jamesdak 

I don't normally pick up bikes sight unseen but I just couldn't pass up on a Billato built Greg LeMond Maillot Jaune. Just got it in and it looks really good. Really good paint and all with some minor marks that have been touched up pretty well. Decals are in great shape and are clear-coated over. It's a TSX framed bike that I weighed as you see it in the pictures at 22 lbs and 14 ozs. Sorto expected it to be a bit lighter but that's not a big deal. It's a 8 speed Campagnolo groupset on it with indexing on the back. I honestly am not but I think it's Chorus. It's got Ten Speed Drive Imports sticker on it and is a 55 cm bike. It does have the 1989 Tour De France sticker on it but other than that I'm not sure what year it is. These are hard bikes to find out much on.

The paint jobs by TSDI are so good on both of my Greg Lemonds considering the age.

Obviously I still need to go over it good but intial impression are it's a nice bike. It's the middle of winter here so no outdoor shots and probably 2 months or so until I get this out on the road. Can't wait!!

On a side note in case there is any significance to it. Both of the Greg Lemonds have Silva under the rear brake bridge with neither of my Billato built Giordana's do. Don't know if that means anything or not.

Anyway, I know the rules, so here's some rough indoor pics.

jamesdak 

And more:

jamesdak 

And for comparision, the other Billato built Greg Lemond in the stable.

tyler_fred

Man! That's a nice bike. All of your bikes are sweet.

The lime tires complement the blue frame so well.

jamesdak 

I'm already tempted to move them over to the Bianchi:

exmechanic89

I agree, beautiful bike as well as your other Lemond. Love that brake bridge. And uh, 22lbs is pretty light and agile, imo.

I just finished Lemond's 'Complete Book of Bicycling' coincidentally.

easyupbug 

Beautiful, is that a 55/56 frame and is the geometry the same as your Zurich?

Barrettscv 

Great example of a Iconic bike, I so want one.

jamesdak 

Well, the measurement on the seat tube is 22" measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the top tube. Then the top tube is longer at 22.5" center to center.

Not sure of the angles on this one, been looking all over the internet for the geometry measurements of these pre-trek bikes with no luck. My Zurich has "been on loan" to friend for a few years now. So I can't do a direct comparison right now.

easyupbug 

My Zurich is 57 C/C S/T, and 58 TT so sound similar geometry. I shall keep my eyes open. I love my Zurich ride, other than the atrocious welds. Would love lugged all the more.

rjhammett

Very nice bike. I too have a Billato built bike (Tommaso) that was painted and distributed by TSDI. Mine is 62cm ctc and weighs 23lbs./2oz. Like yours mine is of Columbus TSX. I like the paint job on yours much better.

Classtime 

This one doesn't look quite as nice as your new one but...
1989-90 Greg Lemond Maillot Jaune - Dura Ace - TSX
I assume the lugged Lemonds were 1cm+/- longer on the top tube than "normal" like the trek ale Lemonds. I miss my 03 MJ.
Edit: I take it back. Maybe as nice as yours minus campy plus dura ace.

jamesdak 

That's a beaut! My price was nicer.

CV-6 

Indeed a looker. A Maillot Jaune is a bike that I would consider breaking my self imposed embargo on buying.

So how is the ride of TSX? I have been lead to believe it is harsh/stiff compared to SL and even SLX. Wasn't there also an SL version of this same frame?

jamesdak 

Thanks, I had told myself no more bikes except for a late 80s Paramount to go with my Prologue and Circuit and then this popped up. Lemond, Billato Built, Steel, and Campagnolo equipped. How was I supposed to resist??

jamesdak 

I honestly haven ridden a TSX bike yet and won't be able to get this one out for awhile due to road conditions here in Northen UT. I heard the same comment about TSX when posting about a De Rosa frame I bought about a month ago. Other posters say that's not true of TSX, I'll see once I get these bikes out.

Lazyass

Sweet, wasn't expecting that. It looks big, more like a 57 than a 55.

Lazyass

Oh, just read your measurements. That's not 55, it's my size. I want it.

Spaghetti Legs 

Also never ridden TSX, but the Merckx Century was designed, or at least marketed, as a comfortable, all day rider and it was built with it.

That's a real nice looking bike, I was sorely tempted by one of those in white a year or so ago.

jamesdak 

Yeah, I had to get some measurements from the seller to make sure it wasn't too big because it looked it.

The seat tube is a tad shorter than my Giordana XL Super and the top tube is a 1/4" longer. Good new is that this bike is pretty much spot on for fit out of the box. The saddle is more forward oriented on the rails yet properly positioned for the setback I need. So fitting a Brooks with it's shorter rails should work just fine. I normally have to slam a Brooks all the way back

I'm also hoping 28c tires will fit on this like they do my Ventoux. They give the Ventoux such a great ride for long distances.

Lazyass

Oh please don't put a Brooks on it. That wouldn't look right at all. A black Turbo or Supercorsa would be perfect on that bike. Just get a shorter stem.

jamesdak 

LOL, sorry but at almost 8000 miles of riding a year for me saddles are the most important thing. I've found that there's few that work for my long rides. That means a Brooks Swallow or the Gyes equivalent or Fizik Kurve Chameleons which are getting harder to find. Plus the Kurves creak and you have to keep taking them apart to grease the contact points. Otherwise I've got a house full of saddles that are ok for 20 miles but I need more.

Does the Brooks really look that bad on the Ventoux above or on this sweet Opus III?



A black one would be smoking hot and really comfortable on this LeMond!

Lazyass

I personally don't like Brooks on anything, they're boat anchors and I don't like the looks. That's just me, but I know in the 80's when I started cycling nobody was using them. I think hipsters made them popular in the last decade or so. They might look appropriate on a 1972 Raleigh or something, but not that LeMond. With an 80's lightweight racing saddle that bike would be perfect.

jamesdak 

LOL, we"ll just have to disagree on this one. After years and lots of wasted money and time trying various saddles I'm sticking to what works. So when I need a new saddle now it comes down to which of the two types I mentioned I can find at the better price when I need it.

And as long as I'm weighing in the 180s I cannot fault a saddle for being too heavy! As much as I like my bikes looking good, it's how they work for riding that really matters.

So while hipsters (not sure what they are) may have made them popular, in my case my butts making the choice, LOL!

But I hear where your're coming from.

jamesdak 

Well, still trying to sort this out. Gave more thought to the decal and what that says about age. The 1989 Tour de France win is there but no the 1990. So I guess that ties it to being a 1989-1990 build. At least I think, LOL!

Been going through some Campagnolo sites trying to figure out what components I have. Still not sure.

I'm curious as to what this is on the end of the cable head for the shifter for the RD. I don't see it in the catalogs and haven't seen anything like it on my other DT equipped bikes. It's threaded and turning it must adjust cable tension a bit. So I guess I understand the purpose just don't see it in the catalogs.



Here's a shot of the RD, does this help any Campagnolo experts pin down the identification?