Review: The LeMond Prolog AR

Consider the phrase “riding on air.” Imagine what that feels like. Well, riding the LeMond Prolog AR is exactly like that. You ease your way through space. You barely feel the machine; its frame becomes an extension of your limbs. You feel so damn good, you could ride forever.

It’s no exaggeration to say that I, on average, ride about 30 percent faster on the Prolog AR – without noticing any extra effort. Largely, it’s due to the drop bars, which are a new concept for LeMond Electric Bikes and facilitate a more aggressive position. But it’s also the carbon-fiber design, which has become the company’s hallmark. The bike weighs a mere 12.7 kg, making it one of the lightest e-bikes ever built.

But here’s the thing: I ride 30 percent faster without the pedal assist. This 11-speed bike is so swift and aerodynamic on its own, I’ve pedaled many happy kilometers without even using the 250-watt motor. Once you press that button, the LeMond accelerates even faster, and average cyclists like me may feel like they’re wearing a yellow jersey.

The LeMond brand has been winning accolades since its inception, and this drop-bar version is an exciting next step for the company. If you’re already keen on drop bars, the Prolog AR isn’t just a rare option for the e-bike market; it is almost certainly the best imaginable option.

Background: Racing Champion to E-bike Innovator

Greg LeMond is one of the most famous bicycle racers in sports history, for two significant reasons: First, he’s a three-time Tour de France champion. Second, LeMond himself is a fascinating person – an anti-doping advocate, avid fisherman, veteran auto racer, and fitness entrepreneur, among many other pursuits.

Greg LeMond founder of LeMond Bicycles

The real breakthrough was LeMond Electric Bikes, a manufacturer not of racing bikes, as one might expect, but of high-end e-bikes. (This unexpected venture was the subject of my favorite article ever published in Wired Magazine). LeMond sees enormous potential in carbon fiber as a building material, producing lean, durable frames for everyday consumers. These bikes are luxury items for most riders, yet they are vastly more affordable than many carbon models, and of course, they cost far less than a car.

Past models included the flat-bar (original) Prolog and the European-style Dutch, both featherweight, beautifully designed, and impossibly comfortable.

Now, LeMond has gone back to his roots and developed a drop-bar e-bike. No one would use this machine for racing, but it’s capable of long, challenging rides over a near-limitless range of surfaces.

Brag to Your Friends

LeMond is proud of its ultra-light models, and the Prolog AR continues this tradition. Almost any rider could physically lift this bike with one hand, and you could carry it upstairs or attach it to any car rack without a second thought. I actually wondered whether this model could be used in a cyclocross race, in the unlikely event that a switched-off e-bike was allowed.

Instead of a control panel, the LeMond uses a single button in the top tube to control its settings. This is a carry-over from its earlier models, which use the button and colored rings to signal battery life and levels of pedal assist. I appreciate this minimalist innovation, but I personally had mixed feelings about the one-button interface on the Dutch, as it took me a while to remember what each color represented.

A simple multi-color button is all you need

This time around, I love the button. It perfectly fits the aesthetic and headspace of a drop-bar road bike. While other e-bikes can feel like riding a laptop with pedals, the Prolog AR doesn’t distract its operator with a digital screen; you hop in the saddle and go. And because the bike is so easy to ride without pedal assist, you don’t have to fret over your last charge; running out of power is hardly the end of the world. In short, the button worked fine on the Dutch; on the Prolog AR, I feel like it’s found the ideal home.

The headlamp and rear lights are built into the frame, which is handy for night riding. One of the color options for the frame is white, which is much more visible in the dark, making this a smart choice for people who ride a lot between dusk and dawn.

The most refreshing surprise is the tire width. The traditional wisdom is that fast road bikes require narrow tires. Ebikes, however, can attain faster speeds for the average rider, and narrow tires can be vulnerable to uneven pavement – and flying over your handlebars at 35 kph basically ensures a hospital visit. LeMond has smartly installed wider tires, the kind you would find on gravel bikes. Indeed, combined with the disc brakes and generous geometry, the LeMond is basically a gravel bike. There’s no suspension, but you could confidently ride this bike all day in, say, the backroads of British Columbia and always feel sturdy on your wheels.

Wish List

It’s important to note that drop bars aren’t for everybody, nor is the road-bike configuration. If you’ve ridden with a flat-bar setup your whole life, drop-bars can be a rude awakening. You lean farther forward; your spine takes time to adjust; and your palms may ache within the first hour. New drop-bar users often complain of breathing problems and a “claustrophobic” sensation.

Meanwhile, some might also be skeptical about drop bars on any e-bike. If you’re not racing, what’s the point? You might as well invest in the original Prolog, which has flat bars and is both fast and comfortable. Indeed, if you just plain don’t like drop bars, the Prolog or Dutch are natural alternatives.

Weighing in at just 28 pounds

Here’s my rebuttal: With proper fitting, the Prolog AR is a remarkably cozy ride, and almost any user will acclimate quickly. The hoods and tape are beautifully designed, and the bars aren’t so low that my shoulder blades burn, as has been the case with more aggressive road bikes. Again, this bike is so enjoyable in its manual mode that many owners may consider the pedal assist a mere bonus, relying on the motor only when they get tired or are running late.

Drop bars also provide far more hand positions – and more natural hand positions – than flats. As long as the biker’s reach has been properly measured, bikes like the Prolog AR can actually be more comfortable for sustained rides.

Like the other LeMond models, the battery can’t be removed, so you can’t park the bike on the street and recharge it in your cubicle. Indeed, I wouldn’t recommend keeping the Prolog AR on the street at all, if you can help it. Such a valuable machine is a bull’s eye for thieves, so you’ll want to keep it in a secure location. Solution: Bring the bike inside with you, if you can.

Finally, there’s the price tag. Carbon fiber is an expensive material, no matter how you slice it. If you’re serious about replacing a car, the LeMond is an economical choice, and it’s absolutely worth saving for. If you like drop bars or are interested in converting, this is one of the smartest options out there. Just remember to get the thing insured!

Ideal User

LeMond is a high-end brand, but most middle-class households will be able to afford the LeMond Prolog AR. The real virtue of this model is that it can be used almost anywhere, for almost any purpose. The tires are ready for just about any road. You’ll feel as welcome in back alleys and on rural byways as you are on the neighborhood bike path. This bike is a phenomenal commuter, and you’re just a luggage rack away from touring with it.

I would add that the Prolog AR is best suited for people who don’t necessarily need an e-bike but could benefit from the option. If you ride primarily for exercise, this bike is perfect. If you’re a bike courier who needs a fast and responsive machine to cut through traffic, this bike is also perfect. The Prolog AR is amazingly versatile, no matter where you live or what you use it for.