khyatt

Hiya. I just picked up my first bike in over a decade and I'm super excited. It's a pre-Trek LeMond, though I'm not entirely sure which one, though it's steel and solid red, which might help some of you experts narrow it down. I'm 90% sure it's one of the Billato-built frames.

Anyway, it's a cool bike, with some good components and some that aren't so good, and I'm eager to get it set up to my tastes. One of the first things to go will be the crappy FSA crankset that's on it. I bought a used Ultegra FC-6500 crankset, but I need to find a bottom bracket. I've been trying to track down info on the LeMonds from the era, but haven't had a lot of luck. Can anyone tell me if this is a BSA or Italian thread BB shell?

Any other info on these bikes would be super helpful too. I'd post photos and/or a link to the ad listing, but I'm still working on hitting that 10 post threshold.

GMS 

The Belloto built ones came in though Ten Speed Drive Imports. You should find a Ten Speed Drive sticker under the clearcoat of any LeMond road frame from this period, as well as a serial number on the BB shell.
Mine with Ten Speed Drive sticker has this rear brake bridge.

abellanti

There were a couple builders before the Trek era. Some good photos of your bike would help. All were quality built

khyatt

Can't post photos yet, unfortunately but my bike has that same brake bridge as well as the Greg Lemond signed seat stay lugs, which is what leads me to believe it's a Billato-made frame.

GMS 

Early ones were built by Della Santa, it will have DS stamped on the BB shell

scubaman

I have a pre-Trek, Billato-built LeMond in GAN colors, and the bottom bracket is Italian.

jamesdak 

Red means not a Team Lemond bike so that should make it a Billato built one. Italian BB as mentioned. There should be a size stamp on the bottom of the bottom bracket with a letter or two stamped under the size. Those letters will identify what type tubing it is. The tubing type can help tell which model if the name isn't on the bike. Pics would be great.


This is a 56 cm frame made with TSX.


This is a 54 cm frame made with Cromor

jamesdak 

These would be white though as he was involved with the Team Lemond ones and built a small number of the upper end white model. I've never seen the lower end yellow Team Lemond made by him. At least not yet.

Lemond1985

There were a couple of them on LA CL a few months back, I don't even see a tubing sticker, and knowing how Bottecchia / Carnielli does make some lower end frames, these actually may not be all that nice compared with the later Tru Temper and Reynolds 853 frames. But I have not ridden one yet either.



https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ca-1980-s.html

jamesdak 

I'm still waiting to score the right Team Lemond to add to my collection. One day....

khyatt

So, update. I checked under the BB shell and there's no sticker or label from TSD. What that means, I don't know. In the end, this is all just morbid curiosity (and buying the correct bits for it)

I bought the bike for $325 and it's not in pristine shape, I'm going to ride the hell out of it anyway.

Paul J

To get your post count up go to the introduction forum and introduce your self and then welcome a couple new folks and you will have your count to 10 in no time.

jamesdak 

jamesdak 

But, were the stamps I mentioned above there? Tubing type can help us give you possible modesl. Also sometimes Billato will respond if you you send them pics of the BB and the serial number that should be on the opposite side from the size, type stamp.

khyatt

I'll give it a look today when I have a minute to run downstairs. Thanks for all the info guys!

Based on what I've seen online, I'm guessing it's either TSX or SL, will confirm later.

khyatt

The BB shell was marked with a C, which means it's Cromor which is totally fine by me. Anyway, here are a few photos of the bike from the listing. I haven't had time to clean it up and snag photos of my own yet.

jamesdak 

Cromor is good stuff for sure. Most of the Cromor Lemonds I have seen have been named Ventoux for the model. But I have seen a couple with a different name. Like Vanquish or something. I can't remember for certain and can't pull up a sample of google with a search.

khyatt

It would be nice to have the original fork, but having owned and enjoyed a Steamroller in the past, I'm not especially upset at its inclusion here. It's kind of a frankenbike, but I think once I ditch the junky FSA crankset, the nice-but-no-quick-release Chorus brakes, replace the wheels (if Velocity would ever get around to shipping my wheelset) and get it all tuned up, it'll be a longtime companion. Jury is still out on the saddle, but that's an easy fix too.