Westward Ho! – Bike Snob NYC

It’s by no means simple dropping a testcycle, and this morning I bid farewell to the LeMond, which is starting it journey westward to Bainbridge Island, WA the place it should rejoin its siblings at Basic Cycle:

I acquired the bike again in March of final yr:

And I’ve very a lot loved what in some ways represents a excessive water mark within the evolution of the street racing bicycle. (Other than the relative paucity within the tire clearance division, in fact.) When this bike was model new, which was in 2003, I used to be nonetheless very a lot a Racing Fred, however a motorcycle like this was past my meager means. So for Basic Cycle to make the dream bikes of the period out there to me for my delectation has been of a dream come true.

But alas, all goals should come to an finish. I had a tough time returning this positive bicycle, and on quite a few events I severely contemplated not returning it in any respect and formally buying it. However like an ice cream cone, the LeMond is one thing of a fair-weather confection, and it’s that a lot simpler to withstand such a temptation within the lifeless of winter. When the times are quick and the temperature is frigid, boxing up the bike lastly looks like an inexpensive different to using it.

This in fact shouldn’t be the primary time I’ve bid adieu to a positive early-aughts titanium bicycle:

It’s in all probability silly to check two bicycles with completely different geometries and components that I by no means even rode back-to-back. Nonetheless, my aesthetic choice for easy decals and all-metal frames however, my general impression is that the LeMond had a extra nice journey high quality even than the Litespeed. I attempt to keep away from princess-and-the-pea makes an attempt to parse the way in which a motorcycle feels, and I do know all the explanations body materials has little to do with it, however the LeMond is a type of bikes that makes me assume they’re actually is one thing to it, and that the way in which they used the carbon and the titanium collectively actually labored. Is it the the magic mixture of body supplies coupled with the much-vaunted “LeMond geometry?” Or is it largely psychological?

Both approach, in returning one other positive titanium bicycle, and one I in all probability preferred even higher than the primary, I can’t assist questioning if I’m making the identical mistake twice–although I additionally admit it’s simple to be cavalier once I know I’ve bought this:

Little doubt when it’s shorts-and-jersey climate as soon as once more I’ll really feel the urge to journey a racy bike with skinny tires and miss the LeMond, however at the very least I’ll have this:

I by no means thought I’d hold the Y-Foil this lengthy. Nonetheless, in contrast to the LeMond, which makes itself obvious instantly, the Y-Foil is an enigma, and one which incorporates multitudes, and so I need to proceed to plumb its depths. The suspension fork was solely the start, and in some way I think that to really perceive this bike is to unlock the secrets and techniques of the universe:

Or, in case you want, the bike trade certain did some wacky stuff earlier than they found out street bikes ought to have the ability to match wider tires. It’s simple to confuse workarounds and profundity.