Submitted by
TiGuy
a Cross Country Rider
from Bellevue, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2007
Strengths: Frame is flawless. still holding up after 8 years. nothing broken, nothing creaking, nothing. frame finish is unblemished rides as nicely as day one
Weaknesses: only gripe is the rear brake cable routing. since v brakes use noodles on the left side, the brake cable has to take an awkward path around the seat tube, causing massive friction on the cable. this makes the rear braking a high effort and rough feeling affair. if the frame came with rear disc mounts, i would opt to switch to disc brakes, esp since i ride in wet/muddy climes.
recently however, i discovered that Paul's motolite v brakes have interchangeable noodle placement, so u can put the noodle on the left side or right side, depending on how your cable stops are situated on your frame. so i ordered one set (at $100 per wheel one is more than enough). finally, a rear brake solution that will work with my frame. i also got a set of aztec aluminum brake cable housing (the ones like nokon but have a nylon outer lining to protect your frame), so the rear brake issue i've had in the past will be elimintated once and for all.
Bottom Line:
this is a long term revisit review. i've since switched mainly to full suspension (intense tracer, epx terrashark, kona stinky dee lux) but still occasionally ride the unicoi when riding with beginners, bike path rides, charity rides etc.
the bike is still as fun to ride as it was back then. it has the perfect blend of riding character. it's light, stiff, forgiving, compliant, nimble, flexy in the right places, comfy, reactive to pedal input, it's just plainly what u'd want out of the perfect frame.
I like how some reviewers have described how the rear shock feels. my favorite and most accurate description would be that it feels like u r running a large volume tire at low air pressure. in other words, there is a small measure of vertical compliance when hitting square edge or chattery surfaces or dropping off. it feels smooth and quick like a low pressure tire does. it really does a good job at taking the spike off of a hit.
the benefit is that unlike a low pressure tire, you really are running your normal tire pressure, ie u r rolling fast and efficient, with no collapsing sidewalls in cornering, yet, you reap the benefit of that sensation of a pillowy and compliant ride.
as for climbing, yes, it finds more traction than a typical hardtail, but no, not as much as a nice 4 bar full susp design. nor does it descend as fearlessly. but, it also weighs much less and is more nimble. and overall it's afaster xc machine, taking much less effort to ride for hours on end. altho, on a full susp, u end up feeling more 'refreshed' at the end of a long ride.
bottome line, it's a must have bike if u like to have a stable of bikes for every occasion. or if u want a super nice xc machine with comfort, it's hard to beat. the tanasi is a superb racing machine, but for comfort, the unicoi gets the nod.
Similar Products Used: stumpy triple butted steel tanasi 6/4 ti (wow, super lite and fantastic ride)
Bike Setup: stock xt sid blew up, replaced with manitou carbon replaced contol tech stem/post with thomson stem/rockshox seatpost replaced flite saddle w/ sdg kevlar
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dennis
a Cross Country Rider
from Kirkland, WA USA
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2003
Bottom Line:
I am just giving a long term ride report. Still love the bike. At times if you hit a bump/log/rock etc.. in the rear the bike will buck you. Granted I am 210 and ride hard! Added Mavic Crossroc Tubeless Disc and Avid mechanical Disc brakes. Now the bike is a lot faster on the singletrack ans feels more heavy duty. The added weight was a bonus to keep the bike from being so squirley. (24.3lbs)
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from SLC, UT
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2002
Bottom Line:
I retract my previous complaint about warranty service. There was a misunderstanding. LS replaced my broken frame, apologized, and I am now happy 2ith my 2003 Unicoi.
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from SLC, UT
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2002
Strengths: Nice ride
Weaknesses: Company!
Bottom Line:
The weld at the head tube broke,causing the bike to collapse mid-trail. Litespeed claims that this must have been caused by previous damage, but admit that there is no sign of any previous damage. I have never crashed this bike hard. They have refused to warrantty the bike. This is potential dangerous and certainly a sign of a shady company. Buyer beware!
Submitted by
Dennis Bennett
a Cross Country Rider
from Somewhere in Washington St.
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2002
Bottom Line:
This bike is great. I have put some hard miles on it and like most frames it is holding up just fine. Had to strip down the bike all the way and use Ti prep grease on all the metal to ti contact points to eliminate creeks but now she is as quiet as can be. The ti is amazing to smooth out the jarring washboards and also it gives enough just when it needs to. I only worry that with my style of riding and weighing at 210 lbs that I might have to use that lifetime warranty sooner than expected. The bike is worth riding!
Submitted by
matt white
a Cross Country Rider
from navarre, fl
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2002
Strengths: Lightweight soft tail design Improved customer service(thanks Rebecca) Finish will survive nuclear detonation Lack of bearing/bushings to replace and listen to creak
Weaknesses: Can't blame the bike for being slow now
Bottom Line:
I wasn't in the market for a bike, but got caught on eBay snooping where I shouldn't have been. I placed the only bid on the frame and got it for a song. I liked the softtail idea the Moho was trying for, and the Litespeed gives that thought a reality. The best description I can give for the travel was given below. It feels like you are riding a bike with 10psi in a 3.0" width tire. It won't soak up the big hits, but it does allow you to pedal over small roots and logs without losing traction. I am very partial to this bike due to the fact it fits me very well. I have fit other bikes, but this one seems to feel like those old jeans you don't want to throw away. As for the suspension pogo, I only noticed it when I have my front fork set too stiff. Give yourself some travel up front and the rear is very compliant. I tried my shock locked out just for kicks, and just about got bucked off the bike. This bike is ideal for the aging hardtail rider who doesn't want to go full suspension, but needs a little TLC his hardtail won't give.
Submitted by
Weebs
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2001
Strengths: Titanium is the best, rides almost as tight as a hardtail but softens things up a tad, great craftsmanship on the frame, fairly light, race geometry, good climber, great ride.
Weaknesses: Rear suspension is just a spring so you have no rebound dampening and it can pogo. Of course it wont pogo much since it has little travel so the effect is minimized. This is not an issue most of the time and only shows itself during certain times. This has been addressed in the new designs.
Bottom Line:
Other than the minor issue of slight pogo it is a great bike. The combination of Titanium and small travel absorbs more punishment than you think it would while basically feeling as tight as a hardtail (but not the same). The frame will probobly last forever and has a lifetime warranty. Climbs good, tracks good fast, does single-track well. Any impact that would scratch a painted frame just polishese titanium...icing on the cake! Pogo drops it a chili otherwise 5. It does what it was built for well.
Strengths: Light, extremely stable at speed(80+kph Off-road), climbs like a goat, Folds space on the turns. Makes the impossible Possible!
Weaknesses: Are you kidding? Ok seriously, I prefer downtube cable routing and the signature decal on the seatstay was tacky.(acetone and a rag...Poof)
Bottom Line:
This bike is absolutely the pinnacle of human powered devices. It's nimble handling at the limits of physics obscure it's blazingly fast stability. On one descent I was passing a small group of spooked deer. If you've ever seen how fast they can move over rough terrain at a full run you know how fast I was going. If you want to outclimb, out corner, outlast and underweigh your freinds and enemies...Get one. As to those foolish few who cry "moots Ybb!" Now you know it should be, Moots? Y Buy Me!
Similar Products Used: Got my first mtb in 1980, If they built it I probly rode it.
Bike Setup: Xt, mavic ceramics, Easton Carbon 150 low-riser(thanks Rob), Avid 5.0 arch rivals adapted to xt servo-wave levers, Rock Shlock sid xc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
matt bucca
a Cross Country Rider
from huntsville, al
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2000
Strengths: lite, shifts great, just enough rear suspension, when you press on the pedals it goes......
Weaknesses: the cockpit is a little shorter then my previous bike.
Bottom Line:
excellent bike. the shorter cockpit has advantages and disadvantages. the advantage is it eliminates climbing bars and I can get farther back on the saddle to go down hill. the disadvantage is the back comes up easier. this could be due to the lite bike.
Bike Setup: all xtr except changed crank to race face to get 22 chain ring
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Brad
a Cross Country Rider
from Issaquah
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2000
Strengths: Great build quality, titanium ride, climbs like a goat, light.
Weaknesses: Some flex in the bb area due to "open" seat stays. You don't feel this when laying down power, only when going through a tight turn that compresses the bike.
Bottom Line:
I'm in constant awe of this bike--it absolutly rocks! Tracks great on tight twisty stuff, hooks up amazingly well through mud bogs (lot of 'em up here), and climbs technical stuff really, really well. Forest Service roads are smoothed out by the titanium. The bike will bob a little if you hammer squares instead of spinning, but what should you be doing? I haven't had one problem, and don't expect any. Can't imagine ever replacing this bike.
Strengths: Soft-tail design, titanium doesn't rust, titanium is easy to clean, this bike has made me a better rider.
Weaknesses: To some extent the soft-tail design
Bottom Line:
This is my second review of this bike. I have now put extensive miles on the bike and raced it several times. I race Sport and this bike is great for me at that level. I don't train enough for the racing I do but this bike spares me from some of the abuse that would wear me down by the end of a race. The only problem I have with this bike is some pogo action in certain situations like riding stutter bumps and when spinning extremely fast on pavement.
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Tebbetts, Mo
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2000
Strengths: Light, Responsive, excellent finish and weld quality
Weaknesses: a little expensive (but worth it)
Bottom Line:
Test riding a Moots YBB last summer sold me on the design but it was a little more than I could justify. I saw the Unicoi frame for $500 off in a magazine and the local bike shop said they could match that price:-) The Unicoi is as good as the Moots I rode and a good bit less expensive. The bike is light and handles extremely well through turns. It's not a plush as the SuperV I had before. the weight and handling more than make up for that. Well worth putting in some overtime and saving for.
Strengths: responsive,lightweight.awesome construction,great climber, predictable on fast decends,just enough rear travel.
Weaknesses: everyone stops to look at it.
Bottom Line:
all in all, this is the best rig i have ever been on. lite, fast, great climber, handles like a porsche. i'm in my mid 40's and have never been faster. this bike is a big part of it.
Similar Products Used: klein mantra race,litespeed obed fs
Bike Setup: rock shox sid sl, raceface crank rings and ti bb, litespeed ti seatpost, nuke proof atom bomb/mavic sup 517/wheelsmith 14/15 spokes,xt deraileurs and shifters,paul brakes,profile stiffy ti stem,easton monkey lite bar,cane creek headset.flite saddle, nuke proof ti twisters.
