hans.gerwitz

For Christmas 2003? I got my first road bike, a lightly-​​used 53 cm 2002 Tete de Course from LeMond. (LeMond is part of the Trek family, but remains an inde­pendent shop, a boutique of sorts that seems to have an unusual amount of cred in St. Louis.)

I had decided on titanium because I was tired of the creaks of my aluminum Trek, and was scared of road harshness with stiff aluminum, coming from a suspension mountain bike. Steel was out simply because I didn’t want to fear rust; carbon fiber is too fragile for someone who’s used to a frame that can take serious abuse.

The Victoire seemed to be a sweet spot in price/​performance, so I was looking for one of these from 2002. In 2003, LeMond had a (thank­fully short-​​lived) clownish paint scheme, and the 2004 was too new to find used and inte­grated carbon fiber outside the “classic” line. As luck would have it, my Tete de Course popped up as a clas­sified ad for far too little money, but was being consigned through a reputable local bike shop in Ohio.

The original owner had added Shimano Dura Ace wheels and pedals. I’ve made only minor changes:

• 2004: new cables
• 2004: SLR XP Gel Flow saddle from Selle Italia
• 2004: Fi’zi:k Microtex bar tape with gel pads
• 2004: profes­sional fit adjustment from Big Shark
• 2004: replacement Cane Creek inte­grated headset