Frame

Paint (chips easily), "Lemond" plastered all over the frame

This is a great road bike. The frame is so light it's hard to believe it's steel. I had to switch out the stock pedals for clipless and it was not hard to find a more confortable saddle (Terry Fly gel). Outside of that, this bike, in its stock set-up, has been ready to ride and depandable day in an day out for years.

(Incidentally, if anyone wants to unload their 47 cm Buenos Aires, I am looking for one.)

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Lemond Zurich

The steel frame and the butter like ride. solid spec for a bike in the price range.

The stock seat has as much cushion as an ethiopian on a redflyer wagon. Trash the seat and keep everything else the way t is.

While shopping for this bike (2002 Buenos) I was having buyers remorse because I had been riding a Giant TCR 0. I really liked this bike so I was really leary about getting the Lemond. MAN WAS I WRONG!!!!!. I should have have bought this thing a long time ago. I have never ridden a bike that is so compliant and smooth. This thing doesn't miss a beat. It's weight is comparable to the Giant, about a pound or two havier but its well worht it. I am really a firm believer in steel after riding this bike. I have ridden Trek OCLV's and this thing rides as smooth or better, can't go wrong.

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Giant TCR O, Klien, TREK

Carbon fiber fork, 105 group, wheelset (for the price I paid)

The factory seatpost and stem might seem intimidating if you are a heavy rider who is already looking for steel for strength purposes.

Sorry to say this, but I am a mountain biker by heart and this road bike is basically for training purposes. But after riding my first steel bike, I now think that steel is an awesome frame for any type bike. I thoroughly enjoy this bike. Every part of it, from brake levers to rear dropout is soundly manufactured and precisely configured to make the entirety of the experience fabulous. The factory stock config is quite astonishing considering the price I paid. The icon carbon fork is an incredible factory config for the bike''s price range. And the 105 group is a sound system also for the money. I just don''t like two things, probably because I am a certain type rider. I would have liked to have seen a better seatpost and stem since I am a heavy rider.

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None

great deal, and the ride that only steel can give

saddle is a little hard

wow. thats all i can say. i can still hardly believe ive got such a sweet bike. i go into the garage late at night and oggle it. you really cant beat it. the rolf''s are great, and ride (steel, all the way) is lively and dependable. i practically stole it from my local shop around christmas time (trying to clear the inventory for 2002). i couldnt be happier.

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Bianchi Campione, Raleigh R600

Reynolds 853 tubing, Rolf Vector Pro wheel set

Saddle was most uncomfortable, replacing it was a MUST!!!

Longer top tube is perfect for me. 105/Ultegra groups great performance in this price range. Reynolds 853 steel was as good or better of a ride than any of the other steel frames I considered. The Rolf Vector Pro wheels only add to an already great bicycle.

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Serotta and Columbus steel

Silky ride. Ultegra triple groupo.

Cheesy seat. Long top tube might be a problem for some.

Thanks to all of the posts here, making the decision to buy a BA was easy. My LBS had some 2001s on the floor still, due to double shipment this year. Unfortunately, under the detailed scrutiny of the staff at sundance, none of the sizes available fit me. Undaunted they made me an offer I couldn''t refuse on a 2002. I''m ecstatic. My reliable Cannondale of 12 years'' usage, which I truly loved, now seems like clunker. I did about 30+ (my computer wasn''t mounted yet) miles on the BA between rain storms yesterday. The silky smooth ride left me a lot fresher than before, and the triple chainring gave me a lot of spin on the climbs. The carbon forks seemed like a mini shock absorber compared to my old steel forks. The Ultegra shifters are like a push-button transmission. Very light touch, and exact shifting. The brakes seemed at first to not have the kind of grab I expected, but eventually found they have a sort of graduated stopping power that is easy to apply. Yeah, the seat''s somewhat crummy, but didn''t cause any problems. Its cheap rubber cover was more of an issue than anything else. I''ll post again after the Solvang Century in March

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Cannondale R400. Peugot beater. Raleigh 3-speed ;-)

The consistent ultra-smooth seat of the pants feel, and the comfortable riding position the 853 frame provides for long torsed riders, FULL Ultegra, overall quality of workmanship, and value, value, value.

Have not found one yet (But with this bike I''ll be back riding day after day trying to find one!)

Absoltely no buyers remorse! After riding 1,000''s of miles on a trusted, but worn out road bike, I was looking for a worthy replacement and I found it. The ''02 Buenos Aries delivered everthing I dreamed of having in an affordable package. When I began looking, I never thought I would find such a great combination of frame (steel, but still amazingly lightweight - envied by several mid-level Aluminum riding friends), premium components, and fair price. The standard combination of Bontrager Selects and Michelin Axial Pro rubber cannot be beat for stability and road adherance on the mixed urban/rural pavement surfaces which I ride. I think this is a great ride for the serious recreational rider, who is ready to replace or upgrade his/her basic equipment, but still needs to balance quality and price.

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15+ year old Lotus (steel w/ suntour), and road tested Cannodale R600, R800 & several Trek models.

Quality steel frame, Ultegra components, supple ride while still very responsive.

Kind of funky orangy-red/silver color combo--wouldn''t have been my first choice but I can live with it.

What a great find this bike is! I got it right out of the box while shopping for an end-of-year bargain on an ''01 BA. The steel frame and the Ultegra components make a great road combo. Frame geometry is a little more ''laid back'' than I''m used to but it''s great for cruising the flats or climbing. The wheel base seems a little long for crits though. One frequent ''weakness'' posted here often about the ''01 BA has been corrected with the addition of cable adjusters on the head tube. I''m not familiar with the reliability of Bontrager wheels and hubs and will likely replace the wheelset with Ultegra hubs and Mavic rims in due time. Good steel frames are getting harder to find. I test rode Serrota and Gunnar bikes and the BA rides as well as either of them for about $500 less for a similarly equipped bike. My bike is a 51cm but it feels almost identical in fit to my two older 53cm bikes. Be sure to take your time getting a good fit on this or any bike before you buy it

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Test rode several steel/105/Ultegra bikes before buying the BA to replace my old faithful mid-''80s Trek 660.

Great value - if you''re not hyper-sensitive to frame spec, you''re basically getting a Zurich for about $400 less. Sensible spec for a mid-level bike. VERY smooth ride.

I lost a self-extracting dust cap during the first two weeks. If you drop one, pick it up - they''re ten bucks! Front wheel developed a little creak during the first 500 miles.

After checking out some of the other reviews posted here, and doing some research around Salem, I drove the extra hour to Portland to get the ''02 Buenos Aires a few months before it hit the stores here. As others have mentioned, it includes full Ultegra drive train, Bontrager Select wheels, and, new for this year, Shimano SPD pedals. All in all, a classic road bike with some very useful modern touches: STI shifters, carbon fork, threadless headset. But you can still hang a frame pump on the pump peg, and the dropouts have one set of eyelets, in case you want to hang onto the possibility of light touring. And of course, the renowned supple ride of a steel frame

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1989 Cannondale 3.0

Sweet ride!!!

None so far ... I've heard about saddle complaints, but it seems to be working for me.

Having come from an aluminum frame, I could not believe the sweet ride!!! just awesome ... For those looking to go back to steel from aluminum, just bring in your old bike to compare the ride. You will be impressed with the Lemond frame. I've not noticed any significant difference between Ultegra and the 105s I had on my Raleigh, but I hear Ultegras hold up better in the long run. This is the best road bike I've ever owned.

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Raleigh alum with 105, Torpado steel with Suntour stuff (yes from way back when)