Friday, November 13, 2015

Built & Ridden: Vintage LeMond Road Bike

I finished the LeMond restoration a couple weeks ago, but only got around to riding it last weekend because of a nasty cold that was lovingly given to my by my daughters.  Thanks, girls.  I wasn't even close to healthy, but had to get out for some air and exercise.  My lungs protested most of the way.

The ride is beautiful.  Even at 47mph on a downhill the bike was stable and smooth.  Maybe it was the extra weight of the bike, but I was faster than on my Trek Emonda.


My usual loop in Fort Ord consists of a dirt connector that is only rough in a couple spots.  The LeMond handily navigated the dirt and only protested (rightfully) when I accidentally hit some sand.


Overall, the Campagnolo Athena 11 parts are wonderful and are a fantastic upgrade for any vintage frame.  Compared to my Chorus 11, the shifters only drop one gear at a time but I like the new thumb lever design more than the previous one.  The new lever is easier to reach from the drops, which is awesome for people like me who have smaller hands.

The full build spec:
Frameset - 1987 LeMond "Team LeMond Club" - Columbus Aelle steel tubes
Headset - Chris King 2Nut threaded
Seatpost - Aero aluminum generic
Seat - Selle San Marco Regal perforated
Stem - Nitto Dynamic 10
Bar - Soma Highway 1 42cm
Tape - Lizard Skins DSP 2.5
Bottle Cages - King Cage stainless with alloy bolts
Cables & Housing - Campagnolo
Brakes - Campagnolo Skeleton
Brake Levers - Campagnolo Athena 11
Front derailleur - Campagnolo Athena 11
Rear derailleur - Campagnolo Athena 11
Crankset - Campagnolo Athena 11 50/34 172.5
Bottom Bracket - Campagnolo Power Torque
Chain - Campagnolo Record 11
Shifters - Campagnolo Athena 11
Cassette - Campagnolo Chorus 11 11-29
Hubs - Zipp 100 F 28h / Campagnolo Chorus R 32h
Rims - BHS C22W
Spokes - Sapim Race silver
Nipples - Sapim blue
Skewers - Campagnolo
Tubes - Standard butyl
Tires - Continental Grand Prix Classic 25c
Pedals - Speedplay X/2
Other - Arundel Uno seat pack / Bar Fly Garmin mount with custom shim