af2nr

OK help me out here, from either side of the fence. I have a 05 LeMond Buenos Aires with about 200 miles on it. I "thought" this bike was exactly what I wanted, for distance type riding. I test rode a Specialized Roubaix Elite and Comp last week and am now thinking that would have been a better choice. My reasoning whether real or percieved;
1. The Roubaix felt more comfortable and I felt more connected to the bike.
2. The BA feels really "twitchy" at anyting over say 20 mph.
3. The Roubaix seemed to absord more of the road than the BA does.

Now before I got the BA I had a LeMond Etape and they were the same size, 57cm, is there any chance this is too big in the BA even though it fit in the Etape causing the "twitchy" feeling, or maybe it's just a difference between the different materials bikes are made with? Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated!

Grasschopper

This probably isn't what you want to hear...I think you need a Roubaix.

Just a teaser:

1955

Sorry guy...+++1

Serpico

get the Lemond!!!

try the BA with a different stem length, or try a different size--haven't heard "twitchy" yet


Made in USA and backed by Trek's awesome warranty

everyone on this forum has a Roubaix, think different





need some Lemond owners on this thread!

wagathon

I think that the Specialized bike does have a longer wheelbase. Even so, it could be that your BA's frame is too small for you. If so, too bad but you'll have to get a new bike. Used bikes don't sell for big bucks but on the bright side, Lemonds sell pretty well: I'm sure you can expect to get at least $850 and maybe more.

bmike

My Zurich is smoooooooth...

Road shock? Maybe some 32 spoked laced wheels instead of the Bontragers. I think they ride better for the long haul.


Never heard of a LeMond being twitchy. Maybe too small? Stem too long? Not dialed in on your position?

1955

Don't worry so much about being different and start worrying about getting the bike that fits your riding style the best.

"Eveyone" has a Roubaix on BF for a reason, and it's not to conform with others...ride one and be honest with yourself. I'm not saying they're for everyone, but they sell for a reason. This weekend on the Apple PIe Challenge Ride, three of the eight riders were on Roubaix's, one came in last (me), one finished right in the middle and one was among the first two to the finish. It really is a bike that fits many riding styles.

bmike

What Zig said....

Mariner Fan

I've never heard anyone complain about a Roubaix. They are designed to be a comfortable ride and still give you the performance you want.
Lemonds are first class all the way but some folks don't have the body type to ride them. Mine isn't twitchy at all; do you have a short stem on it?

af2nr

I already have the LeMond BA, hence the 200 miles on it. Here is a pic to see if you all notice anything that might could be changed to help out. I would hate to take a hit on a bike with 200 miles and 2 months old, if I can help it.
The twitchy feeling is only over the bars and at speed. I also thought maybe the stem was too long but remember "hearing" that shorter stems cause this more. According to the LeMond site it has a 120mm stem. Thanks again!

mollusk

I agree that trying the BA with a different set of wheels may be the solution to your problem. There is nothing wrong with having one set of wheels for shorter/quicker rides and another set built for comfort on longer rides. It is certainly way cheaper than buying a new ride.

One of my road bikes is a really old Cannondale (1986). That bike is notorious for having a really harsh ride. I have a set of 36 spoke 3x tubulars on it (Campy Record hubs, DT 14 gauge spokes, Mavic GP4 rims) and I would not hesitate to take it out for a 100 mile ride on so-so pavement. I've done just that many times. The well broken in 26 year old Brooks Team Pro saddle helps a bit, too. My Lemond Zurich with Bontrager Race Lites and a carbon fork is a bit more comfortable (except for the sitting part), but not tremendously so. If I put a set of really rigid clincher wheels on my old Cannondale I don't think that the fillings in my teeth would survive a century ride.

The BA is also a beautiful bike. ... and 57 cm in a Lemond is my size. What am I doing trying to convince you to keep it?

bmike

Sell that TV in the background, buy the Roubaix, and give us a monthly ride report on each!


I'm not sure 200 miles is enough time to work out the bugs on a bike. I'm just now getting really comfy on the Zurich... and I've been playing with position for a year or so. Not that I was ever uncomfortable - but things always get a bit better as your body adapts.

Your stem to seat difference is on the tall side. Is your core comfy riding like this? Could this position put more weight out over the bars, hence the twitchy feeling? What's not comfortable after a long ride?

If you've just jumped on a few bikes at the local shop, I bet most would feel different - possibly better, as your body would feel each new position and certain muscles would be in different positions than your main ride.

Last fall I spent alot of time on my tourer / commuter. Getting back on the Zurich felt weird... like something was wrong. I stayed at it - and after some measuring and positioning I realized that my reach on the 520 was alot shorter than the reach on my LeMond - but I had gotten used to the position, and stretching out again felt odd. I'm much more comfortable on the LeMond... now that I've reacclimated. I'm working out some positions now on my other bikes... and I may be selling off a few older bikes to get fits similar to what I get on the Zurich.

Stick with it. Let the bike lust go... give it another hard 400 miles, while watching your body and your position. If it doesn't improve, then maybe start shopping.

wagathon

True, but the biggest difference between the two bikes of a stated frame size--other that the wheelbase--is the Roubaix's headtube length. It's going to be a lot easier to set up a bike like that for a more upright riding positon. Chances are that the Robaix that the OP checked out was set up that way and he liked it better. The the desired positioning is way upright, a Lemond is not going ever fit right.

af2nr

Here are the only two numbers that were different between the BA and the Etape. The Etape had a chainstay length of 413 and wheelbase of 993 where the BA's chainstay is 409 and wheelbase is 989, how much of a difference would this make?
Also I agree that 200 miles probably isn't enough, coupled with the fact that those were spread out over almost 3 months and maybe it is as much me as it is the bike. I also didn't take the Roubaix on that long of a ride, less than 10 miles but it was over some rough pavement.
Could the wheels be that big of a difference, I know the Elite had Alx wheels and the Comp Shimano R550's, as opposed to the Race Lites on my BA.

bmike

I couldn't tell you how the different wheels compare - but I do know that the Bontragers on my Zurich are pretty harsh, compared to when I put in a traditionally laced pair... which is why I'm buliding a new set.


Are we talking a difference of 4-5mm? Seems small - but only you know what is comfortable for you...

af2nr

Actually the Roubaix was set up "flipped" so it wasn't very upright, well one was and one wasn't so I guess I rode them both ways but the longer ride was flipped. Could flipping or changing my current stem help me some? It has a pretty negative slope to it in the flipped position.

OC Roadie

It sounds like you need a good fit session with someone that knows what they're doing. A good fitting will determine correct stem length and position as well as getting your saddle, seat post and cleats all dialed in. Get the fitting, ride a few hundred more miles, and then see what you think.

wagathon

I could be wrong but there's probably a 20 mm difference in head tube lengths for these two bikes? One thing you might do, since you probably know what is the best saddle height for a given bike, is to use a yardstick and a level.

Start with the yardstick at the point on the saddle where you sit. Then, by holding it out level over the bars, you can see how many inches the saddle is above or below the bars.

Additionally, you can also get an idea of about how far away you like your bars. It could be you can't get enough elevation of the bars on you Lemond as you may want. Just a thought.

I know these measurements for me. I like the tops of my bars about parallel with the saddle. I use the drops if I want a more aggressive postion, such as against the wind. For me, the bars are about 31" from the back part of the saddle where I sit. With these measurements, I'd be surprised if I could not set up either bike for my preferences (with the right frame size to begin with).



P.S., just looked up the geo: 171 mm for a 57c steel Lemond versus 215 mm for a 58 Robaix.

P.S.S., I just checked out the geo for my frame size too. A 61c Robaix has a 235 mm head tube length. This compares to the XL (63 c) Trek Pilot, a bike that also is called a "comfort" bike (in that it has a downward sloping top tube) of 193 mm. From my experience, the Pilot is almost exactly the same as a '01 steel Lemond 61c BA.

All of the bikes have about the same seat tube angle; for head tube angles, the Robaix is right in the middle: the Pilot is more relaxed and the Lemond is a little steeper. So, I'm guessing that about the biggest difference that you will find between the Robaix (in addition to the longer wheelbase) and other bikes, including classic road bikes and newer "comfort" design bikes, is the relative length of the head tube.

af2nr

I had a fit session on the Etape and tried to have them set-up the BA with where the Etape was at, maybe that wasn't the best way to go about it but the shop I got it at was not near me so that was the best I could do at the time. Anyway maybe I should try this again to verify.

af2nr

My BA is actually 156 mm v. 190 mm on the 56cm Roubaix that I test rode, which I am guessing is a quite considerable difference, 34 mm.

I think I may flip the stem back and see if that helps out anything, if nothing else it should bridge the gap I have right now between my seat and bars. It is almost impossible to comfortably ride in the drops now. Thanks for all the info!


Here is a pic of the BA and the Etape, before I flipped the stem on it after many miles. It looks like I may be able to get in a better position that way. What do you all think?

af2nr

Also of note to me, now that I think about it. When I got fitted for the Etape after they flipped the stem they rotated the bars upward, due to the fact I do most of my riding on the hoods. This might be another option?

wagathon

You probably should have gotten at least the 59c Lemond frame, but only because there's a lot of exposed seatpost and the height of the bars results in a very agressive posture. Some would like that, I'm sure.

I saw the 156mm figure too but I thought there was a footnote saying add 17 mm to steel Lemonds.



P.S., Just checked it out and the geo says add 15 for steel Lemonds. A 59c Lemond would have been almost 189.5 mm. That would have given you more options, especially if the steerer tube was cut off a little higher.

af2nr

Yeah that is true for the steel but not the spline bikes, which mine is. Again thanks for all the info and help!

Grasschopper

Well one thing that I think hasn't been mentioned here (well wagathon commented on it) is proper TT fit. Everyone seems to be looking at the height of the bars and the height of the seat and saying the OP needs a larger frame...please keep in mind that the larger frame will have a longer TT and that the Lemond TT is longer for a given size than many other bikes. My guess is that the Lemond doesn't fit right with the stem flipped down and that the Roubaix, with it's more standard TT length for a given size, simply fits better...not to mention being a hell of a bike. The 56cm Roubaix vs the 57cm lemond has a 10mm shorter TT while ALSO putting the bars 34mm higher. Put him on the 59cm Lemond and the TT is now another 16mm longer.

So either the stem on the BA needs to be fliped up like the Etape was and if you don't like the way it fits or rides then it isn't the right bike no matter what you do. I like the design concepts of the spine design bikes but they just don't fit me...I could never ride a Lemond no matter how nice I think they are.

af2nr

Yeah I am going to try flipping the stem and see how that works. The only thing is the Etape had the stem "flipped" before I got the BA. That Etape pic was before the flip. Maybe flipping it up will help if not...

ANYONE wanna buy a "like new" Buenos Aires?