LeMond gauging interest on rebuilding the bicycle brand
 

I for one, would love to see this happen!

http://greglemond.com/lemond-cycle/

Because?

^^^I'm confused by your question. Are you asking why should LeMond build bikes again?

This has been up for years...

Hopes officially crushed.

I wouldn't say that. I just don't want you holding your breath.

The copyright date on the page is 2012, so it's not altogether a "dead" page necessarily.

Since 2010? And he didn't build bikes since 1995 Trek built the bikes and put his name on the head tube. Longer top tubes and longer wheel base. Last one rolled off the line in 2008 I think and someone keeps posting he is going to come out of retirement and restart his company from scratch? not likely. IMHO

I think it was in 2010 when I saw it.

I commented anyway.

The steel bikes were nice. Some of the better production bikes done in the last few decades IMO.

Interesting. I just happened across the site by chance, and the website was dated 2012.I thought it looked like recent news based on the date alone. You were on the money with the 2010 date: http://web.archive.org/web/201010152.../lemond-cycle/

He may not be considering putting his name on bikes in the near future but he is reinvigorating his trainer business...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/...trainer_273831

Regardless of who was building them, the geometry was different than what could be had from other brands. For some us less than perfect body types the Lemond line up gave another option. I for one would like to see his bikes come back. Or, at least someone adopt the geometry.

Depends on the Sub Contractor, and product mangers, and the parts picks and such..
more than the brand name of another ex bike racer on the frame tubes..

Museeuw changed the fabric used in the carbon frame , to include flax.

Having burned bridges at Trek, the company formed will need to start its own dealer relationships.

the LeMond half metal half carbon frames were different.. at least..

Do I care?, not really, just watching :popcorn:

The spine bikes were all built by Trek. High quality bikes with similar geometry that gave a buyer a wide choice in frame materials and component quality. Clean, my 05 Carbon/Steel Zurich would look brand new. Just a well made machine. The Ultegra group on this Zurich put it at a reasonably buyable $2500 price point. I paid $2100. That was the middle range bike, with models priced above and below on the price scale. All the bikes had the same geometry. Which favors tall short waisted riders. To date it's the most comfortable sport/race bike I've ever ridden.

I had a Chambery (alum/carbon spine design), It was a much smoother better handling ride than the full cabon Madone I have now. Wish it had lasted longer than the 13,000 miles I put on it. If they improved that one little section that snapped at the back end of the chain stay (cut out design) I'd definietly look into getting another. I also had a full alum and the geo alone was a much better ride than the full carbon Madone imo.

I didn't mean to indicate he had bad bikes, they were OK but he wasn't a builder. He may have designed them, if he really designed anything I am not sure. But he seems to start businesses and then have problems more than some others might. I think he even fired his father after talking him into running the Bike company when they were with Trek but I forget the details. A Law suit with Trek, a law suit with his realestate partners. A takeover/ buy out of his 2002 fitness company, tokl a position after the buy out of CEO I think at least on the board. Maybe the new fitness company will work but someone else will have to do the day to day I believe. He isn't a Steve Jobs or Bill gates type. He isn't even a Mike Sinyard. He is an Idea man and that is why I doubt he can sell his bike brand again. Just how I see it.

Many high achieving type A personalities run into problems when they have to conform to limits. There are wide gaps between the unadulterated dream and the realities of business. Add, that some types As just don't play well together. It's hard for some successful self made individuals to take orders from others. It's tough when you are no longer the boss.

Gates seems to have had a smooth ride to the top. Jobs anything but. Add in guys like Mike Dell who has been in and out of his company over boardroom wars and Lemond has lots of company in the troubled CEO category.

As for the marriage with Trek, a decision i'm sure Lemond wishes every day that he could have taken back. Maybe Trek did purposely wreck the comany. AMF ran Harley into the ground. There was no excuse forwhat they were doing. Brunswick has ruined Searay and is doing the same to Boston Whaler. These examples are not even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bad business marriages ruining brand names and destroying asset value.

Sorry to hear that. I don't track total mileage on my bikes. But i could as I keep track of my yearly mileage in a journal that includes which bike was ridden. I don't have a total for the Zurich as I write this. I ride it between 2 and 3 thousand miles a year. I bought it January 2005. It's been ridden ever since. So the rough math puts it some place between 16,000 and 24,000 total miles. Not to jinx myself, so far no problems.

I will say i didn't want the spine bike. I waited too long to buy a Lemond bike. In 03 or 04 they went to the spine design. I waited to see how well they held up. After reading reports that the bikes were being ridden hard and holding up I bought one. I think there is a lifetime warranty on the frame. Not sure? Still, as i said, so far, so good. That said, i'm not hard on a bike. Too old to abuse it!!!!

I had a '04 Zurich. I really liked it but I got new bike fever and bought a latter model all carbon Zurich and sold the old one. Nice bike, but I think the '04 was superior. I miss that bike.

My body style has changed so I'm not sure I would work on a Lemond type geometry anymore. However, it would be nice to see the brand back.

I suspect the shopping is on Taiwan for which contract manufacturers will actually do the work.
and fill the containers with boxes to be opened by dealers.. Stateside will be warehousing and Sales.

There sure is a warranty. I actually got the Madone from series of warranty claims. First Lemond was a 05 alum Tourmalet. Frame broke after 13,000 miles. Trek upgraded to the 07 Chambery alum/carbon mix. It broke after 14,000 miles so Trek replaced it with the 2012 full carbon Madone since Lemonds were no longer available.

So if you are the original owner and meet the warranty stadnards, Trek wil take care of you!:thumb:

I had thoughts of buuying a steel Zurich back in 98 (?). Wish I had!

None of his bikes worked for me. I have short arms and a long top tube isn't my cup of tea. You however are a big guy so I can see it.

Every year for the past three or so years I say to myself time to sell the Zurich and move on. But then I take it out for a ride and while riding it say to myself, what am I crazy!!! This bike is great!!!

When I bought the Zurich i shopped with an open wallet. That is, price was no object. I was going all out. I rode a lot of carbon and Ti bikes. Many priced over double the asking price of the Zurich. I came very close to buying a Litespeed Tuscany. Nice bike!!! And truth was I could tell the difference in the ride. But I couldn't tell $1800 worth of difference in the ride. I bought the Zurich and have never regretted not getting the Tuscany or the Merlin or many of the other contenders. So the truth is, for me, if I sold the Zurich, what would I replace it with?

So I hear you!!! I don't want to sell it and regret letting go of a bike I can't replace.

THX!!! I hope i never need the warranty!!! But really good to know that Trek stepped up!!!

I too had my eye on the all steel Zurich and waited too long to pull the trigger. All steel Zurichs when they come up on ebay or CR are great buys. A misunderstood brand if there ever was one. And it makes for a bargain high end ride!!!!