Greg LeMond simply needs to go quick. That’s as obvious now because it was through the top of his racing profession. Solely nowadays, you’ll typically discover Greg using a motorcycle with a motor.
Like so many unexplainable moments in my life, I discover myself using subsequent to Greg on an ebike bearing his title. We’re in Sarasota, Florida on the arrow-straight Legacy Path. And regardless of beginning at a conversational tempo, Greg slyly asks, “anybody need to go a little bit sooner?”
With a mischievous grin, and a press of the button on the highest tube, Greg begins to ratchet up the tempo till taking off right into a full-on dash (as a lot as one can on an ebike with out ever leaving the saddle). Seiji from GearJunkie takes off behind Greg, so in fact I bounce on behind Seiji – what number of instances in your life will you’ve gotten Greg LeMond as a lead-out?
After the following road crossing, issues relax a bit, however solely simply. Returning to a conversational tempo, you may really feel Greg slowly winding up the tempo, clearly simply so completely satisfied to be out using a motorcycle. Any Bike. However particularly one among his personal ebikes.
The Energy of eBikes
Positive, Greg LeMond is among the biggest American cyclists of all time, however he’s nonetheless human. Simply earlier that day, Greg casually talked about he was lately identified with most cancers. Particularly, a sort of Leukemia that normally stems from heavy metals or chemical substances within the physique. As he places it, it’s no shock due to the quantity of lead nonetheless in his physique from the looking accident in 1987. However due to a brand new most cancers drug, he says he’s feeling higher than he has in years.
Nevertheless it’s not all due to prescribed drugs. That’s the ability of the ebike. This isn’t the primary time that Greg has gotten again on the bike with a little bit help. Years in the past, a automobile accident left him bedridden for 3 months with a damaged again. Once more, it was an ebike that he attributes to his return to type, noting the primary time he tried one it left him feeling just like the bionic man.
Stating that ebikes aren’t only for transportation, Greg likes to say that his ebikes are racing bikes disguised as common bikes. It appears like that whenever you’re on one. Stating that “biking might be unenjoyable should you’re not in form, these bikes can flip somebody right into a bicycle owner,” he’s additionally fast to level out that to be into the game for the lengthy haul, it needs to be enjoyable.
LeMond eBikes
It’s laborious to not have enjoyable on a journey with a former 2x World Champion and 3x Tour de France winner, however the LeMond ebikes crank it up a notch. For this journey, I used to be aboard the LeMond Prolog – the flat bar highway bike that weighs round 26lbs. The day earlier than I had an opportunity to get out on an extended journey on the Prolog AR, which is the dropbar gravel-oriented model of the Prolog, although it’s simply as succesful on the highway as effectively.
Different riders have been on the third Lemond mannequin, the Dutch. Of all the bikes, the Dutch could be the most spectacular on the subject of the burden. Should you’re used to the standard Dutch bike, the LeMond model is comically mild at 27lbs. It’s mild and permits a totally upright using model at pace.
LeMond ebikes have been first launched in 2020, simply because the world was swept up by the Covid pandemic. Understandably off to a sluggish begin, the primary Prolog and Dutch fashions have been delivered in 2021. The next 12 months in 2022, LeMond Bicycles was separated from the LeMond Composites enterprise with Rick Adams named as CEO of LeMond Bicycles. Most lately in 2023, the corporate relocated to their present facility in Knoxville, TN the place we’re instructed that many tasks are within the works.
LeMond eBikes by the Numbers:
- Weight 26-27lbs
- Sizes – S, M, L
- Vary – 40-70 miles
- Energy – 250 watts
- Help – Class 1 most help 20mph
- Drive system – Mahle X-35
- Frames – carbon fiber
- Visibility – Built-in entrance and taillights
- Colours – Blanc, Noir, or Rosa
- Pricing: Begins at $5,495
- Extras – Carbon Wheels, Digital Shifting, Carbon Fenders, Kick Stand, Vary extender battery
Utilizing the Newest Know-how to His Benefit
Cling round Greg or individuals who know him lengthy sufficient, and it’s clear that he has this insatiable want to know and make the most of the newest expertise. That’s simply as clear right now because it was when LeMond used aerobars to win the 1989 Tour de France.
When discussing the design strategy of LeMond ebikes, Director of Product Growth Invoice Stephens talked about that, “Greg has stronger opinions about backside bracket drop than any engineer I labored with.” He went on to say that Greg is concerned in each element of the construct and “obsessive about the design.” These aren’t simply inventory bikes with LeMond’s title on the downtube.
Geared up with the Mahle x-35 drive system, the LeMond ebikes look extra like common bikes. However with a weight that can make most individuals query if it’s truly an ebike. This was no accident. Greg says he wished bikes that regarded like regular however rode such as you have been having your finest day ever.
A lot of that means to cross as a traditional bike comes from the usage of a hub motor, smaller battery, and Invoice Stephens’ design work. You could not know Invoice’s title, however you undoubtedly know his work. From Yeti to Niner, Invoice has designed or co-designed among the most iconic bikes within the business, and now he’s working full-time for LeMond Bikes.
Wheel Avenue Grand Opening
Whereas LeMond’s new headquarters are in Knoxville, TN, we have been invited all the way down to Florida as a part of the grand opening of LeMond’s first U.S. vendor – Wheel Avenue Bikes. Positioned proper on the bustling Tamiami Drive in downtown Sarasota, Wheel Avenue is a three way partnership between Jeff Rosenberg and BMX legend Termite Hudson.
Envisioning the power to convey your bicycle fantasies to life, Wheel Avenue is a cool little store with nice inside design. The store combines Termite’s legendary wheel-building providers with a showroom for Cervelo, Santa Cruz, Electra, and naturally, LeMond. Wheel Avenue additionally serves as a gross sales level for Atomik Carbon wheels which might be custom-built on-site (except Berd spoke fashions).
Legacy Path
Not removed from Termite’s Wheel Avenue, we obtained to pattern the bikes on the newly-completed Legacy path. Including to the rail path success tales throughout the nation, the Legacy Path has an fascinating little bit of historical past. The path was constructed on the railroad hall that the Ringling Brothers Circus used up to now to convey their animals to their winter house in Venice, FL.
Constructed at a price of $65 million, the path is at present 24 miles with further spurs for journey choices. Initially off-limits to ebikes, ebikes are actually allowed and ruled by the ebike guidelines utilized by the Nationwide Park Service. Moreover, the path hall was constructed double-wide so {that a} parallel path for walkers might be added.
Going Quick, Having Enjoyable
The portion of the path we rode was largely a straight line. However attending to the path and using round downtown Sarasota offered extra possibilities to see how the bikes dealt with – which is among the areas these bikes actually stand out. With comfy but sporty geometry and with out the standard ebike heft, the LeMond ebikes are an absolute pleasure to journey. Nearly instantly I used to be hopping curbs, weaving by way of cones, and discovering off-road ‘shortcuts’. Utterly forgetting the truth that I used to be even on an ebike as a result of I used to be having an excessive amount of enjoyable.
Whereas the using was pretty brief, greater than something it offered us perception into why Greg is doing what he’s doing. LeMond Bikes nonetheless has different issues within the works (just like the long-awaited highway bike), but it surely’s clear that Greg has an actual ardour for his ebikes, stating, “I actually imagine in e-bikes, [and] the ability of e-bikes to alter folks’s lives.”
For Greg, meaning going quick once more. For everybody, it’s merely a enjoyable option to get again on a motorcycle.
