[split]

The rumors are true, Lemond has a full carbon bike 55cm 950g, apparently designed "in-house", not OCLV. (blogged)

Source (cyclingnews.com)

 

[Mark McM]

Asian built?

The rumors are true, Lemond has a full carbon bike 55cm 950g, apparently designed "in-house", not OCLV.

I wonder if "designed in-house" is a code word for "not built in-house". Trek has recently started moving production of their TCT Carbon (non-OCLV) frames to taiwan. This new Lemond appears not to use the OCLV design, and looks more like some of the other carbon frames coming out of Taiwan and China.

Trek has long sourced their low-end frames from Asia, and are starting to source their mid-level frames from Asia also. I wonder if branding this new frame Lemond is a way to start source high-end frames from Asia, while still keeping "Made In USA" label on the Trek branded high-end frames.

 

[Allez Rouge]

Designed? Developed?

I wonder if "designed in-house" is a code word for "not built in-house".

The story in the supplied link describes the frame as "developed fully in-house," not designed.

I would be inclined to read that as designed and built in-house, but it could admittedly go either way.

 

[wim]

Playing with words.

Quoting the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

"Made in USA" means that "all or virtually all" the product has been made in America. That is, all significant parts, processing and labor that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. Products should not contain any - or only negligible - foreign content.

Even high-end Treks have not been able to meet that standard for a long time. I'm not sure if or when I've ever seen a "Made in USA" sticker on a Trek. I see the "Handbuilt in the USA" sticker (and more recently, the "Handbuilt in the USA of Foreign and Domestic Parts" sticker) on high-end Treks. To me, it's a good way keep the FTC happy, while still implying that the bike is, sort of, made in the USA.

 

[woz]

Well beyond the fact that it will not be OCLV or made in the US. More impressive to me, is the frame that they have not officially announced in public. The Triomphe Ultimate. A link to an interanl PDF can be found here.

http://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=232

Also, I'm told the frame will be badged "Assembled in the U.S. of domestic and foreign parts" a vague way of saying the frame is not made here.

 

[rjw]

More impressive to me, is the frame that they have not officially announced in public. The Triomphe Ultimate.

It has been announced.

From the cyclingnews article:
...they are also planning on releasing an even lighter Triomphe Ultimate frame later in the season that will shed another 100g for the final weight of just 850g.

 

[asterisk]

I thought it was kind of odd that Lemond himself helped introduce it... I thought there were strained relations between the Trek owned company and Lemond himself.

 

[scooterman]

there is going to be a 850gram version called the trimophe ultimate - winter 06.

 

[durangoscott]

The story in the supplied link describes the frame as "developed fully in-house," not designed.

I would be inclined to read that as designed and built in-house, but it could admittedly go either way.

This bike is 100% built in Asia. No bones about it, Trek isn't even trying to give their normal evasive answers to those questions.