First Look: LeMond Prolog

The legendary Greg LeMond—or his branding at least—returned to bicycle manufacturing last year, relaunching the LeMond brand with two high-end, lightweight electric bikes built for performance. The aptly-named Prolog is the first of these two bikes to be delivered to customers, with shipping beginning in February.

With just a couple of short weeks left before it lands with its first eager customers, the new Prolog E-Bike from LeMond is now ready to meet the public. We’ve taken a first look at the final production model.

Super Light Weight

There’s no denying it: the LeMond Prolog eBike is fast. It’s packed with next-generation integrations, performance-focused details, and luxury touches. But where the sensation of speed really comes from is its weight: at 26lb/11.8kg, its lightness is instantly noticeable.

That lightness comes, in part, from a revolutionary approach to carbon fiber, using cycling’s favorite material to take both the performance and styling of the e-bike to new levels.

If it’s on the bike, it’s made from—or optimized with—carbon fiber. That means the frame and fork, of course. It means a monocoque cockpit (handlebar/stem). It means a carbon seatpost.

Those are high-end road bike features that are rare in e-bikes, but alone they don’t communicate the full story of how much thought and love has gone into the Prolog. LeMond’s development process has been about bringing their expertise to the e-bike field, rather than simply translating existing carbon technology from the road to e-bikes. No stone has gone unturned in the pursuit of performance and weight savings: the Prolog even includes carbon fiber fenders and, incredibly, custom carbon rear rack and front basket.

Luxury Throughout

Luxury isn’t just about moving fast. The LeMond team has built a bike that’s experientially a joy to ride, while looking so beautifully sleek that it’s incognito as an e-bike. The internal battery integration is fully seamless, and it runs from a MAHLE X35+ motor in the rear hub. Conveniently, the dual-mode light system is fully integrated into the cockpit and rear seat stays. Its control cables, hoses, and wires are all routed inside the frame, which allows the sleek lines of the Prolog to stand out.

That quality extends beyond the parts that LeMond manufactures, with the company sourcing nothing but the best external equipment to complement its carbon technology. The LeMond Prolog comes with performance-oriented components specification, including a Shimano GRX Hydraulic 1×11 drivetrain, tubeless-compatible aluminum wheelset, and an included Spurcycle bell. No idea what the performance-oriented bell is, to be honest. They asked us to include that bit.

“The bikes are just the starting line. For the past five years we have been driving toward developing a vertically integrated carbon fiber platform. From this position, a whole ecosystem of products under the LeMond bike brand will be developed.
“For now, we will be rolling out eBikes followed by new models as well as other peripheral product lines inspired by the era of racing when my dad was winning his tours and world championships.”
Geoffrey LeMond, Chief Strategy Officer, LeMond