Wayzata) that shared a design philosophy of slacker than average seat tube angles and longer than normal top tubes for a given size frame. What distinguished one from another was frame material and components. For example, in 2002 there were 8 road bike models made of either steel or titanium. The geometry was the same for the whole line but you could get a 47 cm in steel but not in Ti. The model progression was:

Tete de Course (Ti DA)
Victoire (Ti Ultegra)
Maillot Jaune (853 DA)
Zurich (853 Ultegra)
Buenos Aires (853 Ultegra)
Alp D'Huez (853 105)
Tourmalet (853 Tiagra)
Nevada City (853 Sora)

Other years were similar, but frame materials varied. Some years the top models were Trek OCLV, later years had the mixed material "spine" frames. There's a bit more variation in geometry between the carbon/mixed material frames and the steel ones but they're still mostly all road racing bikes with pretty similar geometry. You can view the old catalogs here:

http://www.vintage-trek.com/trek-fis...ein-lemond.htm

[gomango]

I was curious as well.

Thanks Mark.

Fwiw I've owned a Zurich and Poprad. Both of these were fantastic bicycles for me.

[oliver1850]

I think Zurich was pretty consistently the "value" bike in the line. Too bad Trek didn't continue the Poprad as a Trek or Fischer. The 520 touring bike may be the only thing they make in steel.

[metalheart]

Somewhere between 1986 and 1987 I bought a new Lemond "Team Pro" painted pearl white .... lovely bike I regret selling. Where does that one fit? Not mine in the link above, but the one I bought was just like it.

[fil]

Originally Posted by oliver1850

I think Zurich was pretty consistently the "value" bike in the line. Too bad Trek didn't continue the Poprad as a Trek or Fischer. The 520 touring bike may be the only thing they make in steel.

wasnt the fisher presidio the continuation of the poprad

[DfCas]

The presidio was steel but they ruined the geometry. They raised the bottom bracket so they could say "more clearance", which was the strength of the Poprad for me.

[cash05458]

I love the Zurich....just a great frame and it stands up there with the Merck MXL, Mondonico, Serotta steel bikes I have...nothing fancy, but a good solid frame that is made well...imho anyhow...

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by metalheart

Somewhere between 1986 and 1987 I bought a new Lemond "Team Pro" painted pearl white .... lovely bike I regret selling. Where does that one fit? Not mine in the link above, but the one I bought was just like it.

I could be totally wrong, but I think that was before the Trek/Lemond era... I think that was when Greg still owned the company himself... not sure who was making his bikes them though...

[metalheart]

Originally Posted by fourflys

I could be totally wrong, but I think that was before the Trek/Lemond era... I think that was when Greg still owned the company himself... not sure who was making his bikes them though...

I know Della Santa made some of the early ones and I believe he made the one I owned based on a brief chat with him at NAHBS a few years ago about those he built. But, some of the early ones were also made in Italy (Billato?). I don't know the history that well......

[gomango]

Originally Posted by cash05458

I love the Zurich....just a great frame and it stands up there with the Merck MXL, Mondonico, Serotta steel bikes I have...nothing fancy, but a good solid frame that is made well...imho anyhow...

Agreed.

I would still have the Zurich if some dipstick hadn't stolen it from our garage.

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by oliver1850

The Trek era Lemonds were mostly all road bikes (with the exception of Poprad and Wayzata) that shared a design philosophy of slacker than average seat tube angles and longer than normal top tubes for a given size frame. What distinguished one from another was frame material and components. For example, in 2002 there were 8 road bike models made of either steel or titanium. The geometry was the same for the whole line but you could get a 47 cm in steel but not in Ti. The model progression was:

Tete de Course (Ti DA)
Victoire (Ti Ultegra)
Maillot Jaune (853 DA)
Zurich (853 Ultegra)
Buenos Aires (853 Ultegra)
Alp D'Huez (853 105)
Tourmalet (853 Tiagra)
Nevada City (853 Sora)

Other years were similar, but frame materials varied. Some years the top models were Trek OCLV, later years had the mixed material "spine" frames. There's a bit more variation in geometry between the carbon/mixed material frames and the steel ones but they're still mostly all road racing bikes with pretty similar geometry. You can view the old catalogs here:

http://www.vintage-trek.com/trek-fis...ein-lemond.htm

I had a couple of buddies with the tete de course ti/carbon models a few years back. One of the nicest frames I've ever seen. Tried riding one, super smooth. I assume the Serotta Ottrott (sp?) would be similar?

[buldogge]

I had that exact Greg Lemond frame/bike…except an '88. It was originally red/white and the PO repainted it in '99 to look like a Lemond.

The were built by Della Santa (very few, will have the stars on it), Bilato Bros. (will have the engraved brake bridge, normally), and Silva (which I believe mine was)…they were imported by Ten Speed Drive and had no serial numbers, only serial# stickers on the DT.

I had to single speed mine and practically give it away…FWIW. (granted it had the unfortunate '99 Zurich paint).

-Mark in St. Louis

Originally Posted by metalheart

Somewhere between 1986 and 1987 I bought a new Lemond "Team Pro" painted pearl white .... lovely bike I regret selling. Where does that one fit? Not mine in the link above, but the one I bought was just like it.

Originally Posted by fourflys

I could be totally wrong, but I think that was before the Trek/Lemond era... I think that was when Greg still owned the company himself... not sure who was making his bikes them though...

[ultraman6970]

Yeah, there is a super obscure era in lemond bikes, before the trek era...

So far I know, at the begining dela santa was producing them, and I believe he made no more than 10 bikes, probably that white one is one of those... veloclasique has one like the white one built with full record C as it was spec back in the day. Then the brand went to Europe with the "whatever their lastname" brothers... those are hard to come by too because not many were made by them.

The other thing is that there was no consistency in the paint jobs and chrome job between the different manufacturers that actually built the bikes, even looks like at some point Scapin was producing frames for lemond aswell.

The only difference between the european ran and the trek ran of lemond bikes in steel is that probably the italian ones were using a full series of tubes, the Trek ones if you touch them you can tell that some models had some straight gauge tubes and like 2 or 3 tubes that were the real thing that is in the stickers, even the stickers if you look really good say.. main triangle, only rear... and stuff like that, since nobody pay attention they assume the bike was made 100% with whatever the sticker said, the only way to lower the costs, right?

[bcroslin]

One of my bike regrets is not buying a 04 Zurich for my first road bike. Bought a orbea instead which was a totally forgettable bike.