Greg LeMond is cycling royalty, and if profitable the Tour de France three times – like right after becoming shot in a searching incident – is not sufficient reliability, he’s also an entrepreneur and innovator in bike style, as nicely as an early master of producing carbon-fiber biking components. So when I was contacted in the lifeless of an Oregon wintertime to evaluation the new $4,795 LeMond Prolog ebike, I did not be reluctant to say certainly, but I did peek to see if it had fenders (it does!). Also, it weighs an astonishing 26 kilos – lighter than my non-electrical mountain bicycle.
The Prolog arrived in hipster-coloration-of-the-second matte black, with black wheels and spokes (and black all the things else), but it’s also readily available in a incredibly sharp white color alternative, as very well as… pink (or “rosa” as they call it).
Prolog Tech and Design and style
The Prolog is a “flat bar” ebike with a riding posture related to a mountain bicycle, and the building of the bike is extremely built-in, so really don’t count on swapping out a whole lot of elements. But that’s just great, since the bundled pieces are outstanding performers and the construction and style of the prolog is following-degree things – it has an notice-grabbing glimpse, specifically to other cyclists, and whilst the black colorway I had would make it mix into the track record a bit, the Prolog impressed even non-fans with its extremely-thoroughly clean layout and components integration execution which is much nearer to an Apple solution than to a typical mass-market place ebike.
Shifter cables, brake lines and these kinds of are all in-frame, and with the conventional 11-speed Shimano GRX derailleur as on my bike, there’s no Lcd display screen atop the handlebars, just a basic, one button and LED on the prime body rail to toggle the bicycle on and off or change amongst assist levels. Thoughtful touches abound: The incorporated fenders ride very close to the tires but in no way contact or rattle, and even at entire ability, only a peaceful whir provides away the actuality this is an ebike. This is absolutely an ebike Steve Careers would have appreciated – and possibly ridden.
A small and slim Mahle M1 250-watt, 36-volt motor with 40 newton-meters of torque hides in the rear hub and I do mean hides: with the trim 250Watt-hour battery concealed in the frame tubes, it’s tough to convey to the Prolog is an ebike at all. The multi-color LED ring all around the lone button also tells riders battery status, and all those that want to good-tune the motor’s output and other parameters can do so with a smartphone and Mahle’s app, which will also sync with Strava. The calipers for the Shimano RS405 hydraulic disc brakes entrance and rear appear to be to pretty much blend into the body and fork and supply excellent come to feel and stopping electricity. The Prolog is a true challenging tail and does not have any suspension methods.
The Selle Royal Lift saddle was comfy for me on very long rides and can quickly be adjusted out for whichever your buns could possibly want. A shiny 500-lumen LED headlight is constructed into the handlebar stem and provides a wide, flat pool of light-weight forward of the bicycle, but doesn’t glimpse rather far sufficient down the street for me. Out back again, two big LED tail lights frenched into the rear frame give excellent visibility to website traffic but do not functionality as brake lights, and panniers will likely block them. Frivolously treaded avenue tires created for the Prolog by Panaracer give a quiet and smooth journey with plentiful traction.
As an $800 solution, potential buyers can get Shimano’s Di2 auto-shifting tech, which adds a contact of fat and a compact Liquid crystal display monitor to the handlebar. Individuals searching to commute on the Prolog can also increase a rear rack and front cargo basket for $185 every. Acquired a seriously prolonged commute? A 2nd battery will in good shape in a tailor made h2o-bottle mount cage on the frame for a different $700. Want it lighter continue to? Carbon fiber wheels are an $1,800 option. My evaluation bicycle had none of people solutions, but did have fenders (a $ option).
Riding Knowledge
I’m not a little human and absolutely not a peloton alum despite the fact that I did some mountain bicycle racing, mainly for enjoyable, some several years back again. I requested LeMond for a Massive frame (they provide Smaller and Medium as nicely) and the suit was location-on. I applied mountain-bike model pedals alternatively of clipless considering that the Prolog is obviously a lot more of an urban-targeted bicycle than a race entrant.
I poked all-around in the Mahle app options and such but for the most component I just pushed the lone button to transform the bike on and then established it for modest help (Level 3 of 4, generally). With “only” a 250-Watt motor and no thumb throttle, the Prolog is a Course II ebike with pedal support that tops out at 20mph, a pace quickly reachable in the flat even with nominal e-support many thanks to the featherweight design. I also rode it with no aid and it is conveniently the most “regular bicycle” riding ebike I’ve ever ridden.
Speedy and certain-footed, the Prolog was a delight to ride all around bike-loving Portland, with its comprehensive network of bicycle lanes and byways. Heading for one of my hill tests, a 1.5-mile climb that gains about 700 toes, I popped the Prolog into highest aid and dropped the GRX derailleur to granny equipment, but experienced to go up a couple of cogs as the Prolog is a highly able climber and once again, that reduced bodyweight and flat-bar type variable permit for unexpectedly fast out-of-the-seat climbing, and the guide was essentially more pronounced than I envisioned.
I was up to the summit quickly and then pointed the Prolog down a winding highway back down the butte, in which GPS suggests I touched 41mph with the bike in major gear and some generous aid – from gravity. At velocity, the brakes have solid electricity and opinions, and did not fade despite some major-handed use on some downhills. I’m a bike rider far more than bicyclist, so I tend to choose sweeping corners at pretty substantial speeds, and the Prolog felt planted and neutral heeled around by means of huge turns I was hitting at shut to 30mph.
Rolling about city on generally flat streets and bike lanes, the Prolog’s aid at maximum, maintaining 15 to 20mph speeds is simple and the Prolog handles speedy route modifications confidently. I even experienced a tiny pleasurable sending it off some curbs, down some park gravel trails and through some tough patches and it was generally settled, predictable and enjoyable to journey. At evening, the front headlight is shiny and the illumination pattern is really extensive (a fantastic issue) but it did not peer down the road really far ample for my preferences (and speeds). Over-all, each and every time I rode the Prolog, I felt like going speedy, as befits a bike from a racer who also normally searched for much more pace from his bikes. Absolutely sure, you can beach front-bike it about the community just wonderful, but this is plainly an ebike for those people of us stricken with a specified volume of velocity dependancy.
As for vary, Lemond says the Prolog will give guide for 45 miles in U.S. spec, but even after a comprehensive day of blended driving, the battery was nonetheless exhibiting around 20% remaining, so except if you program on some epic adventures on the Prolog, it should power your pedaling all working day and be completely ready for action once more immediately after an right away cost. In any other case, it seemed to choose about 3 hrs to entirely refuel on electrons.
Summary
It’s terrific to see extra “flat bar” design and style ebikes occur to market place following what would seem like a interval of so quite a few significant, balloon-tire equipment that, while definitely pleasurable to experience, do not supply a performance edge for skilled riders wanting for significantly less “e” and additional “bike” in their ebike. The LeMond Prolog surely suits that niche, and if you want to commute on it, it can do that as properly – rapidly. I was hugely impressed with the style and design, create good quality and overall performance of the Prolog, and while $4,800 is a good bit to talk to for a 250-Watt ebike, the style, in good shape, complete, factors and journey high quality make it worthy of each individual nickel in my opinion. I was actually surprised it didn’t charge additional. Optioning it up can absolutely press the determine better promptly, but if I were to splash out for it, I imagine I’d insert the racks for commuting and simply call it good.
If you are a extra serious cyclist contemplating an ebike, the LeMond Prolog is in all probability a terrific fit for your style and needs. Riders hunting for the ultimate combine of light bodyweight, exceptional layout, just more than enough aid and great street manners require search no further more. Hugely suggested.