I bought a new LeMond to replace my aging Trek, and here are my thoughts on the old versus the new.
Both bikes have/had Ultegra componentry on them.
Brakes: I know that the dual pivot brakes are supposedly better, but I can't tell the difference in
stopping power. However, the modulation is better with the dual pivot brakes.
Framesets: Steel w/carbon fork (LeMond) v. Aluminum w/aluminum (Trek). I can't tell much of a
difference. However, I've only ridden the old bike a few times, and it wasn't back to back (i.e.,
get off one bike and on another immediately).
Shifters: down-tube v. integrated. I like the integrated better, as I can shift while standing and
climbing. One thing I don't like is more numbness on the integrated brakeset/shifters, which I
attribute to having my hands on the brakeset more and the wider area of the brake hoods. I have
quite a bit less hand numbness on my old Trek, which I attribute to the shifters, although there may
be minor differences in seat-to-handlebar positioning. I'm also still not used to hitting the brakes
and having the brake levers move laterally. I've learned to try to move my hands around more on the
LeMond in an effort to minimize numbness.
Positioning: The LeMond kicks butt in this area. You sit far back, which is something that I could
never achieve with the Trek, even with set-back seatposts. The handlebars are wider by an inch and
are ergo (not sure how much I like the "ergo" aspect). I did have to increase the step from 110mm to
130mm to get comfortable (as I did on the Trek, too). The positioning (in terms of the rear) is so
much better on the LeMond that there's no comparison on this aspect. The front, I'm still modifying
to try to get rid of hand numbness. I've almost got it licked, but the rear of the LeMond is so much
better that the LeMond is more comfortable over all.
Triple versus double chainrings: In Arizona, this wouldn't be an issue; similarly, if you're a
person who can output a lot of power, it's not an issue. For me, in Connecticut and with
bodybuilding-made legs that don't like to bike, I like the ability to spin up hills instead of
grinding up them.
Threaded v. threadless headsets: I'd rather have threaded, at least during the initial owning of the
bike, when I'm trying to dial it in for my body. It's a pain to move the handlebars up and down on a
threadless headset, and I can't tell any difference in rigidity between the two setups. Once I get
the bike dialed in, then it's a moot point, as I generally never change the positioning. I'm still
modifying the positioning on my LeMond to get rid of hand numbness, and it sucks to move the
handlebars up and down.
Anyway, for me the primary benefit to the LeMond is the positioning, in terms of the rear of the
bike. While I do like the ability to shift while standing, I find that the combined brake/shift
levers contribute to hand numbness. New brakes seem to be minorly improved over the old, and I can't
tell much if any difference between aluminum and steel frames and aluminum and carbon forks.
As an aside, my broken in Brooks saddle (which does not come standard on the LeMond) is so much
better than the saddle I have on my Trek. Riding the Trek is now a painful experience, which I never
knew until I rode a Brooks.
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Bob M in CT Remove 'x.' to reply