The bicycle is a marvelous invention and the most efficient human-powered machine. Bike riding is practical and “green” transportation that can replace automobile driving with beneficial physical activity. Bicycle racing puts athletic power and endurance to the ultimate test in the most grueling physical contests on Earth such as the Tour de France and World Championships.

If you want to see high technology on display, all you have to do is drop buy your local bike shop. There you will see the modern time trial bike as a showcase of space age materials, aerodynamic design, and biomechanics. How did this technology come about and who is responsible for these advancements?

If you were to name one person who advanced bike design from the classic age into the modern era, it would have to be Greg LeMond, a three-time Tour de France winner and three-time world cycling champion. Although LeMond is most famous for these epic wins, his lasting legacy may be the numerous innovations he brought to the sport of cycling.

Greg LeMond designing a new bike (2015). Photo by Kathy LeMond

LeMond’s pioneering innovations in bike equipment: