Strengths: Good looking good workmanship sweet ride soft and absorb
Weaknesses: too soft for some cases not as light all 3 cable alighment those run beside the top tube is hard to adjust.
Bottom Line:
If you want to have a high end bike, buy titanium. There are not many legendary titanium frame in the market. Litespeed is one of them. This bike might not be the fastest bike, but it is one of the most enjoyable bike ever riden.
Similar Products Used: canondale F3000, merlin taiga
Bike Setup: kooka crankset, Xtr or above, xmax
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Scott James
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX.
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2003
Strengths: magic ride of ti.
Weaknesses: Expensive, won't have an excuse to ever buy another bike.
Bottom Line:
I know they haven't made this bike for a while, and this is a review that will probably never be read as a result. However, it's late, I'm bored, and thought this would be worth a few minutes of my time.
Bike kicks serious ass! Mine is a 97, frame still looks and rides like new, with the exception of the decals. Litespeed doesn't clear coat over the decals, so they will peel. However, that is the only thing I can complain about, so that tells you something about this amazing ride. I also own one of their Ultimate's-full Dura Ace. Litespeed is hands down the best ti value for your money. Do you know anybody who owns one who doesn't think it's the best bike they ever owned? I don't. You can spend more on Merlin, or a Seven. But all your getting are prettier welds.
After riding my first ti bike, I sold all my aluminum (2)rides. It's that much better!
Bottom line-If you have a chance to pick one of these up, do it. Ti never wears out, and will never let you down.
Submitted by
Guy Spiher
a Racer
from Winston Salem
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2001
Strengths: looks good assymetrical chainstays
Weaknesses: Broke it after about 2 seasons Poor weld quality at head tube downtube junction I did better welds in Vo Tech weld shop
Bottom Line:
Sluggish handling Flexy rear end exorbitant price tag I can only recommend this bike for 40 year old plus wannabes Who think it looks good on top of the sport utility or beemer. NOTE>>> all Litespeed products ride the same trust me on this one. Disclaimer this does not apply to the road bike side of the product line.
Similar Products Used: Gunnar hardtail Schwinn Homegrown
Bike Setup: Rocket, Sid Race, XT controls, Cross Max wheels Race face goodies Ti bar,Avid brakes Various homemade devices etc
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bruce Donald
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2000
Strengths: TI's ability to absorb shock no paint to scratch Damn fine looking Quality material welded artistically.
Weaknesses: A loosening of the aluminium headset cup
Bottom Line:
Super light and really heavy duty. It handles amatuer trials riding, has no respect for uphills and is so soft I have to keep checking the tires to make sure they're not flat. People say how clean it looks, I always think it needs cleaning. Must be those chain and seat stays that I love rubbing so much. Quality is evident throughout, unfortunately replacement parts don't come cheap here in the land of Aus, so the XTR will slowly be replaced by XT when they wear out (In another 10 years).
Similar Products Used: some average hardtails and a proflex 950
Bike Setup: White Bros sc70 Full XTR Cook Bros Cranks Kore 3D stem 135mm (Too long need 105mm), King headset Thompson elite post, SDG TI comp saddle Mavic 517CD with XTR hubs LP Composites bar ends, Time ATAC's
Weaknesses: Unstable, shotty welds, poor cust. service from the company
Bottom Line:
ALthough this bike is nice and light, and it eats up the bumps nicely, this bike is plainly unstable. Cornering is scary at best, if not terrifying. I weigh 195lbs, so I'm big, but not too big, I've been through 3 of these frames within a year. Turn around time on my returns was horrible, never got responses to my emails, and was put on hold for long amount of time when I did call. I'm completely disappointed with the service I rec'd from litespeed,and with the performance of their product. Message to litespeed: You can attract customers with nice looks and solid marketing, however, you're never going to KEEP customers with bad service and inferior quality. If I could give this a negative rating I would. 1 chili
Similar Products Used: Specialized StumpJumper, Kestrel CSX
Bike Setup: SID SL, XTR everything, Cross Max,
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bike Mike
a Cross-Country Rider
from McLean, VA
Date Reviewed: September 20, 1999
Strengths: Light Stiff Absorbent Fast Wicked climber Great Geometry Well made
Weaknesses: Nada, even the price is fine.
Bottom Line:
This bike is SWEEEEET. It corners on a dime, climbs like a mountain goat, takes the downhills as well as my old full suspension, and weighs in around 20 pounds. Certainly the last mountain bike frame I will probably purchase. I had some sticker shock and buyers remorse after ordering it, but once I rode it, that quickly disappeared. Now, I ust like to get out and ride as far and as fast as I can. And what a ride to do it on. The bike is a head turner and has made me a better rider. The titanium absorbs enough of the bumps to keep you in control and on track, but its also stiff enough to keep you nimble and in touch with the terrain. I highly recommed it. The Made in USA craftmanship is stellar. The welds are works of art. The brushed finish is easy to maintain. Did I say its really light? While I appreciated the Kleins (and lusted after them for a number of years) I was tired of riding aluminum. The other Ti's were decent bikes as well, but none rode nearly as well as the Litespeed. I actualyl demo'd an Obed, but only got the Ocoee (for the price of an Obed) when I learned that the wait on the Obed would be much longer. I took my chances on the better, stronger frame, and am smiling ever after. This bike is so great, even my wife seems to appreciate it. Gonna give it 5 chillis
Similar Products Used: Klein Adroit Merlin Fat City Ti Mongoose Ti Cannondale V's Super V's Delta V's, EST's and Hardtails Lot of others
Bike Setup: SID XC fork, XT Gruppo, Cane Creek headset, Salsa stem, Velociraptor Front tire, Revolt SS rear tire, Mavic Rims, Thompson seat post, flite saddle, V Brakes SPDs
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lindsay
a Cross-Country Rider
from Milford
Date Reviewed: September 3, 1999
Strengths: light, sexy
Weaknesses: Steering is a little squirlly. This could be from the fork or rizer bar.
Bottom Line:
This bike honks. Someone stole my Shwinn Moab and I was force to upgrade what a difference! Acceleration is fantastic in tight single track. Climbs like a monkey and has more control going downhill. The only problem I have had is with over steerage while climbing. This may be due to the fork that stinks or the riser bars which came stock on the bike (Colorado cyclist).
Bike Setup: Manitou st-ti, mavic221, mostly xt, riser bars
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
EDDIE B.
a Cross-Country Rider
from CALIFORNIA
Date Reviewed: July 16, 1999
Strengths: LIGHT WEIGHT, GREAT HANDLING, AND THAT TI BIKE BUMP ABSORBING RIDE
Weaknesses: NONE FOUND SO FAR
Bottom Line:
EVERYTHING I'D READ ABOUT TI FRAMES IS TRUE. FROM THE BUMP ABSORPTION TO THE RIGID CLIMBING FEEL. THE BIKE IS A ROCKET. I THOUGHT MY OLD CARBON FRAME BIKE WAS FANTASTIC, BUT THIS TAKES THE RIDE QUALITY ONE STEP FURTHER.
I bought this frame in late 1993 from Colorado Cyclist before, if I recall, Litespeed produced full bikes. The bike has been compleatly flawless since the day I received it. No noises, nothing. After 13,000 miles, the wheelset with only extreamly minor touch ups and 1 replaced spoke is more true than just about all of the new wheel sets that I have seen (and I worked in a bike shop for a year and a half). I have been through several hard crashes. I race as much as I can which unfortunately isn't a whole lot. Its been dropped out of a truck. The bar end pinch bolt will contact the top tube when the bars are twisted around, to demenstate it's toughness I intentionally slam the bars around into the frame, the looks I receive are fun to watch. The frame is hardly sratched from this. The chainstays have never had any protection on them to protect from a slapping chain, hardly a mark is left there too. It's as fast as you can push. The only complaint I've had is the lack of rebound dampening in the Manitou 4 on hard, bumpy climbs (just old technology). I've owned 4 other bikes during the same time that I've owned this one, all but one of them are gone. I just upgraded to XTR and a SX TI fork. The thought of replacing the frame was never a serious consideration.
Strengths: Ti Frame, Geometry, Light, Looks Bad Ass
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This bike is unbelievable! It is the fasetest climber of any bike currently on the market! This opinion is shared by many! In addition it downhills as fast as my old full-suspention.
