2003 LeMond Zurich. Ultegra.
 

So my vintage custom Ti road bike has a cracked top tube. It might take as long as 6 months to be repaired. I can’t go 6 months without riding and have seen several early 2000 LeMond Zurich’s for sale. Asking $700-$800. I have no idea what the “right” price is for something like that, but suspect those prices are high. Can anyone give me some color?

:foo:
Hard to say without a bicycle to look at. Prices are all over the place.

853 (or OX) steel should be good.

A lot will depend on the exact build and condition of the bike.

Personally I'm not a big fan of the Shimano Ultegra 9speed. Although, it should be fine if it works.

Here are a couple of local ads:
LEMOND ZURICH ROAD BIKE - $499 (eugene)

Lemond Zurich 52cm Road Bike - $600 (Corvallis)

2007 LeMond Alpe D’Huez - $400 (Tigard)

01 Lemond Bicycle - $300 (N Eugene)

Different communities will be different.

Look for how long a bike has been listed. We are now quickly headed towards fall. There should be a little bump in sales as college students return, then in many places in the North, the bike market will die.

In the SF bay area the current prices range from $1,500 to $495 but also notice the different components on the bike.

Good luck!

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik...361385105.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik...359933437.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bik...359507935.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik...346130846.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik...360651872.html

Keep in mind that LeMonds have a long top tube so Greg could stretch out. If you like to stretch out, great, but if you don't, not so much.

Sorry to hear about your cracked ti, BTW. Hope the builder is taking care of it for you.

Pricing depends where you live. Pre-covid a Zurich would run $500-$650ish. These days your $700-$800 is more typical. No idea if the actual selling price is that high, but asking prices have increased. If it's comfortable, you'll find it to be a fun bike.

The long top tube thing tends to be a bit exaggerated. In the mid-sized models the effective top tube is about 1-1.5cm longer than the frame size(1/2 to 3/4 inch). The smaller frames are about +2cm, the larger frames have top tubes nearly equal to the stated size. I typically ride a 56. I have four 55cm Lemonds and they all feel fine with a 100mm stem.

There seem to be quite a few Lemonds popping up across the country on Craigslist.

There is a fairly lengthy Facilitator's Thread, and you may be able to get some help shipping. Although, I wouldn't bother just to save $50 or $100. But, it could be useful if you found the perfect bike at the perfect price.

That's a pretty strong price for Trek era LeMond. I'd be more at 400.00 tops.

Been watching Lemond bikes for years now (Great Lakes region). If a Zurich was priced at $400, it would be a basket case.

If $400 is all you're willing to spend, you're not getting a Zurich. At least not one in good shape. LOL

Regardless of whether it was built under the Trek umbrella or not, the Zurich is Reynolds 853, and is an excellent ride.

I'm not sure of all the Lemond models. It looks like the $300 bike above is a 2001 Tourmalet, which is was half the value of the Zurich, but still sported the 853 frame. However, it appears to have a 1" steer tube (maybe).

If this is an interim bike while waiting for repairs to the primary bike, one wouldn't necessarily need to go top of the line. Wheels could be borrowed off of the damaged bike.

Thank you!
 

Thank you for all the helpful responses. I took down a 2003 Zurich that was in nice shape for $550. It will get me over several humps in the next six months. First, a family vacation in August in a cycling friendly spot. It would cost at least $250 to rent a road bike there. Second, training for and completing a 150 mile MS ride in late September with a buddy of mine who has MS. Priceless. Third, a bike to use on my trainer while I wait for the repair work. When that’s done, I can give the bike to one of my teenagers. Whichever one it fits best.

I think you'll enjoy the Zurich. I have a Lemond Maillot Jaune(2001, same frame as the Zurich with Dura-ace group) and a Lemond Victoire (2002 titanium, Ultegra), both with carbon forks, both running the same tires(28mm Panaracer GK slicks), both running H Plus Son Archetype wheels and it's not easy telling them apart on a ride. Both are very fast, comfortable bikes and fun to ride.

Update
 

Thought I would give an update after taking the Zurich out for 4 laps of Central Park. Pretty sweet. I hadn’t ridden a steel frame in 20 years and after spending the last 2 weeks on a low end aluminum Giant Contend with Claris, this felt great. Nice, lively, “steel is real” ride. Truly a pleasure. Also, 18 year old Ultegra still shifts quite smoothly compared to 4 month old Claris.

Here’s some photos of the Ti bike, its cracked tube and the 2003 LeMond.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c5c147200.jpeg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...db9f97166.jpeg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7cbff7a67e.jpg

Ohh... a frame destroyed by internal cable routing :(

Your new Lemond looks pretty!!!

How is your Selle SMP?

The Selle SMP works well for me. My LBS did a blind test with about a dozen saddles on a stationery setup and the SMP was the winner. It took some getting used to, though, because I find the beak nose design to be butt ugly (pun intended). In the end, only your butt really knows what fits.

As for the internal routing, the guy doing the repair wanted to know if I wanted internal routing again or external with stops along the tube. I wanted the bike to look original so opted for internal, but wondering if that’s a mistake given the crack.

I wonder if there is a way to reinforce the cable entry point.

https://live.staticflickr.com/3906/3...6f5ec813_b.jpg

Of course TIG welding and brazing have different impacts on the tubes.

I hate internal routing. Just something to add cost and complication IMHO, but then I'm old and don't mind looking at a cable.

Ti frame fixed?
Want to sell the Lemond -hahaha

Believe it or not…
 

The Spectrum is still not done. I think it is close, though. When it is, I will either sell it or give it to one of my kids if it fits.