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

Purchased: Vintage LeMond Frameset

So... I bought another frameset.  It is actually an early birthday present from my very understanding wife.  The frameset is a 1987 LeMond "Team LeMond Club" in yellow.  The white "Team LeMond Pro" versions were built by Della Santa, but this one and another white "Comp" model were built in Italy by Carnielli (basically Bottecchia, but that's another story).  I've been wanting a LeMond for just about as long as I can remember, and this one fit my current needs (wants) with size, price, and a touch of rareness.

Photo from the eBay listing

The tubing is Columbus Tretubi Aelle, which means that the three main tubes are Aelle and the rest, including fork, is builder's choice.  No way to know what it is.  Aelle was pretty low (if not the lowest) on Columbus quality, but it's still Columbus tubing.

Overall it is in very good shape for how old it is.  The dropout screws were broken and bent, so Sean at Peninsula Bike Works has ordered new ones for me.  As I type, the frameset is in the hands of Hector at Winning Wheels in Pacific Grove.  He is re-spacing the dropouts from 126 to 130 and cleaning and chasing the threads of the bottom bracket and derailleur hanger.  My plan is to rebuild it with new Campagnolo Athena 11 silver components and modern but retro-styled wheels.  Pacenti recently released their SL23 rim in silver, so that's at the top of my list right now.  Other touches will include a silver Chris King headset, white perforated Selle San Marco Regal saddle, Arundel  stainless bottle cages and white Gecko tape, and probably white cable housing.