Road Cycling - Lemond Poprad or Specialized Sequoia elite?

Guys, I am just getting back into cycling. I want to ride about 1-1.5 k per year, not race. I'll do a couple of charity rides. I tried both bikes in a parking lot, and can't decide. i will get around to trying to borrow or rent these bikes for a longer ride, but so far it is a wash. i would appreciate any information or opinions, realizing these are subjective. I tried thr regular seqoia and the sequoia elite to see if the different seatstays make a difference and over a short ride i can't tell

i'm not young, and my bak hurts, specially when i try and go too aero. any other ideas or bikes??

thanks
bh

Get the Specialized, since they are NOT Lemond, and not hating on Lance!!!

I don't know much about the Lemond bike but I ride a Sequoia Sport (ok, obviously you have way more money to spend than I did :) ). It's riding position is definitely more upright than most road bikes, but with the adjustable stem you can go aero or not with some simple adjustments. It's definitely a lot more flexible in that area than any other bike so if you've got back issues, it probably is a good bike for you.

Given Lemond's recent outburst, I don't think you could pay me to ride a Lemond bike. Get the Specialized.

Actually, as a huge fan of the big S's MTBs, I'd say, all things being equal, go with Specialized, even without the Gregg issue.

JoeJack, i am not sure if I will get the elite. i rode it and the regular one back to back in the parking lot and could not tell in that short time if the carbon seatstays made a difference. I really do have significant back/butt issues, to the extent, I am not sure I will be able to use a road like bike, but i feel limited on a mountain bike. How do you feel on rides of over an hour? any other comments?

thjanks

bak

I have almost 1200 miles on my 2003 Sport and so far I haven't had any back issues (previously I had only ridden mountain bikes). I'm 25 so take that into consideration. My typical ride is a little over 20 miles (1:15 total riding time on average) and my butt is ok, much better ever since upgrading to bibs from regular soccer shorts. I also ride a lot of hills so I'm out of the saddle for a significant amount of time. On longer rides (2+ hours), especially flat rides, my butt does get uncomfortable. I've tried a few different seat/handle bar/stem positions and where I'm at now seems to be working. I am considering a Brooks saddle though but I don't want to prematurely give up on what I've got. One thing I am happy with is how well the bike damps vibrations. With the correct position, my hands rarely go numb even with extended riding on the hoods. The mountain bike I used to ride would put my hands to sleep in about 6 miles.

With that said, if I were you, I'd probably go with the Elite if the cost difference wasn't objectionable to you. The Sora thumb shifters have become a real hassle for me when I've gone on flat rides and want to ride in the drops. You need to reach up to shift and it really disrupts my flow. No other complaints about shifting though.

Given Lemond's recent outburst, I don't think you could pay me to ride a Lemond bike. Get the Specialized.


I didn't think that Lemond has very much to do with Lemond bikes other than lend his name to them? Aren't they just Treks with different badges?

Anyway, I'm guessing he has little to do with the bikes, so why punish the employees of the company because the marketing guy was a doofus? I'd go with whichever bike felt better. Since you have back issues, I might suggest finding an LBS to do a bike-fit as a part of the purchase to make sure the bike you get is properly set up to keep your back healthy.

I've had the Sequoia since April. In that time, I've put on about 1700 miles with no problems whatsoever. I'm a big guy. When I got the Seqouia I was at 320 pounds. Now down to 259, I'm moving on to a "real" road bike. I had a "real" road bike in the past and was very uncomfortable. After 50 miles I got rid of it and bought a tandem. The Seqouia cured all of that. I was comfortable on rides ranging from 15 to 102 miles. I've had nothing but good experiences since getting the Seqouia......the only "problem" after coming from the mountain bike route is that you will start wanting to ride longer distances. In time, 10-15 mile rides will seem like you're not doing enough. Something about the road bike makes you wanna go longer.

Looking back, I probably would have gotten the one with the cabon stays and better componentry. After my first road bike experience, I just wasn't sure I'd ride it enough. I say go for what you can afford and you'll be happier in the long run.

JoeJack, i am not sure if I will get the elite. i rode it and the regular one back to back in the parking lot and could not tell in that short time if the carbon seatstays made a difference. I really do have significant back/butt issues, to the extent, I am not sure I will be able to use a road like bike, but i feel limited on a mountain bike. How do you feel on rides of over an hour? any other comments?

thjanks

bak
I just bought a Specialized for my wife. She has chronic back problems. Two years ago she had surgery for a ruptured disk. Before the Specialized she had a Trek (Truck?) 7300. We could ride nowhere but on the local bike path due to it's weight. Now, with the Specialized she is flying. We have done 30 - 40 mile rides together and on the flats she is doing 20 mph. She really likes the dual brake setup so that she does not have to get on the drops to slow down. While her back is stiff after a ride she is having no pain.

The weak component I see is the saddle. It's way too soft for anything longer than 30 - 40 miles.

IMHO the Specialized is a great value.

Given Lemond's recent outburst, I don't think you could pay me to ride a Lemond bike. Get the Specialized.

Funny...I feel the exact same way, and I was really leaning towards a Lemond as my next bike purchase earlier this year. After I read Lance's latest book and Greg's comments to the media in there, plus his recent rantings...I'm not buying a Lemond anytime soon. :(

I don't care if you are a Lance fan or not...IMO American cyclists...especially recognized leaders in the industry (and past tour winners) shouldn't be bad mouthing each other..especially on non-fact trumpted up charges... ;)

I wasn't really upset that he wasn't a Lance supporter, just that he opened his mouth and had to make stupid comments...IMO he should of kept his opinions to himself. ;)

backhurts - I have about 700 miles on my Sequoia Elite and love it. I didn't consider the Sport, but did compare with the Trek 1800C that does'nt have carbon rear stays. I found the Elite had a smoother ride and really dampens road chatter. I think you would be happier with the Elite upgrades if it is in your price range. I'm 50 with no back problems, but on my longest ride thus far on it (50 mi.) I had no discomfort anywhere, which I can't usually say with other bikes. I agree if your rides are under 30 miles the stock saddle may be OK but it was a little wide for me.

I didn't think that Lemond has very much to do with Lemond bikes other than lend his name to them? Aren't they just Treks with different badges?


Yep, both Lemond and Klein bikes are manufactured by Trek.

Guys, I am just getting back into cycling. I want to ride about 1-1.5 k per year, not race. I'll do a couple of charity rides. I tried both bikes in a parking lot, and can't decide. i will get around to trying to borrow or rent these bikes for a longer ride, but so far it is a wash. i would appreciate any information or opinions, realizing these are subjective. I tried thr regular seqoia and the sequoia elite to see if the different seatstays make a difference and over a short ride i can't tell

i'm not young, and my bak hurts, specially when i try and go too aero. any other ideas or bikes??

thanks
bh


Well, I ride a Trek 5000 OCLV and I can't imagine riding a non-carbon-graphite frame. It's very sweet for sure. And I don't care who owns Lemond bikes, I'll never do anything to acknowledge Lemond including riding something with his name on it. Only if it says, "is a prick" after his name.
G

Guys, I am just getting back into cycling. I want to ride about 1-1.5 k per year, not race. I'll do a couple of charity rides. I tried both bikes in a parking lot, and can't decide. i will get around to trying to borrow or rent these bikes for a longer ride, but so far it is a wash. i would appreciate any information or opinions, realizing these are subjective. I tried thr regular seqoia and the sequoia elite to see if the different seatstays make a difference and over a short ride i can't tell

i'm not young, and my bak hurts, specially when i try and go too aero. any other ideas or bikes??

thanks
bh

Not sure what your budget is like, but if you have the resources, you might want to look at/try titanium bikes. My back bothers me, too, and I have a Litespeed Tuscany. I rode a metric centruy last summer where much of the route went over chipped seal roads - very rough - and my back was just fine. (My butt, however, was a different story!) I haven't ridden any carbon bikes, so I can't compare the ride between the two, but I can definately vouch for and recommend the ride to a Ti bike.

Guys, thanks for your help. Skiahh, unfortunately a Titanium bike is not in my budget. I had been thinking of getting something like a touring bike with relaxed angles, a little larger wheel and a more upright position. the trek 520 seems a bit long for me, but the sequoia and the poprad seemed better finishes. I have also had someone who rides recommend a Jamis, and will try and get out to that shop later this week or weekend. My longest ride of the year is usually a MS 150 or similar event, so am not so concerned about speed.

thanks all again.

bh

BH - The Sequoia was designed for people just like you. I think the Elite with the carbon stays will help with the road buzz. The fully adjustable stem is just what you're ailing back is crying for. Between the Lemond and Sequoia, for your purpose Specialized is the hands down winner in my opinion.

Yep, both Lemond and Klein bikes are manufactured by Trek.

They are manufactured by Trek (as is Gary Fisher), but they are not Treks. The materials, geometry and style are very distinct among the brands.

The poprad seems to have me too bent over. I'll try the sequoia again and see if I can find a Jamis nearby. I have not heard much about them, but one of the lbs's likes them

Guys, I am just getting back into cycling. I want to ride about 1-1.5 k per year, not race. I'll do a couple of charity rides. I tried both bikes in a parking lot, and can't decide. i will get around to trying to borrow or rent these bikes for a longer ride, but so far it is a wash. i would appreciate any information or opinions, realizing these are subjective. I tried thr regular seqoia and the sequoia elite to see if the different seatstays make a difference and over a short ride i can't tell

i'm not young, and my bak hurts, specially when i try and go too aero. any other ideas or bikes??

thanks
bh


Wow, you've really posed a good question here. I ride a 2002 Lemond Zurich, and love the ride. If the Sequoia had been out and in the shop I'd have definitely test ridden that. I think either bike would be fine for you, but once the Poprad is set up with stem, seat, etc, you will have to change components to change any settings. The Sequoia has that adjustable handlebar stem that you could pull out your multi-tool in the middle of a ride and move up or down for comfort. It also has a suspension seatpost. I didn't like the post I tried once on a Trek 1000, since I bounced up and down a bit while pedaling. I'd recommended setting the tension on the seatpost hard enough so it "just" smooths out the road while riding. The extra brake levers on the Sequoia also work just as well as the normal ones. Many people in my club have bought Sequoias, and not one of them regrets it. They love them. We have a "Cinderella" training in Jan-March where our ladies train women that don't ride or haven't in years to ride, and it culminates in a metric century put on just for women riders by a local club. The bike being purchased most at one of our sponsoring LBSs is "hands down" the Sequoia. It just makes so much sense for non racers to ride one of these. You can tell how popular they are by the "copycats" the other companies are now putting out.

I bought the Sequoia Elite and love it. I got it a little over month ago and have 250 miles on it. I asked for the most comfortable road bike the LBS had and the Elite is what they recommended. Prior to this the only bikes I've owned have been mountain bikes. But I'm doing a two day 150 mile ride in September and knew it'd be a long weekend on the mountain bike. The Sequoia is extremely comfortable. The carbon really deadens the sting of the rough country roads I'm biking on.

What about a used ti bike? What does one look for? I have heard Litespeed is great, but they have several models. Would you look at a cyclocross or touring model from them? Which one? It you apply the same question to carbon bikes, where would you look?

t

I've had a Sequoia since last summer and love it. As others have stated, the carbon goes a long way toward absorbing road vibration and the more upright position is easier on us "older" rider's anatomy. I usually ride between 25-35 miles, and have done as much as 40 with no discomfort whatsoever. The saddle has served me well enough, but it's an easy thing to change out if you're not crazy about it. My one regret is not forking over the extra money for the Elite. I have the Sport and wish I had gone with better components, especially since the Sora shifters are a pain. Other than that, it's a fine bike and I don't think you would be sorry.