It's 1986, and the 73rd running of the Tour de France is taking place. After a challenging and exhausting race, Greg LeMond took the win alongside his teammate, Bernard Hinault. It marked not only LeMond's first win but also the first victory for a carbon fiber bicycle in the sport's history. In 1995, LeMond Bikes emerged as a brand in partnership with Trek Corp. Together, they created one of the U.S. top road brands until parting ways 13 years later.
Greg has focused on the research and development of carbon fiber bicycles, leading to the creation of his new brand, LeMond Carbon. Greg now holds licenses to two patented technologies and currently has three models of e-bikes available to buy: Prolog, Dutch, and Road, with other models planned for the future.
Today we're taking a look at the Prolog. Its name is an ode to the final part of the Tour de France race, the prologue. Nowadays, carbon fiber is a standard for lots of premium road and performance bikes. Prolog is also keeping up with new trends in the bike industry by implementing innovative e-bike technologies. It's always comforting to know that a manufacturer is an athlete that knows what's needed from a product, in this case, a performance bike.
The Prolog's design is simple and beautiful. It has a hybrid, lean-over frame with straight handlebars and an integrated battery. You can't tell it's an e-bike. Its carbon fiber monocoque frame, fork, bar/stem, fenders, and seat posts make it very lightweight, weighing a remarkable 26 lbs. (11.8 kg). This, combined with LeMond's input on ergonomics and geometry, make it race-capable with easy handling and maneuverability.
Photo: LeMond
The Prolog has a lightweight battery housed in the downtube that powers integrated front and rear lights. The front light is an always-on 500 lumen LED, and the rear one is the same, only it has 70 lumens each with 180-degree rear visibility.
So how's this bike powered? After months of testing and sourcing for the optimal e-bike system, the LeMond team opted for the Mahle X35+ Smart Ebike System. As lightweightness is the main perk of this bike, it made sense that they would choose one of the lightest systems on the market. At just 7.7 pounds, the Mahle system provides three levels of seamless assistance up to 20 mph (32 kph) using a 250W, 36V rear hub motor with a torque of 49 Nm. It has a range of 45 miles (72 km) on average, with the option of buying an external battery that increases its range by 70%, so that should be a total of 76 miles (122 km). You can also download the Mahle mobile app that tracks your ride data and integrates with Strava, a popular app for riders.
Regarding gearing, the Prolog has an 11-speed Shimano GRX drivetrain that can help you traverse any terrain. The bike also features an optional revolutionary Di2 shifting system that gives you instant shifts through the press of a button, regardless if you're going full speed downhill or climbing uphill under a heavy load. The power is delivered directly through the custom LeMond LC30 rims (they are sold separately as an upgrade, but I'd say they're worth the extra buck).
Photo: Alonso Tal
The LC30 rim is the brainchild of LeMond and Munich Composites, a German aerospace components manufacturer. It's a low-weight, aerodynamic rim made from aerospace-grade carbon fiber, and they're designed to fit today's modern wider tubeless tires, measuring an inner rim width of 21 millimeters (0.83 inches) and outer rim width of 28 millimeters (1,1 inches). LeMond provides a lifetime warranty and an accident replacement plan for the LC30's. The brakes and shifters are also qualitative parts made by Shimano.
But enough with the specs, let's talk money. I think the biggest downside with this bike is its price. It's especially expensive, costing an astounding $4,800, and that's without any of the cool upgrades detailed above. It comes in three sizes and three matte colors, white, black, and pink. This bike is a head-turner anyway, but if you really want to grab all the attention, I'd go for the striking matte pink. But say money is not a problem for you (if you're looking to buy an e-bike like this one, the price probably isn't a deciding factor). If you were to purchase the fully upgraded Prolog with the Di2 system, the custom rims, front basket, rear rack, and external battery, your bank account would take a hit worth $8,000. So yeah, this is an incredible machine, but the price tag might prove too much for many.
Overall, the Prolog will probably appear to the true road performance cyclists. It's not necessarily meant as a commuter bike, but it sets a high standard for other road bike manufacturers and has a nice backstory. Just make sure not to leave it unattended for too long, or you might find yourself needing a new bike.
Starting out with a motorcycle permit just because he could get one two years earlier than a driver's license, Mircea keeps his passion for bikes (motor or no motor) alive to this day. His lifelong dream is to build his own custom camper van. Full profile
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