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On Test: LeMond Victoire, January 17, 2008
Comfy carbon racer
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LeMond Bicycles marked its return to full carbon construction in early 2006 with its innovative Triomphe frame lineup. Cyclingnews' resident gentle giant Jonathan Devich takes LeMond's Victoire stage racer out on the Arizona backroads to see how well it holds up.
Greg LeMond was arguably the United States' first professional cycling megastar of the modern era and is synonymous with that country's cycling heritage. For those fortunate enough to have followed his career, his name brings back thoughts of his aggressive spirit and tenacity, as well as his tendency to push existing technology to its limits. LeMond has supposedly thrown all of those attributes into his eponymous LeMond Victoire to compete in what has become the highly contested carbon road bike market.
The Victoire is based around LeMond's most daring carbon frameset and its radical 'Min/Max' tube shaping philosophy. Round tubes are virtually nowhere to be found: the top tube and down tube are radically flattened and flared at either end, the asymmetric chain stays are heavily sculpted, and the slender seat stays merge in a nearly plate-like wishbone as they join the seat tube. All of this works to optimize the rigidity of the front triangle and drivetrain while retaining some vertical compliance for a comfortable ride. Moreover, the tube shapes and sizes are size-specific for each of the frame's ten sizes, meaning our 61cm tester supposedly rides nearly identically to that of the smallest 49cm model. Claimed frame weight is 950g for an average fully painted 55cm frame (and paint is surprisingly heavy).
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Breaking open the box on the Victoire was an enlightening, or I should lightening, experience as the total weight without pedals was just 7.3kg (16lb). One thing that has been consistent with the LeMond line over the years is its use of classic paint and graphics which has carried over with the Victoire. Nude carbon out back gives way to a yellow front triangle trimmed in silver which gives the bike a classic feel yet with a little pizazz.
Carbon continues to abound throughout with a full complement of Bontrager componentry, including the Race X Lite bars, stem, seatpost, wheelset, and carbon-bladed fork. Shimano Dura-Ace was used for the full drivetrain, Dual Control levers, and brake calipers. All in all it looked to be a nice setup with which to hit the road.
And hit the road we did...
Over the years I've ridden several carbon bikes with varying results. Some rode too harsh or just felt 'dead'. Others have felt a little livelier but tended to be too whippy once I threw my 1.93m, 104kg (6' 4", 230lb) frame over it. Still others offered a decent ride quality but the geometry just wasn't right for a bigger person.
Thankfully, LeMond has done its homework to make its 61cm frame fit, ride, and handle properly. The relatively slack (by average sized frame standards) 72 degree seat tube angle easily accommodated my longer femurs without having to slam the saddle all the way back as I usually have to do, while the 74 degree head tube angle helps to keep the handling reasonably quick. Likewise, the standard 120mm stem and 175mm cranks things were pretty darn close right out of the box.
The Victoire performed very well when putting power to the pedals with excellent acceleration, and the light weight coupled with extra layers of carbon at the bottom bracket made the LeMond float on the climbs. With the 72 degree seat angle I felt like I could stay in the saddle comfortably on longer climbs and keep things steady versus constantly swapping between standing and sitting. The Victoire's quick handling takes a bit of getting used to but this translated into great get-up-and-go when going for those end-of-ride sign sprints. Ride quality was spot on overall.
The Bontrager Race X Lite wheels also helped things with their surprising stiffness given the relative lack of weight. In my experience, only fairly beefy training wheels have managed to hold up over time, but the Race X Lite wheels didn't require a single adjustment over several months of test riding. This likely speaks to a quality build, but perhaps this is actually due to Bontrager's paired spoke design (also used by Rolf Prima) after all.
Riding a carbon bike this big does have some shortcomings, though. There is a lot of length to the Bontrager Race X Lite's aluminum steerer tube on a 61cm frame and there is noticeable flex up top. This was magnified by the surprisingly stiff Bontrager handlebars and the sensation put me off at first. When standing in front of the bike and putting some pressure on the bars the headset top cap visibly sways from side to side.
Although disconcerting at first there didn't seem to be much consequence on the road. The Victoire still managed to track straight and true on descents and fast sprints and turns (probably due more to the well engineered frame than anything) and displayed none of the high speed shudder or shimmy that I've experienced on some other carbon bikes.
Standing the test of time
Carbon fiber bikes have multiplied like rabbits over the past couple of years and while some have seemingly changed little since those early days, others have managed to change and evolve significantly as technology and experience has improved. Barring my issues with the steerer tube, the Victoire performed well whether it was a Saturday morning hammer fest or six-hour slog. The shaped tubes performed as advertised and kept things snappy but comfortable, while the intelligently selected mix of Bontrager and Dura-Ace parts performed flawlessly over the entire test session.
For 2008 LeMond has upgraded the Victoire frame from the Triomphe series to the 100g-lighter Triomphe Ultimate model and a Bontrager Race X Lite wheelset that has been updated with stronger forged hub shells and a more responsive rear spoke lacing pattern. Just as Greg LeMond went to Europe to race years ago and challenged the world to bring it on, he seems to have done it again with the Victoire and the new model looks to be even better.
Price: US$ 4289.99 (2008 model)
Weight: 7.3kg (16lb), without pedals, 61cm frame
Pros: Lightweight, good climber, comfortable, all-around good ride
Cons: Flexy fork
Cyclingnews rating: 
More info: www.lemondbikes.com
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us
- The sleek and sexy LeMond Victoire.
- The top tube on the LeMond continues smoothly around the seat tube and turns into the wide yet thin seat stays.
- Smooth lines continue on the front end where top and down tubes meet the head tube. Tube diameters vary according to frame size.
- A Dura-Ace drivetrain throughout serves up a predictably reliable ride.
- The Bontrager fork mates a carbon fiber crown and steerer with an aluminum steerer tube. With a steerer tube this long things got a bit flexy but not out of control.
- The nice wide mono-stay helps keep the rear end stiff while the thin profile gives it some vertical compliance.
- Plenty of carbon goes into the bottom bracket area of the Victoire.
- Steering control is provided by the Bontager Race X Lite bar and stem. The feel of the carbon bars was good although the shape of these might not be for everyone.
- Carbon stays end with aluminum dropouts. The 2008 model upgrades to carbon dropouts.
- The relatively slender seat stays on the Victoire offered a comfy ride.
- The seat stays' shape helps keep things comfy for those long rides but stays stiff for climbs and sprints.
- The integrated headset keeps things streamlined.
- The sleek looking Bontrager Race X Lite hubs employ straight pull spokes.
- The Bontrager Race X Lite slicks held up well through testing.
- Radial spokes on the non-drive side keep the wheel stiff while a two-cross pattern on the drive side helps get the power to the ground.
- Carbon fiber spacers fill in the gap between the Cane Creek integrated headset and Bontrager Race X Lite stem.
- A Bontrager carbon seatpost and titanium railed saddle help keep the weight down.
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Frame: LeMond Triomphe Min/Max carbon |
Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control ST-7800 |
