Road deliberations

I've been going back and forth on a project for some time now involving my starting-to-age road bike. For the past 11 years I've been riding the same Lemond Buenos Aires. No, I don't think most roadies keep a bike this long, and I suppose it either earns me style points for becoming "retro", deducts me style points for not keeping up with the current trends/technology in cycling, or simply makes me cheap. Not sure, but hopefully some sort of acceptable middle ground. Either way, I've come to a decision point with my ride, due to the fact that I recently discovered a crack in the old Icon Carbon Classic fork it sports. I've been a bit concerned about riding a old carbon fork with a ton of miles of it for a while, but a crack is the sure time to move on. Now the issue I'm fighting with is this- I love the frame. I'm not opposed to buying a modern road bike. I've never owned a carbon bike, and I certainly understand the draw. However, there are things I hold on tightly to when it comes to the Lemond. No, it's not a boutique brand that will catch eyes, it's even a defunct company, but there's nothing to scoff at when looking at the ride quality and long life span of a good steel frame. This one is a Reynolds 853 main triangle with 525 stays. To get a frame built with this grade of tubeset, and this particular tall-man fit these days, I'd probably have to go to a custom builder and pay out the nose. The big-name bike brands just aren't doing much of this anymore. Plus, the custom bike likely would not end up being much different from what my Lemond is now. And speaking of fit- it works for me very well as a tall guy with long arms, which is very hard to do when shopping amongst most current bike companies. There are few big name brands that offer bikes that will fit me these days. I simply need a top tube length longer than "normal" riders. So here's what it comes down to. I want to keep my Lemond frame. I've been shopping around a lot for a fork to replace the cracked one. I'd like to go for a quality steel one, to keep the overall genre of the bike consistent, and end up with a frame/fork set that will last many more years- even if I buy a carbon machine sometime as well. I just love this bike and want to keep it a ridable member of my fleet of toys. I haven't been sucessful in finding anybody other than custom outfits that can do a 1" steel fork with a long enough steer tube, and acceptable rake and length specs. It doesn't seem to be out there. So, unless I find something soon, I think I may pull the trigger on something custom, and then slowly, in addition to the fork, re-spec the whole bike as necessary. I'm sure there are plenty of riders who would consider this to be a foolish endeavor, as when you add things up, I could easily be purchasing a new, modern road bike. But as stated, I love my frame, it's got a ton of life left in it, and I think the project is worth it to me. I still like steel in a world obsessed with carbon. Those that have loved a good bike for a long time will understand, and those that have to have the latest race machine each season may not.

The Lemond at Minnehaha Falls in MPLS...