Strengths: Carbon fiber frame, fit and finish, geometry, quality components
Weaknesses: Tires
Bottom Line:
I was looking for a full carbon fiber bike with a triple that was comfortable, had quality components and was reasonable priced. After looking at a number bikes from Trek, Giant, Specialized, Scott and Schwinn the Lemond Buenos Aires seemed like the best fit. I have put about a 1000 miles on it to date and have not been disappointed and have not had any bike induced aches or pains. The bike is not as fast or responsive as my Trek 5200 but I wanted a triple equipped bike I could take to France this July to ride some of the climbs in the Tour de France. The classic geometry made the bike easier to set up for me as my upper body is longer compared to my legs. The fit and finish is great and the red and white paint job looks good. The carbon fiber frame absorbs road vibration and the triple is great for spinning up hills. The Shimano 105's shift better than I had expected. The Bontrager wheels should provide thousands of miles of trouble free miles. The bike tracks true, is easy to ride hands off, and loves descending. If you are looking for a bike that would suit a fast recreational rider, is smooth and comfortable, looks great, has great fit and finish and uses quality components I recommend that you consider taking this bike out for a test ride.
Similar Products Used: Trek 5200 with Ultegra double, Giant OCR with Tiagra triple, Cannondale CAD 3 with Shimano 600
Bike Setup: Stock with Shimano PD540 pedals, Garmin Edge 305
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
the weak link
a Recreational Rider
from
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2007
Strengths: It's hot. If it were a woman I'd marry it.
Weaknesses: The seat sucks. Ho hum.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike, love it love it love it. Do you know what I'm trying to say? I've been riding a couple of years, decided I'd wave good-bye to a mountain bike with slicks and get me a real ride. This thing is a rocket. It's sexy, accelerates like a dragster and stops on a dime. It's stable at speed, handles bumps well, and makes my coffee for me first thing in the morning. I've owned it for two weeks and have put 200 glorious miles on it. It begs to be ridden and thinks you when you are done. I'm a 50+er, and the compact geometry is kind to my posture. The triple, which I special-ordered, is equally kind to the knees.
Strengths: Pretty light, yet stable and snappy. Great paint, fit, finish, and overall build quality, comfortable for long rides.
Weaknesses: Possibly the seat, but still TBD
Bottom Line:
Got this bike for Christmas; have put about 1000 miles on it so far. This is my re-entry bike after dropping out of riding for about 7 years, and it's a big step up from my old Giant OCR (?). As a bigger guy (6'1", 200#), I can say I love how stable yet quick this bike is, and how easily it's gotten me obsessed with riding! I'm also glad I got the triple as I live on top of a big hill, and it's nice to have the granny ring at the end of 40 miles, but my goal is to eventually not need it. I tested several bikes before I bought this, and the Ultegra shifters are a nice perk! The seat could be a little more comfortable, but until I get a few more miles on my butt, I can't really give that an accurate assessment. Overall I'm very happy with the bike. I'm trying to maintain 80-100 miles/week through the summer, as long as the back holds up!
