LeMond 8 carbon street & gravel bikes are lastly right here, unveiling that revolutionary US-made carbon expertise they’ve been teasing us with for years. That first got here to life in a collection of ultra-stealthy e-bikes, however now LeMond is getting again to his correct street racing roots. Whereas they’ve hinted at extra environment friendly carbon fiber manufacturing processes since 2016, these new street bikes are all about premium light-weight efficiency, and include premium worth tags to match…
LeMond 8 distinctive carbon aero street bike
c. LeMond
Greg LeMond’s 8 second come-from-behind Tour de France victory modified his life, not solely within the apparent level of creating him a winner of the world’s largest street race, but additionally in making him notice the facility of easy however transformative change. It was admittedly his adoption of latest aerobar tech that basically received that race, in order that 8 started to represent revolutionary tech for him.
Now, he’s calling the LeMond 8 street bike “probably the most transformative change to carbon fiber body development” for the reason that first carbon bike frames of the Nineteen Eighties & 90s.
Revolutionary carbon fiber bike tech
In 2016, we had been invited to Knoxville, Tennessee to get a sneak peek of what LeMond promised can be their way forward for carbon fiber. Not simply carbon fiber although, however domestically produced carbon fiber that had the potential to revolutionize industries exterior of the bicycle world. After all, the subsequent technology of carbon bicycles was additionally all the time on the menu.
Having partnered with the Oakridge Nationwide Laboratories, LeMond initially got down to develop “the holy grail of carbon fiber,” or carbon that may very well be produced at $5 per pound. At that worth, carbon fiber would really be cheaper to supply than utilizing aluminum.
Since then, LeMond has relocated the bicycle operations to a brand new facility in West Knoxville, the place these new street bikes will apparently be made transferring ahead.
US-made carbon innovation
Now, on the surface, the brand new LeMond 8 street bike appears to be like fairly just like lots of the trendy aero street bikes we’ve seen in recent times. However inside is a novel LeMond 8 MatrixCore combining a carbon sandwich with an ultralight Xenecore increasing foam. That guarantees extra equal inside strain when molding the carbon (vs. detachable mandrels or inflatable bladders) and likewise stays inside the finished bike to additional damp vibration.
Along with the froth core, LeMond incorporates inside bolstered carbon truss buildings that add energy & stiffness at key body junctions, whereas sustaining mild & skinny carbon wall sections which might be proof against exterior harm. The ensuing LeMond 8 framesets are mentioned to be “among the strongest and most secure frames on this planet” with out including pointless weight.
With extra management of particular person fiber placement and focused help of key components, the LeMond 8 was capable of be constructed with no steel inserts in any respect. Even threaded water bottle bosses & backside bracket threads are lighter & stronger in carbon, with simply metal bolts the one steel that attaches to the carbon bike. It even will get a carbon fiber direct mount derailleur hanger.
The carbon T47 backside bracket itself is exclusive, interlocking a exact threaded carbon lattice cylinder by co-molding it into the body throughout remaining manufacturing. Classically trendy threaded BB with no weight penalty.
Connected to the entrance of the body, a monocoque 1-piece carbon handlebar+stem cockpit and built-in fork share comparable development with inside structural ribs, and MatrixCore foam within the case of the fork. Once more, heavy steel inserts that threat galvanic oxidation are all however eradicated, and riders are left with totally inside cable routing integration and even a system to guarantee that the bars & fork are all the time completely aligned.
Tech particulars & Geometry
The LeMond 8’s geometry is described as “True Highway Really feel”, with a variety of eight inventory sizes (47-62cm). Every dimension will get tailored tube dimensions, size-specific chainstays, headtube angles & fork offsets to lead to comparable Path figures for all riders. “Each rider advantages from the identical optimum setup… for a constant trip and really feel high quality all through the road, irrespective of the scale.”
The LeMond 8 is an aero street bike and incorporates a lowered frontal profile and aerodynamic Kamm tail tubing profiles. It additionally doesn’t damage that each one cables are routed totally inside, though the bikes are hydraulic disc brake AND digital shift solely.
The bike contains a distinctive proprietary aero seatpost & channel clamp designed to unfold clamping drive over a wider 66mm part of the put up. A aspect profit is that equipment like a taillight and/or saddlebag will also be hooked up by way of the channel.
The LeMond 8 has beneficiant 32mm all-road tire clearance (with full builds providing 25/28/30mm tire choices) and options 12mm thru-axles, flat mount disc brakes, an choice for a conventionally built-in 2-piece bar & stem setup, and is obtainable in Tour Blue with silver graphics or Classics gray with Maillot Jaune yellow logos.
What’s Staff LeMond?
c. LeMond
The debut of the LeMond 8 additionally brings with it the Staff LeMond digital biking membership, and the tease of that gravel bike too. Included in your LeMond 8 buy is membership membership that can even get you invitations to occasions with Greg LeMond, like this summer season’s 4-day driving expertise in Chatel for the arrival of the eighth stage of the Tour de France.
You additionally acquire early entry to new LeMond merchandise, plus annual membership biking package and members-only quarterly City Corridor Zoom calls with Greg. Oh, and there’s a Staff LeMond Professional Deal. When you personal one LeMond 8 as a Staff LeMond member, you’ll get a 50% low cost off the subsequent LeMond carbon framesets, wheelsets & new carbon fiber parts you purchase over the subsequent 3-4 years (in restricted numbers).
What’s subsequent?
In that point, there can be a LeMond 8 Aero Gravel Body, a second-generation LeMond 8 street bike by 2025, two units of carbon wheels, and extra “new LeMond Carbon Fiber New Elements”.
LeMond 8 bikes – Pricing, choices & availability
2022 LeMond 8 body package
The brand new LeMond 8 is obtainable to pre-order with a large deposit now in one in all two choices. For a $6000 deposit and a remaining complete worth of $8500 / 9500€ you’ll get a carbon LeMond 8 street bike body, fork, 1-piece handlebar/stem, seatpost & 47mm deep wheelset. You have to to provide the part construct package.
2022 LeMond 8 Dura-Ace full
Or for a whopping $9500 deposit on the way in which to a remaining complete $12,500 / 13,900€ price ticket you’ll get an entire carbon LeMond 8 street bike constructed up with a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 12 groupset.
International deliveries to North America & many of the EU from in the present day’s pre-orders are slated to start this July 2022 on a first-come, first-served foundation with precedence given to finish bikes.
