Sincitycycler

..where he schooled Laurent Fignon by almost a minute in 15 miles and won by 8 seconds!

It's an amazing piece to watch. I purchased the '89 remastered DVD from World Cycling Productions and the TT was the last stage in Paris and it's totally awesome. I think it gave birth to the modern-day obsession of wind tunnels and aero helmets/ position on TT bikes.

You see Fignon flailing away with no helmet at all and his long ponytail flopping around and no tuck contrasting with Lemond with a Profile aero-bar and a primitive egg -shaped TT helmet, but it made all of the difference in the world. Science ruled over old school at that moment in time.

The only thing that the DVD doesn't mention was Lemond's gearing. A co-worker of mine who is a long-time cycling freak says that Lemond was using a huge drive train( 55-11).

Can this be substantiated by anyone? Greg averaged 34+ mph..I think it's still a TDF record.

classic1

If I remember right it was 54-12 or 55-12.

People forget that Fignon had a bad saddle sore (you can see him riding crablike in the TT) and that he still rode at a phenomenal 53km/h.

Apparently Fignon trialled a rough clip on bar before the TT but didn't use it....

Sincitycycler

What does that look like?

socalrider

11t cogs were not used back then.. I am pretty sure it was a 55x12 or 56x12..

classic1

He looks like he's sitting on one butt cheek only!!!!!

Smoothie104

Fignon rode a front disc wheel as well.

giantcfr1

When I went to the Shimano Museum I snapped a shot of this 65 tooth, which a guy called Bert Boom (Holland) used in a Demi Fond Championship in 1969. I have failed though, as I didn't take note of the back cog sorry.
Steve.

531Aussie

this is the best I could do at short notice

maalea

Zabriski broke that record in this years opening stage.

DannoXYZ 

"11t cogs were not used back then.. "

It may not have been a production item, but the pro teams can have anything they want. I had a 9-speed cluster 3 years before Shimano came out with it. Welded a 11t cog from a Suntour freewheel onto the lock-ring of my 8-speed Shimano cassette.

As for his gearing, take a close look at that DVD. There are stretches where they announce his speed. You can time his feet to get cadence and work backwards. Knowing the speed & cadence, you can figure out which gear he was using.

Laggard

So? Zabriski also didn't win the Tour.

ViperZ

It was mentioned by the OLN commentators that Zabriski also had a big tail wind.... However thats life, he won the stage.


I loved that 89 tour, I need to see it again

oldspark

A reply to the statement made by Sin that it was still a record.

Smoothie104

Greg believes he can win," Fignon had said on the eve of the final stage. "But it is impossible. I am too strong in the mind and the legs. Fifty seconds is too much to make up in such a short distance."


https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/cyc...ive/tour2.html

Flaneur

[QUOTE=Sincitycycler I think it gave birth to the modern-day obsession of wind tunnels and aero helmets/ position on TT bikes.

I liked your take but I reckon the aero obsession was well under way in '89. Greg was in the forefront of technology updating, working with companies new to cycling, like Scott.

Slippy fabrics, pointy hemets, shoe covers, sloping TT frames, made from aero tubes- all were popular on the track before migrating to the road. A key point was Moser breaking Merckx's incredible hour record. No-one believed Moser was a match for Merckx, physically but his adroit use of technology, in equipment and training, inspired many manufacturers and riders to aspire to success through lateral thinking about traditional design. Triathletes were not restricted by tradition and quickly embraced new ideas to go faster, bringing funny bikes to a new mainstream of active sports enthusiasts.

Greg was an important innovator in cycle related sports, no question. His legacy smoothed the path for later American successes in world cycling.

puddin' legs

55 x 11...yep. Pros can push it. We can't. That's why they're there and we're here.

ViperZ

I agree, the Aero trend was in its infancy (discovery) mode, however I think Greg winning the 89 Tour in the manner that he did, "Validated" the Aero trend. The Tour is the most recognizable bike race, and the contrast between Fignon and Lemond on that final days TT provided "The Proof is in the Pudding", if you will. It served as a real race conditions test, using Fignon and Lemond as the 2 oposite conditions. The final outcome was that Aero claims were real and not just on paper.

The next years Tour saw everyone with aero/clipon bars for the TT events.

Of course Greg had to have a will to win, however we all know now that Aerodynamics played a key component as well.

Sincitycycler

The same co-worker (Dave) mentioned above said that the aero-bar rage for the average rider hit full stride after Lemond pulled off his feat. Dave said it was kind of hystericallly funny and bars strate coming out in all kinds of weird shapes and sizes.

Even mountain-bikers were putting funny -shaped aeros bars on their bikes!

invincibleone

You found that beautiful 65 tooth Campy Crank in the Shimano museum? What the hell was it doing in a place like that? It deserves better, really.

maalea

Oh thats right, He "quit" because he was "hurt"

ViperZ

I remember all those MTB bars with the aero section up front. If my memory is correct, I think even Ned Overend had those


Was he really hurt? I remember them interviewing Dave just after he quit, in the interview he stated something like "I can't quite put my finger on it..." He never stated what the problem was, It looked more like he just quit because it wasn't fun anymore.

I may well be wrong, but thats just what it seemed like to me.

glassman

That was a good link, thanks....Lemond was awesome!

531Aussie

I know he cops a lot of grief from some of you Yanks, but I also think he was pretty cool, and I love reading the old interviews in the old mags.

I assume you've seen his own site, not his bike site?
https://www.greglemond.com/site/index.html

DannoXYZ 

"55 x 11...yep. Pros can push it. We can't. That's why they're there and we're here. "

They said that at one point, he was going 37mph... In a 55x11t gear, that's right around 89rpm... Anyone get any timing on RPMs from that video yet?

giantcfr1

It's true. The museum had plenty of bikes with components from various companies. I guess other than the actual customers, the two companies can live in harmony. It would be interesting to see / hear if Campagnolo has a museum too.
It is really quite a good little museum. Admittedly most of the bikes are quite ancient, but beautifully restored. If anyone is interested you can see some of my Museum pictures at my web site. Once you go to my site, just click on "come and have a look at some pics...",
Some trivia for you all. I have found that if you mention "Shimano" to a Japanese person here, most will not relate the name to cycling, the response will normally be fishing.
Steve.