Review: 11380 Road Bike from LEGO® Icons

The LEGO Group has produced a wide range of vehicles but, as far as I could see, bicycles have so far been relegated to accessories for figures; nothing brick-built. This trend has been broken in a spectacular way, with the humongous 11380 Road Bike.

Find out after the break if there’s substance to back the bulk.

We were given this product by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

11380 Road Bike

• Release date: 1 June 2026
• Pieces: 1015
• Ages:18+

Price: 

• US$ 129.99 on LEGO.com US
• CA$ 179.99 on LEGO.com Canada
• GB£ 109.99 on LEGO.com UK
• AU$ 199.99 on LEGO.com Australia
• NZ$ 229.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
• 119,99€ on LEGO.com Deutschland, Nederland, France etc
• PLN 519.99 on LEGO.com Polska
• NOK 1699,90 on LEGO.com Norge
• DKK 999.95 on LEGO.com Danmark

Other countries click here

 

 

New moulds

Despite coming from the LEGO® Icons team and not LEGO® Technic, this set brings many new moulds that should make LEGO Technic builders very happy.

Tyre 241 x 12 (7970)

• 2x Tyre 241 x 12 in Black (6584779 | 7970)

Clocking in at 241 mm (~9.5 in.) this is by far the LEGO tyre with the largest diameter, easily taking the crown from Tyre 107 x 44 Tractor (23798) and its paltry 107 mm (~4.2 in.).

You can fit a lot inside this thing.

The design chosen for the track is consistent with LEGO tyres meant for other kinds of bike, such as 88516 and 67140, pictured above. Even though I’m far from an expert in cycles (both motor- and bi-), I don’t think this is a realistic pattern for a bicycle tyre.

Wheel 224 x 12 Segment (7978)

• 24x Wheel 224 x 12 Segment in Titanium Metallic/ Pearl Dark Gray (6585275 | 7978)

To go with such a humongous tyre, it seems it wasn’t feasible to produce a suitable wheel rim as single mould, so it was divided into 12 equal sectors.

 

The outside was specifically made to accommodate the previously discussed tyre. The hollow spaces help make the part lighter and save on material, but I don't see much that can be done with them, besides inserting LEGO Technic beams very loosely.

The cross-section is surprisingly out of LEGO Technic System: it's slightly under 3 modules in width, and around 1.5 modules in height. I have my doubts if it'd be adequate for a thicker tyre, such as those that equip mountain bikes.

While this mould may look symmetrical, it's far from it. The pin hole in the middle is half-width and closer to one of the surfaces than the other, and the ends have different connections: one has two axle holes, and the other has an axle hole and a pin hole. This is actually a very clever design; let me explain why.

For this set, the wheel segments are supposed to be assembled together in a way to have the thin pin holes alternating towards the top and the bottom. The different connections at each end and the usage of pins and axles for joining them forces the builder to orient each segment correctly.

Once the twelve segments are connected, the result is a complete solid ring. It can be twisted by hand, but likely not more than if it were formed from a single mould. Mounting the tyre gives it even more rigidity.

These are the connections between pins that I found that fall within the LEGO grid without forcing any parts. There are likely more, especially if half-module lengths and/or part forcing are considered, but the above should suffice to interface with more rectilinear assemblies.

A ring made from "banana gears" (24121, 43038) fits neatly inside the wheel and has holes that align perfectly with it to join both. This can be a good way to motorise this wheel without using spokes.

Using less segments can still be useful, for example as an alternative to roller coaster curves (25061) in the construction of arches. Regrettably I don't have roller coaster track on hand to show a size comparison.

Joining segments in alternating curves can also be done, of course. I personally think the jagged surface looks disjointed, but hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The connection above doesn't seem to force the parts onto the teal base frame, at least.

The above assembly looks even more disjointed, but again, it doesn't force any parts.

Technic Link 1 x 11 x 2 Angled, Bent, Double (7967)

• 24x Technic Link 1 x 11 x 2 Angled, Bent, Double in Titanium Metallic/ Pearl Dark Gray (6584089 | 7967)

What's a bicycle wheel without spokes? This mould was made specifically to be used with the new bike wheel, with its length and its thin, offset connectors, but certainly is generic enough to be used elsewhere.

Speaking of offset connectors, this is how much they're offset. Just like on a real bike, this offset helps give the wheel lateral rigidity.

Note that this part is made from a softer material than most LEGO pieces (it reminds me of Technic Link Tread 7L Wide with Two Pin Holes, part 69910). That means it's strong under tension but weak under compression. Or, in layman's terms: pull, don't push.

Technic Gear 20 Tooth Ratchet (7161)

• 1x Technic Gear 20 Tooth Ratchet in Dark Stone Grey/ Dark Bluish Gray (6576527 | 7161)

This is possibly the most important new mould in the set, and likely to be the most reused. Yet, at the same time, a "colour vomit"-hater's worst nightmare: grey, green and orange in a single part! Oh no, the ignominy! 

Jokes aside, this is definitely an incredibly useful gear that makes mechanisms that transmit torque in one direction and freely spin in the other much more compact. The most obvious example is precisely where it's used in the set: it transmits motion from the pedals to the wheel but not the other way around, implementing a freewheel. Assuming, of course, that the bike is moving forwards.

It comes pre-assembled, with no apparent way to easily take apart. I'm too chicken to do it myself, but I'm curious to see its internal workings – thankfully someone else has done a teardown.

Looking at the part from the green side, it acts as a regular gear (axle turns with the teeth) when turning clockwise, and as a clutch gear (axle turns independently of the teeth) when turning counterclockwise. For some reason, the gear slides freely along its axle, similarly to Technic Gear 8 Tooth No Friction (11955), which means you'll have to brace it properly.

The internal ratchet, which is barely audible, appears to have just 4 stops. Keeping the teeth locked, as in the image above, I can turn the tooth piece back and forth easily about a quarter of a turn before the ratchet locks it from turning back. This is immense backlash, which you must account for in your builds.

LEGO Technic produces more types of 20-tooth gears than of any other tooth count.

Bicycles aren't the only situation where you want to let a high-inertia output keep spinning when you stop providing power: another such situation is LEGO helicopters. The image above shows the ratchet mechanism for the rotor of 9396 Helicopter from 2012. This mechanism requires three 16T gears, a beam, assistance from gravity, and lots of space. If the new gear were available at the time, this feature would've been a lot simpler and more compact.

Technic Gear 64 Tooth

I hope you like large new moulds and aren't tired of large new moulds, because here's another large new mould. 

• 1x Technic Gear 64 Tooth in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6576953 | 7861)

Featuring 64 teeth, this is the largest "regular" gear (esoteric stuff like the Hailfire Droid Wheel 44556 notwithstanding) ever produced by LEGO Technic.

This is a spur gear, not bevelled, which means it can't mate with other gears at 90º. On the one hand, this limits its versatility; on the other, it's harder for its sides to rub against other parts and thus create friction and potential jams.

The pattern of connections reminds me of two wheels launched in the SPIKE range: Wheel 57 x 14 with 4 Black Spokes with 2 Holes (39367), and Wheel 88 x 14 with 4 Black Spokes with 4 Holes, 4 Inserts (49295).

These are some gearing combinations I found that more or less work. Only the meshing with the 8T and 16T gears is perfect; the others are either too loose or too tight. If you manage to use half-module spacings, maybe better combinations will show up.

The banana gears return for a meshing test. This works, but is too tight, and I couldn't find any better position for the 64T gear. Again, half-module spacing may solve this.

Decorations

As this is a non-licensed set, there is no need for branding or racing sponsors. As such, all parts are their plain, undecorated versions and there are no stickers in sight. This will appease both camps in the "prints vs. stickers" debate and increase the set's value as material for MOCs.

Recolours

• 2x Technic Beam 1 x 2 with Towball Straight in Bright Red/ Red (6540722 | 5995)

This part, introduced last year, was previously available only in light bluish gray. I don't think the red recolour will be as useful, but more options are always good.

• 1x Gear Shifter with Groove without Letters in Dark Stone Grey/ Dark Bluish Gray (6598627 | 3584)

This is a mostly functional part and therefore colour typically isn't as important as in those elements with more decorative purposes. That said, and considering it was previously available only in orange, this recolour into a neutral grey could come in useful.

• 72x Technic Link, Reinforced, with Beveled Edge in Silver Metallic/ Flat Silver (6576937 | 14696) (plus 2 spares)

Chains are commonly made of metal. It's therefore surprising that this mould, that has been with us in one form or another since1978, only now appears in a metallic colour. Better late than never, I guess.

Rare elements

There aren't many rare elements here: maybe it's because red and black don't provide many opportunities for something new.

In 1 other set:

• 21x Plate Special 1 x 3 Rounded with 3 Open Studs in Bright Red/ Red (6598629 | 77850)

So far, this element appears in red only in set 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith™, (see Ben's review of the LEGO Minas Tirith) which not only is a huge and expensive set, but also contains only one of these. If you're after red 1x3 rounded plates, set 11380 is a jackpot to you.

In 2 other sets:

• 2x Technic Axle and Pin Connector Triple [120° Offset] in Bright Red/ Red (6532099 | 10288, 49155)
• 6x Brick Curved 1 x 4 x 2/3 Double, No Studs in Bright Red/ Red (6534946 | 79756)
• 2x Brick Round 1 x 1 D. Tube with 45° Elbow and Axle Holes (Crossholes) at Each End in Black (6586225 | 7324)

 

In 3 other sets:

• 1x Technic Pin Connector Hub with 2 Axles in Bright Red/ Red (6555339 | 27940)

Other elements of interest

• 4x Wedge 3 x 3 Facet in Bright Red/ Red (6598628 | 2462)

This part has appeared in red in 4 other sets, which by itself is noteworthy, but what's by far more important is that the last time we saw it in a set was in 1998, before some of you were even born. Since then, its Element ID changed from 246221 to 6598628, so if you're hunting for this element you may want to try both numbers.

Instructions

As a set with an 18+ age mark, the instructions booklet has an introductory section explaining the subject matter and its LEGO interpretation. 

In this section there's also a page highlighting the new elements... hey, don't steal New E's job! Who the heck do you think you are, stay in your lane!

The build

The assembly process is divided into 8 major steps, and builds the bike back to front.

The first two bags build the training stand and the rear wheel. Having the stand ready this soon is helpful, as it keeps the model steady throughout the building process, without fear of tipping over. I was amazed at how many parts it took to build a single bicycle wheel – 49 just for the rim, tyre and spokes – when previous LEGO bicycle wheels have been single-mould elements! 

The next two bags build the back of the frame and the saddle, and we get our first taste of the funky geometry involved. At this point, the model resembles a pedal-less unicycle.

Bags 5 and 6 build the pedals, the rest of the frame, and the fork.

The last two bags finish the model with the front wheel, handlebar, chain, rear derailleur, and accessories: a rear light and a water bottle.

The finished model

At first sight, you wouldn't guess this large bike model is built from LEGO elements. There are almost no studs visible; instead there are plenty of smooth and rounded surfaces.

This kind of connection, using rounded plates and 3.18 mm bars, is abundant in this set and solidly joins the relatively thin tubes of the frame together at the required angles. Not many years ago, when these elements didn't exist, it certainly wouldn't be possible to create this set.

This is the top of the fork, partially disassembled. Spreading the red "standard" plates apart this way would be an illegal technique that forced the parts, if it weren't for the rounded ends of the adjacent plates providing the required tiny bit of clearance.

The stand holds the bike securely, but can be easily detached by opening these sections.

The bike features a rear derailleur and chain tensioner, but they're not functional. Even at this huge scale, a functional LEGO derailleur and a full cassette of rear sprockets would be impractical.

The front sprocket also features a simulated derailleur, using a Tile 3 x 3 Curved, Macaroni (79393). This tile is attached by a single stud, making it the most fragile part of the model.

This is what the whole drivetrain looks like. With the bike supported on its stand, it's very satisfying to give a few quick turns on the pedals, stop pedalling, then watch the rear wheel spin for some time and try to listen to the almost silent clicking of the freewheel. 

The instructions tell you to put together 72 chain links, but I noticed that the chain kept popping off the crankset when pedalling. Removing one link tightened the chain and for the most part solved the problem.

This is set 11380's largest inaccuracy: the way the fork is attached to the frame. It should pivot around a steerer tube inside the head tube, but instead has an offset pivot. Not only is it unrealistic, but it also leads to a huge turning radius. Again, I suspect scale restrictions are what dictated this design choice.

Another thing I miss in this model are cables to connect the brakes to their respective levers. According to New E's resident bicycle specialist Elspeth, some bikes do have cables that run inside the frame tubes, but I'd prefer to have this additional mechanical detail.

The simple red and black colour scheme is already 80% there, and only needed these few slight modifications to reach perfection. Note the nervous smile on the rider, as they notice that the handlebar they're holding isn't actually connected to anything.

Closing thoughts

So, you like the set and want it for display? Before rushing out to the nearest LEGO store, bear in mind that, while this model isn't very wide at 19 cm (~7.5" in.), it's gigantically long at 60 cm (~23.5 in.) and fairly tall at 36 cm (~14"), so make sure you have enough space for it. 

As a model, it's a great representation of a subject matter rarely visited in LEGO form, let alone at this scale, and – despite the inaccuracies – will appeal to fans of cycling.

It also has a rich parts inventory, in case that's what you're after. The huge wheels, despite being thin, have lots of potential, and I can easily see a wheelchair MOC that uses them; just be gentle with the rotational torque if driving them via the spokes. The 20T ratchet and 64T gears should also have lots of uses, and I hope to see them again in future, preferably cheaper sets. If you're after lots and lots of 1-wide red and black bricks and plates, especially rounded ones, this is also the set for you.

So, under which circumstances do I recommend against getting this set? If you fulfil all the following criteria:

• The price (US$129.99/ £109.99/ 119.99€/ AU$199.99) is too high for you;
• You don't have sufficient space to display it;
• You're not interested in the subject matter;
• You have no use for the new moulds (wheel elements and the two types of gears);
• You don't need lots of black and red parts.

Otherwise, I believe you'll be happy with set 11380!

US$129.99/ £109.99/ 119.99€/ AU$199.99

 

 

READ MORE: Review of the reimagined LEGO® NINJAGO® Land Bounty

 

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