Lemond frame ID query

[Mike Muz]

Happy weekend folks

A friend of a friend has this early '90s Lemond bike. She was asking me what it's worth.
TBH, I'm not really sure, 105 g/set I can get a rough idea but not sure what grade of steel the frame is made of. Can you shed some light?
Excel GL, is this equivalent to SL? I think there may have been a GLX, but it's all a bit hazy. Maybe a Lemond vanity thing.
Anyway can someone give me pointers as to what it actually is?

received_249014346418012 by Myk Muzza, on Flickr

received_2885646794883437 by Myk Muzza, on Flickr

received_3008094422750279 by Myk Muzza, on Flickr

Thanks

Mike

 

[Lemond75]

Re:

Hi Mike,

It’s an interesting one, as the paint job suggests is from the 1991/92 season, but I believe those frames were made with either Columbus SL or TSX from memory, whereas the Excell models (GL and GLX) came in for the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Do you know if your friend’s had it since new, or is there a possibility that it’s been resprayed at some point, or at least had new decals on (which would explain the different tube set sticker)?

If it is indeed a GLX then it’ll be a lovely bike to ride, as I had one of the yellow and blue 1994 GAN bikes which was very smooth. I sold it after a few years and bought a Colnago Dream, which in comparison was incredibly harsh, so regretted selling the Lemond.

Sorry I can’t be more help, but as I say, I’m not sure it is what it appears to be.

Best wishes

 

[cloonaghpat]

Re:

Hi Mike,

I haven't seen one of these Z colourways in excel tubing. They are usually in the Gan colour scheme. Beautiful bike, the fork crown and shot in stays are typical excell.
This tubing is supposed to be lighter than Columbus SL or TSX from memory.
Worth - it's Bilato built, so I would take the groupset off and put the frame on ebay for 700 euros It would be very popular in he US market.
It is easily the equivilent of any motorola merckx TSX and the paint looks good.

Looks like a Selhoff seatpost too, which was team spec for Gan.
The 105 Shimano groupset doesn't do that frame justice!!

I am currently building a Gan replica, so I have been looking at these bikes in detail.

Regards,

Pat

 

[cloonaghpat]

Re:

I am guessing the fork crown is similar. The columbus tubed bikes had the Greg Lemond signature stamped on the seatcluster and sloping Cinelli fork crowns

 

[Vespajg]

Re:

I'm currently restoring a Billato-constructed 1993 Lemond Team Gan frame made with Columbus tubing. Based on available scans of Lemond catalogs and close examination of period photos, etc., Lemond appears to have switched to Excel for the 1993 or 1994 season (which may have been introduced in the Fall/Winter of 1992 - although money issues plagued Lemond production/delivery). Early 1993 appears to have been Columbus' swan song with Lemond, building the flagship steel frames from TSX and the newly introduced Columbus Custom Lemond GL tubing, which I am told was simply rebadged Columbus SL. Development with Excel wouldn't have happened overnight, so it's likely frames made from both Columbus and Excel were produced at the same time.

As pointed out, the tell tale signs are the fork crowns, bottom bracket shell, and seat stays - which on the pictured bike all point to Excel tubes from 1993 or 1994 production. Which begs the question - why the Team Z paint scheme after 1992? Who knows?! But Billato churned out a lot of these frames so who's to say they didn't one off a frame with Team Z livery (notably without Z decals) at the request of a customer, shop, or distributor. Or built one up in late 1992 during development while Lemond was still under contract with Team Z? Or, as pointed out, it could have simply been a respray.

As for value, I concur with the assessment above as the frame looks to be in good condition. The 105 is, well...is 105. A proper Campy C-Record would certainly be warranted!