Now that some of you have ridden one for a year or so, what are your thoughts? I'm thinking of getting an '05 that's all lonely on our sales floor.

the los

Now that some of you have ridden one for a year or so, what are your thoughts? I'm thinking of getting an '05 that's all lonely on our sales floor.

the los

I've been surprised by how much I like the bike, and by how often I've kept picking it for rides throughout the summer. Obviously it's a matter of personal preference, but I really like the way this bike rides. I prefer it to some of the older steel LeMonds I've tried, but more important, it's stable, comfortable, and reasonably responsive on the road. I really think that it's a very nice frame and fork--especially so given the price of the total bike.

Some of the other basics are good too. The wheels have been solid and dependable, I like the bars, and the post looks good and seems fine (it's a post). The tires are fine--not my favorite clinchers but not bad at all, still rolling in September, and I like the fact that 25 mm tires are stock. I did swap the saddle and stem right away. I actually liked the shape of the stock saddle but found it a bit too soft for the longer haul. No complaints about the quality of the stem, but I wanted a different length and angle. Both stem and saddle are likely negotiable as swaps when you buy the bike. Overall, I'd say that it's a very good package for a fixed gear roadie out of the box. If you like the gearing (the fixed 44/16 works for me), you don't need to change a thing, and you don't need to add anything other than water bottle cages, and bottles. I'll probably change out the brakes too (I have a set of last year's ultegras that I picked up really cheap), although the stock brakes work fine as needed.

Nits? You need to fiddle a bit with the levers to stop the rattle of what seems to be a vestigial cable guide inside the lever. Or live with it. Or swap levers. The track nuts are cheap, with chrome that starts to flake right away. And I'm not sure I like the tabs that work as top tube cable guides. But overall, I'd say this is a surprisingly nice ride right out of the box. And I'd say that it's an especially nice ride at a bit less than a grand at the LBS (sale price, but a sale they've repeated several times). I'd do it again if mine were trashed or stolen.

I dont own one, so my opionion might be short changed but I did try one earlier this summer. If your lookn' for a fixxie/SS with road bike geometry and handeling this is your bike! Its the nicest complete Ive seen. Well made frame, good wheels, good parts etc. In fact if i was communting or curiour-ing on it, I would attempt to make it look like crap so it doesnt get stolen.

If your looking for fixie to use on the drome, or just enjoy the twitchy feeling of a trackie look at another bike. Its BB is too low/long cranks to use on steeply banked tracks, and the fork has alot of rake.

All in all though, for the price you get a great bike!

I dont own one, so my opionion might be short changed but I did try one earlier this summer. If your lookn' for a fixxie/SS with road bike geometry and handeling this is your bike! Its the nicest complete Ive seen. Well made frame, good wheels, good parts etc. In fact if i was communting or curiour-ing on it, I would attempt to make it look like crap so it doesnt get stolen.

If your looking for fixie to use on the drome, or just enjoy the twitchy feeling of a trackie look at another bike. Its BB is too low/long cranks to use on steeply banked tracks, and the fork has alot of rake.

All in all though, for the price you get a great bike!

I think that the part about the track is right--this is designed primarily as a fixed gear (or fixed/ss) road bike, not a track bike that can be taken on the road if you insist. Frame geometry is road geometry, bars are road bars, fork and rear bridge are drilled for brakes (which are installed), etc. The crank arms on my 55 cm fillmore, however, are a sensible and track-like 165--that's useful for any fixie cornering on the road and not just on the track.

The crank arms on my 55 cm fillmore, however, are a sensible and track-like 165--that's useful for any fixie cornering on the road and not just on the track.
My 55cm Fillmore came with 175 crankarms. Did your 55 come with the 165's stock or did you order them? I'm wondering if mine was somehow ordered with the longer arms.

But, yeah, the Fillmore is a road bike with horizontal dropouts on the rear and no deraileur hanger.

My 55cm Fillmore came with 175 crankarms. Did your 55 come with the 165's stock or did you order them? I'm wondering if mine was somehow ordered with the longer arms.

But, yeah, the Fillmore is a road bike with horizontal dropouts on the rear and no deraileur hanger.

Stock--bought it off the floor with 165s. I think mine were standard issue, but you could check with LeMond on that. 175 is surprising. Most geared bikes--on which we don't need to pedal through corners--come with a stock 172.5, at least most off-the-peg geared bikes in the neighborhood of a 55. 175 seems a stretch, especially for a fixie, but I'm sure you can make it work if you're careful in the corners.

[all time favorite. run it as a singlespeed.
I can give you info that's of value. : dont bother switching the brakes, just the pads, they'll ruin your wheels, but the brakes are very nice except for a bit of rust on the bolts, but ithey're surely replaceable. You will need long reach brakes if you do switch.
To stop the rattle (which is the plastic cable holder) a drop of well placed super glue has worked perfectly.
the nonstick tape is nice too. I cant think of anything really to possibly complain about other than the somewhat heavy fork and the fact that it should be sprayed (still havent and finding rust in it)
the tires are good but I replaced them with the kevlar beaded version, stock are wire bead.


All is well.
super stable: great for turns and riding out of the saddle. I like the lemond geometry as apposed to a twitchy, uncomfprtably jaring track geometry. I can go faster becasue it's so stable.

definately replace the brake pads.
buy a stubby wrench from sears for flats.
I also got the store to replace the somewhat heavy fork for an alpha q with 44 rake
it rusts, put something in it.
slight rust on the axles and bub but nothing I've bothered to do anything about, it's beautiful and you'll want to ride it.

I have a 55cm '05. I bought it so I could keep spinning while the trials dried out back in MN. Now in CA I've been riding mine at the ADT Center track with out a pedal strike yet....knock knock. Unfamiliar?.....Wood, 250m, 45 degree banks. Yep it's fun. The only thing I've changed is the saddle. I'm going to get another chainring for easy swapping at the track. At 44/16 my rpms are huge on flying 250's. Still running stock tires too. Dropping to a 23 or smaller might make the track a little harder.....but maybe not :-)

Oh yeah...mine came with 170mm cranks.