Since this pic was taken, the only changes have been flipping the handlebar stem to give it a slightly higher angle again angle -- tho not as high as stoch due to flipping a spacer as well, and swapping out the San Marco saddle for a all black Coda.
*The bike: The Nevada City was the entry-level Lemond roadbike. 853 Reynolds steel frame but equipped with bargain componentry. This one was NOS, 3 years old but in good shape.
Summary: This 2002 model uses Reynolds 853 tubing. I had long wanted a classic steel bike like the 2nd-hand ones I grew up with; narrow tubes, that special ride quality. But without the rust and "can i still get a wheel with that spacing" worry that comes with riding old or second hand bikes regularly.
In short, I wanted a new old-style bike. But the Lemond was all that -- and more.
Originally known for their narrow steel tubing and unique ride, Lemond -- named for the famous racer, whose "signature" adorns the bike -- has recently made aluminum frames and, indeed, only carries high end steel now. The Nevada City was their entry-entry-level bike, the cheapest -- but with a nice frame and quality to match. The paint job, a subtly metalic grey/silver, is perfect, with a clear coat you can practically see. The end of the top tube, by the seat cluster, bears Greg Lemond's "signature", and the headbadge is unique and colorful [in the cycling world, "racing stripes" are multicolored] without being tacky. Similarly multi-colored bands edge the seat and downtube decals with "lemond" on them. The result is a finsih with an "old time" quality and look; no bright colores on the frame, no outlandish logos. Just calm dark blue silver, with the only splashes of color being descreet and well placed.
The bike rides as good as it looks -- oddly enough, better than I expected. Hey, Sora is cheap-cheap if dependable, and not a hot-ticket item -- but riding this bike I felt like a kid again. I had just come out of surgery when I got it -- still had stitches in my shoulder, in fact -- but taking Synder Ave I got up to nearly 35mph. For a guy nearly riding one-handed you'd think it was hairy, but the bike was totally stable. The 'Vada is comfortable at cruising speeds of 30mph, or just poking around the backroads at 15 mph. Unlike some modern designs it doesn't push you to immitate a racer; but if you wanna bomb down that hill at speeds approaching 40mph, it'll take it.
Climbing is easy; the slogan "a ride like no other" is truly what it is. I climbed a hill I have trouble with on other bikes when standing -- sitting down. Okay, the triple really helped out in this department, but the truth is, the frame geometry is an all-around winner. Just like the bike. In fact, except for the Sora and lack of stock clipless pedals I could find no fault in it. But then, Sora makes possible the triple chainring and keeps the price low. And it is easy to operate -- this coming from a guy who grew up on Suntour downtube friction shifters! And unlike most entry-levels, it had decent rims, which will save lotsa money over the long haul -- which this machine's frame appears built for.
In my mind, discontinuing the entry level steel frames, including the Nevada City, was the worst thing Lemond could do. Sure it has techy bikes that are part Ti and part carbon, but Steel is still Real.
*The Ride: Stable yet quick. Fun but capable. All day or one hour, this seems to bike to ride it on.
*Componments: All I added was a Cateye Mity8 speedometre and a battle cage, plus old SPD's and a nicer San Marco seat, which I later switched for a Coda. The Sora shifters aren't cool, but they funtion fine. The triple chainrings up front are a huge plus.
The stock IRC 700x25c tires were also a plus, less harsh than 23's.
The rims are especially cool, Matrix Auroras, same as my Trek XO1 which is a cyclecross specific bike. To me, that suggests a durability and long-haul servicability not found in many "entry level" bikes which use cheapo rims that either need contant truing or spontaneously combust on The Garden State's potholed country roads and busy town / city streets.
The triple cranks are also better than my last Sora-spec'd bike, my Trek 1000, which used these hollowed out crankarms and chainrings made of cheap-looking aluminum. The chainrings on the 'Vada appear o be steel, which may be prone to rust but also wears better, and rust can be dealt with by applying a protective coating -- which was done, and also applyed to the cranks, all exposed bolts, and even the welding vent-holes in the steel 853 reynolds frame.
The Sora shifters are not flashy or cool -- but so what? They work great, even ho you can't shift from the drops with the same easy as more costly gearings. As the guy at the LBS said, "I've never had to warranty a Sora shifter." This bears out my own experience, my Trek 1000 had Sora before I stripped it for a fixed gear conversion. The shifters worked flawlessly. However, the rear Sora derailier is another story; it works oaky now, but in my experience it is hard to adjust properly over the long run as things wear. Only time will tell on that run.
*About the fit: The trend over the last decade or so has been to smaller frames with simply taller seats. This keeps the leg distance alright, for most. I have a 30" pant leg and my Nevada was like 51 or 52cm size frame... The Lemond frame design is supposed to be unique, and it is.
Whether due to the triple, or the claimed difference in seat tube angle, climbing is easy, and climbing without standing on the pedals -- of all things -- is easier than one could imagine!
The "fishpole" seats that show a half foot or more of exposed seatpost are good because the smaller frame it allows you to ride is easier to handle, usually lighter, and gives you more room to move around on the bike [which is why this sort of design has been adopted by most mountainbikes these days]. On a road bike it's different however. You stand on the pedals going uphill or over bumps, but mostly you just pedal. And it's not like a mountainbike with uneven terrain to react your body to... Employ this strategy on a roadie frame and it will be too small overall unless it is made right -- the top tube will be too short for the rider's arms and torso, the handlebars too low, etc. [I have used a tall seatpost on a shorter frame when refurbishing 2nd hand or junk find bikes in odd configurations. On my Fuji fixed gear tourer -- the 5 boro bike -- I used a really long seatpost, because the frame had a angled tob tube. But I was looking for that sort of design, for among other reasons, since it is easier on the fam jewels when dismounting on uneven pavement, and because it allowed room to mount a large bag under the seat and still mount a visible light underneath.
For performance, a higher seat or lower handlebars is good. This is why it has become prevelent. It IS faster, it IS more efficient. But it is NOT comfortable for any real distance.
This is why, though most bikes are psuedo racers in frame design, Lemond remained popular with its line of traditional steel-framed and uniquely designed bike frames. If all bike companies did this, reversing the trend, Lemond would still be a winner. It isn't because it's odd or quaint or od-fashioned; it's because it is comfortable and fun to ride.
As a rule, I try to go by the old rule of showing only "a fistfull" of seatpost on road bikes. More than that and the frame is usually too small for me. Less, and it is definately too big. Of course Lemonds run big, my Trek bikes were 53 or 54 cm size... but the Lemond sticks to the "fistfull" rule.
Now that the Nevada City is no longer offered by Lemond in its steel version [and after the 2002 when mine was made they went to using lesser quality steel tubing for the frame before they phased it out] I wonder if the Lemond bike company will decline? They have a nice bike in the Zurich, etc. etc. with carbon-fibre and Titanium, but techno-race bikes can't compete witht he lively feel of old steel. Outside of a custom job which costs a few grand, the inexpensive Lemond was the only real place to get steel frames these days. I believe in focusing on their high end bikes and techno-wizardry they have abandoned their reason for being, which oddly enuff still remains the company slogan: "A ride like no other". My bike was the last model year they made that ride, for less than an arm and a leg. Other companies such as Rivendell [no, not the elves from middle earth!] make "traditional" steel frames but they are expensive. Some, like Serotta, cost more than most compact cars.
Lemond harkened back to the old days -- riding it is like riding one of the old "ten speeds" you grew up with, only in its modern carnation. It was fun, and the frame if built up with nice components might even be race-worthy -- but the fun of that first ride was all fun. Riding a aluminum bike with aero downtube and flashy colors [my first Trek is yellow] you feel compelled to ride fast, as if people are watching you and expect you to conform to the racy image of the bike. The Lemond has no image, its a road bike, that's it. You can go plenty fast on it [ i broke a few 35mph speed limits on local hill descents even babying my arm!] but you don't feel like the bike expects to go fast. There is no image pushing you to ride in a way you don't want to; the bike is perfectly comfortable with a 40 mile long, but 15 or 20 mph, cruise. I believe this has to do not only with its paint scheme, and the use of traditional diametre steel tubing, but also the fit and ride of the bike.
It even comes with larger, 700x25c tires rather than the harsh 700x23c tires normally used on road bikes.
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Description as stock...
Frame: Reynolds 853 double butted
Fork: LeMond
Component Group: Road Mix
Geometry: 72.5/73.0
Top Tube: 56.5cm
Chainstay: 41.5cm
BB Shell Width: 68mm English
Seatpost Diameter: Unspecified
Handlebar: anatomic drop bar
Pedals: aluminum cage w/clips & straps
Saddle: Selle San Marco New Millennium
Seatpost: aluminum micro-adjust
Tires: IRC Red Storm
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Specs on My VC:
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