Lemond Bicycles

LeMond Racing Cycles was a bicycle manufacturer founded by Greg LeMond, an American winner of the Tour de France. LeMond offered a geometry based on the racing frames he used in competition, which had a longer top tube and wheelbase in an otherwise traditional lightweight steel frame. This was to stretch out the rider on the bicycle, with the intent of both lowering the frontal area presented to the wind, and optimizing power and stability. From 1995 until February 2010 Trek licensed LeMond's name for use on a line of its bicycles, believing that the cachet of the name, a diversifying brand portfolio, plus having models offering a longer top tube than Trek's frame geometries helped to expand the bicycle-sales opportunities for the Trek corporation. In September 2013, LeMond partnered with Time Sports to produce a limited run of 300 frames to commemorate his three Tour victories in 1986, 1989, and 1990. In August 2014, Greg LeMond launched the Washoe, a Reynolds 853 steel bike manufactured in the United States.

Greg LeMond was a pioneer in the use of carbon fiber bicycle frames in European professional road cycling, and his Tour de France win in 1986 ahead of Bernard Hinault was the first for carbon. Ironically, given the rivalry that existed at the time between the American and his French teammate, LeMond rode a "Bernard Hinault" Signature Model Look prototype that year. LeMond also won the 1989 Tour and World's, and his final Tour de France in 1990 on carbon fiber frames, which had begun to feature "Greg LeMond" branding.

In 1990, LeMond founded LeMond Bicycles to develop machines for himself that would also be marketed and sold to the public. The following year, searching for an equipment edge for Team Z at the 1991 Tour de France, LeMond concluded an exclusive licensing agreement between his company and Carbonframes, Inc., to access the latter's advanced composites technology. While LeMond briefly led the 1991 Tour while riding his Carbonframes-produced "Greg LeMond" bicycle, the company faltered, something LeMond blamed on "undercapitalization" and poor management by his father, although Carbonframes and LeMond Cycles "parted amiably two years later." In 1995, LeMond reached a licensing agreement with Trek, according to which the Wisconsin-based company would manufacture and distribute bicycles designed with LeMond that would be sold under the "LeMond Bicycles" brand. LeMond would later claim that going into business with Trek "destroyed" his relationship with his father.

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