David if you are 6' 2" there is no way that a 59cm Lemond frame fits you properly. Period. I worked for two Lemond dealers and sold many of them. You will not find a good answer online - because "internet fitting" is truly a fool's quest.
Small people and tall people do not fit on bikes as easily as people in the middle of the bell curve.
You need to find a good helpful bike shop that can let you try a few bikes out, size you up, and then along with your input, give you a better feel for what you need/desire. I doubt you will find very much out there available in a stock frame size if you are looking for vintage-flavor frame and fork. Maybe Rivendell, maybe Waterford.
You may very well have to ante up and get a custom frame built. There is a sort of steel-frame renaissance going on nowadays and so there are no shortage of builders wanting to take your order.
To answer your original question about what vintage frame MIGHT work - French bikes generally had longer top tubes for their seat tube lengths up until around 1975 or so. Unfortunately, those are in much higher demand lately because of the recent "Randonneur Revival " fetish about these formerly shunned and lowly creatures. I hold near and dear my own PX10 and Motobecane Le Champion.
Finally - you are not THAT far from Dale's shop, Cycles D'Oro. Instead of ditzing about on the internet for ages maybe it would be a good idea to make a road trip to North Carolina and get the job done properly. You'll be out riding this Spring / Summer instead of haunting Ebay and Craigslist. Most shops nowadays have little or no knowledge about anything older than the last three issues of Bicycling magazine. Get thee to Dale's shop !
Mike Fabian San Francisco, CA
On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 10:22 AM, Smith, David <smith.d@east.ei.com> wrote:
> I just joined this list a couple of weeks ago and am amazed by the
> knowledge of the members. I've already learned a lot, but I'd like to
> ask a question.
> I ride a 2002 853 steel Lemond Buenos Aires that fits me beautifully. I
> can ride it comfortably all day. According to the company, both the seat
> tube and the top tube are 59cm.
> My other bike is a 1986 27" (69cm) Bridgestone 400. I measure its top
> tube at 24" (61cm). I've never liked the fit of the Bridgestone. Despite
> the long top tube, it seems too cramped fore and aft. When I bought that
> bike new I remember settling on the huge frame because I tested the more
> common 24" frames (one size down) and they were way too cramped. (I'm
> 6'2" and have long arms and legs.)
> I've long wanted to buy a European 531 steel frame from the 60s or 70s
> and build it up. Some people say that older steel bikes have "relaxed"
> geometry like Lemond's. But before I buy a frame, I'd like to know if it
> will fit me. Can anyone tell me what vintage frames would give me a fit
> comparable to that of the 59cm Lemond?
> David Smith
> McLean, Virginia
> USA