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Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

lemond.com

71–80 of 308 posts

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#71

Coming from conventional bikes, I don't understand who this is for. Carbon fibre frames are prohibitively expensive and the market for them serves very involved, often professional or semi-pro cyclists whose performance bottlenecks are imposed by the bike instead of themselves. Ditto for some of the other details on the bike, like the medium-dish carbon rims — all for the sake of weight savings and aerodynamics (sinc…

You can buy a carbon bike at any mainstream bike shop, they aren’t just for pros anymore. I ride one because it feels amazingly sporty. I’m an enthusiast but not very athletic. The super light, stiff bike is just fun to ride. The aero features like integrate stem and bars is mostly found on time-trial and triathlon bikes. In contrast you can get conventional road bikes, gravel bikes, and mountain bikes in carbon at a…

And if you buy directly from brands that do not sell through local shops (like Dare or Canyon) it can be even cheaper.

I commute on my carbon frame bike and use steel one only in winter now.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#72
post #70

I get wanting light weight, my current aluminum ebike is 80 lbs, but my current ebike is a Juiced Ripcurrent S fat tire with 1kWh battery and I completely out speed and out range my friend who has a Turbo Vado SL while being much more comfortable and spending 1k less. The main downside with the weight is getting up on a bike rack to drive it somewhere, but they have rack with ramps now designed for heavy ebikes. I kn…

Is it really that bad on pavement as I am thinking about getting the ripcurrent s for commuting next year once wfh ends? That hydra does look pretty sweet though but I'm not sure if it is worth an extra 2k.

Its ok much better with a Kinekt 2.1 seat post, but after you get used to how plush a full suspension bike is its hard to go back.

Its not just ride comfort but control too, the rear suspension helps keep the rear tire in contact with the road instead of bouncing around with the whole bike. Also why a mid drive is somewhat better with full suspension due to less unsprung weight.

The Juiced RCS is a lot of bang for the buck, the battery is huge and mine will top out at 32mph on flat ground and go 40+ miles on charge without holding back. I have 1300 miles on mine with no issues.

Also look at Biktrix.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#74
post #3

Seems pretty OK, I personally do prefer hub motor ebikes over mid-drive, but without any lugs for racks I don't know if this is truly the pinnacle of versatility. Also the handlebar is not the right place to mount the front light. I don't know why manufacturers keep making this mistake. I guess it's because Americans just don't understand the bicycle as a utility vehicle. The light belongs on the fork crown.

Thanks for pointing out the lack of rack attachment points. That is a design failure.

There are bosses in the rear and fork that serve as rack and basket attachment points. Both rack and baskets are carbon to offer stiffness while maintaining a lightweight build. Love the commentary!

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#75
It's a very nice looking bike. However, as a bike commuter I prefer something that can handle the bumps and scratches of being in a bike rack next to other commuters which is one reason why I ride aluminum frames (the other being cost). Build this in aluminum and drop the sticker price and you are approaching the e-bike holy trinity of affordability, durability and usability.

ps - if gjlemond is actually Greg... holy crap! You are an inspiration, sir.[0]

[0]https://www.bicycling.com/tour-de-france/a27681555/greg-lemo...

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for pointing out the lack of rack attachment points. That is a design failure.

There are bosses in the rear and fork that serve as rack and basket attachment points. Both rack and baskets are carbon to offer stiffness while maintaining a lightweight build. Love the commentary!

Appreciate the clarification. Sounds like it has the ability to take panniers if need be.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#79
post #16

Coming from conventional bikes, I don't understand who this is for. Carbon fibre frames are prohibitively expensive and the market for them serves very involved, often professional or semi-pro cyclists whose performance bottlenecks are imposed by the bike instead of themselves. Ditto for some of the other details on the bike, like the medium-dish carbon rims — all for the sake of weight savings and aerodynamics (sinc…

I agree with you entirely, BUT Isn't this how Tesla started ? A sportscar with subpar performance and impractical for many journeys due to limited range and charging options.

yes, but this is not the bicycle equivalent of a sports car. to put this bike in car terms, it's like if somebody tried to market a "Michael Shumacher signature edition" of the toyota corolla, and the only difference from the normal model was to swap out the steel body panels for carbon fibre ones.

this isn't a racing bike, it's a boring old commuter made with good quality but completely normal components, a few fancy materials in visible places and a famous cyclist's name attached to it.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#80

I'm always confused by people of working age who ride bikes like this. What's the attraction of a more expensive and heavier bike that's no faster than pedaling yourself?

Having the electric motor for assistance up hills makes cycling significantly easier and more accessible. It's claimed that you can turn up at work without breaking a sweat. Also laziness.

In a place like San Francisco, being able to eat hills with electric assist is a game-changer.
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