Fifty Plus (50+) - Need your advise on a Lightspeed Bike

I don't post much on this board but I do spend a lot of time reading what everyone has to say and I have a great deal of respect for many of you who do post here regularly. So I am asking for your thoughts/advise on a bike that I found for sale here in central FL. Below is a brief description of the bike that I am interested in. I am thinking about getting this bike for my daughter who by the way is my favorite riding partner. She is 5ft 9in tall, takes after her dad(6ft 4in).

7-8 years old. Titanium frame. 59cm. Excellent condition and well maintained. Upgraded Ksyrium wheelset. Ultegra components. Recently retuned with new bar tape, new brake pads, full mechanical tune-up. Sporadically used in the last 2-3 years. Great for a second bike or for someone wishing to get into cycling with an excellent bike with minimal investment. $900 OBO.

Any thoughts or recommendations that you might offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.

:cheers:

59cm seems a little big for a 5'9" woman. I would think a 56cm would work better IMO.

edit. How old is she? Does she expect to grow some more given your height?

59cm seems a little big for a 5'9" woman. I would think a 56cm would work better IMO.

edit. How old is she? Does she expect to grow some more given your height?

No I think she has reached her maximum height. I had guessed that a 56 or 58 would have been a better fit, but that was just my guess.
You just confirmed my thoughts. The bike might be a better fit for me. I am going to try to go see it tomorrow.
:cheers:

59cm sounds to big to me too unless she is still growing. I am 5'11" and my 57cm Litespeed is plenty big for me. You don't say which Litespeed it is, or if it is 9 or 10 speed but in my opinion it sounds like a very good deal for good components and a frame that will never rust, chip, fade, or wear out. I would have to disagree with the "great for a second bike" as it would be great for a first bike for most people. Whatever you end up with for her it is great that your daughter likes to ride with you.
EDIT: you posted while I was still typing. If you get it we want pics.

Sounds like you need to let your daughter try out bikes in several sizes and figure out what fits her best. I would guess that a 59cm men's bike would be a few sizes too big for a 5'9" woman. I'm just a hair under 6' and it would be too big for me.

Unfortunately a 59cm is way to big but sounds like a really good deal.

However if serious, probably smart to really put it through the gears. A friend had a similar bike and had to send it back to the factory after a while due to the frame "distorting"-very unusual but just something to check out.

I'm 5 11 and rride a 55 lite speed. Sounds big

5'10" here - all my bikes are 56cm
58cm would be for a 6'er or taller I would think.
We know - you really want this one for yourself - the daughter is just an excuse:D

At that price, that bike should be a very good buy. But fit is the single most important thing. An overly large bike can be hard to handle and dangerous. I would think that there will be other opportunities.

I'm 5'9" (oh yes, and a woman), and no way would I ride a bike that big. But I do ride a ti bike, and I love it. Smooth, fast and glorious.

It might fit you like a glove though, if you are looking for the n+1 bike.

buy the litespeed for you
sell your current bike
use proceeds to buy your daughter a bike that fits

At 6'4", the 59cm bike is probably too small for the OP and too large for his daughter. Shame. But cheer up. There are plenty of good bikes out there in her size. You'll just have to keep looking.

I'd say go there with her and teh both of you ride it. But get some idea from your own bikes, book learning, advice here, or a discussion at teh LBS or bike club what sizes each of you should be targeting - it will be a range. If this bike falls in one of your ranges, get it - it's a good deal and it's Ti.

I have a great deal of respect for many of you who do post here regularly.


I'm still puzzled by this remark.

However, I agree with everyone above -- sounds too big for her, too small for you. BTW, I think Litespeeds make great used bike buys - the frames usually are in great shape, there are a number of them around, and you can usually buy them at a reasonable price. Hope you run across one that fits.

Thanks to all for the feed back, and I stand by my statement:
I have a great deal of respect for many of you who do post here regularly.:lol:

At least thats my story and I am sticking to it.

:cheers:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=8999939#post8999939

I just read this thread in Road Forum and thought it intereting. Not sure it would/could apply to a "used" Litespeed but still.....

Also I agree with others that it seems rather large for her.

I think you should take this here tool (http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO), have you and your daughter crank out the numbers and at least have some basis for making a decision.

In very general terms, women have longer legs and shorter torsos than men for a given height, so it remains to be seen if this 59 fits or not. Judging by age I'd maybe guess that it's a traditional level TT frame, but you didn't mention the model so we're all kind of left to guess at that one. But the current concensus would be to make sure the TT length is correct, followed by ST length, etc.

Titanium is a pretty nice ride though, and that sounds like a good price if everything works. Bring some string with you. ;)

t4mv, thanks for great fit tool web site and good advise. I hope to put it into play this weekend when I visit my daughter. Thanks for the tip.
:cheers:

That bike is too big for your daughter. It's also my size and a screaming good deal. If I didn't have my dream titanium bike already I'd be begging you for contact numbers.

I am 6' tall and ride a 59 cm Litespeed Classic. I am pretty sure that the bike is too big for your daughter. A poorly fit bike is frustrating to ride. Keep looking!

Joel

I am 6'3" and owned a Litespeed Ultimate in 61cm. It was a fine bike but the top tube was so long that I eventually bought a 2008 Madone in 60cm Performance fit to replace it. I am much more comfortable on my new bike.
My wife is 5'8" and had been riding a 56cm Trek 2300. It was too large for her. I bought a Trek Pilot 52cm frame and built it up for her. It fits her much better. She is short waisted and long legged and that created the need for the smaller frame.
I would suggest doing some measurements and plugging them into the Competetive cyclist fit calculator in order to get a better idea of the frame size you need. Proper fit is the key to comfort regardless of the frame material or components installed.

You may also want to consider a compact frame for your daughter. I bought a Giant TCR for my daughter and it fit better than most conventional long top tube frames.

Owned a Litespeed ExtraLight. Got severe harmonic vibration at 38 mph descending down a smoothly paved/curvy canyon road in Utah.
Bike was slaloming from left to right and crossing the double yellow line. Attempted the usual clamping knees to top tube. No luck. Tried the alternative method of lifting butt off saddle. No luck. All this within seconds of the harmonics.
Made split second decision I did not wish to be hood ornament on an upcoming vehicle. Touched the rear break and rolled over the bars. Shoulder (no my clavicle) busted in 2 places.
Got rid of that bike.
Just my experience.

Owned a Litespeed ExtraLight. Got severe harmonic vibration at 38 mph descending down a smoothly paved/curvy canyon road in Utah.
Bike was slaloming from left to right and crossing the double yellow line. Attempted the usual clamping knees to top tube. No luck. Tried the alternative method of lifting butt off saddle. No luck. All this within seconds of the harmonics.
Made split second decision I did not wish to be hood ornament on an upcoming vehicle. Touched the rear break and rolled over the bars. Shoulder (no my clavicle) busted in 2 places.
Got rid of that bike.
Just my experience.

I guess that you are saying here is that I should take a pass on this bike, and based on your post I can't say that I blame you. Wow!!!

If the price is a good deal, and it does not fit either of you, then you can always flip it on craigslist, or ebay.:o

Women usually have longer legs than men with the same height. My wife is 5'8" rides a 54cm. My daughter is 5'7" and rides a 53cm. Women also often need frames with shorter tts than men because their upper body is shorter. Than's the chief difference in women specific geometry.

Owned a Litespeed ExtraLight. Got severe harmonic vibration at 38 mph descending down a smoothly paved/curvy canyon road in Utah.
...
Got rid of that bike.
Just my experience.

I can't tell if this is a rip on LiteSpeed or Merlin (though they're now owned by the same company, ABG)? I have the Merlin version and it's one of the nicer bikes I have and ride. It would be interesting to dissect these issues in more detail to find root cause since you would hope that not all bikes are sold this way, at least not in that particular price category.

Owned a Litespeed ExtraLight. Got severe harmonic vibration at 38 mph descending down a smoothly paved/curvy canyon road in Utah...

Yes. This can happen on any bike and can almost always be corrected. I know lots of Litespeeds from the club and none have this problem.

I'm a little under 6' and I ride a 57cm.