Opinions on a LITESPEED Classic???
 

Guys

What are your opinions on a LITESPEED Classic. I haven't seen the actual bike but I was wondering how the finish work as far as the welds is compared to the Serotta's. Do you know if it's sanded and polished smooth like the Serotta's? I'm looking at this since it I might not be able to step up to the Serotta's. I have seen the welds on the Airborne's and they're not finshed off at all. It looks like someone took a piece of bubble gum and wrap it around the welds. Those of you that's seen the finish work on these Litespeed's please let me know what you think. This is the model I maybe considering:

http://www.litespeed.com/bikes/classic.aspx


Thanks

I am on my second Litespeed (Tuscany) and the workmanship is pretty darned good. My first was a Firenze and it flexed alittle too much for my liking. I won't debate if the weld quality is as pretty as a Serrottas or not, because that is a whole big can of worms-but I will say that IMHO, the "rack" litespeeds are as well made and the warentee is excellent. I think the quality on my Tuscany is better than the Firenze-especially fit and finish. Litespeed offers various levels based on what you want to pay. The litespeed is going to cost you alot less - especially if you get on sale through your LBS, (Colorado Cyclist has a sale on Classics right now, Ultegra-2599) or through preownedbikes.com. Classics are very pretty bikes, polished up nicely.

Here's a link to Colorado Cyclist's Litespeed Classic Ultegra for $2599 (edit - now $2399) referred to by Motomickey.

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/commo...273&TextMode=0

55/Rad

Well I just got a Classic last month from Colorado Cyclist and it is a great bike. The finish and welds are great also the ride is amazing. I glanced at some Serottas at the local bike shop and the welds on the Classic are as good if not better. The frame is polished and nicely finished the only thing that could be better is the decals look like they will get scraped easily. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you.

What do you want to bet the Serottas welds aren't sanded. The weld quality on Ti frames is a reflection of the torches skill. Sound functional welds work as intened,even if they may not be prtty works of art. Pretty cost more.Moots is reputed to have the nicest Ti welds. Go there.

The Classic is being discountinued for next year (tThat's what an LBS told me). CC bought a ton of the remaining inventory and that's why they can discount it so steeply. Still a very very good bike, especially at that price.
Best.

Thats a steal of a price.

I bought a Litespeed Classic in 2000, and it has been my only road bike since then. Previous bikes I had owned over a 20 year period included a Basso Ascot (steel), two Cannondales, and a Trek 420 (steel). I really enjoy the Litespeed. It is very, very comfortable over long distances. The "ti ride" really lives up to the reputation! The bike is also very stable, tracks well, and handles predictably. I also feel like I can descend on it very well due to the geometry. It may not be as stiff as some of my previous bikes, but I do not feel like it costs me anything on the climbs; the lighter weight certainly helps. Compared to the Basso it was replacing, I was climbing in comparable gears, maybe one higher. Besides, frame stiffness may be over-rated: how many races did Sean Kelly win on those swing set Vitus frames of the mid 80's? I think a little bit of flex balances out on a longer ride where it gives more comfort (such as a metric century or longer). I think the Classic would do well for riders who do recreational club rides, centuries, road racing, time trials, etc. About the only type of rider who I would not recommend it for would be someone who specializes in criterium racing. They'd probably want something stiffer with a tighter wheelbase. But for most riders, the Classic does pretty much everything really well. I also love the fact that the frame won't corrode. The brushed ti finish was an asset while I was traveling with it this year. I could throw it in the back of the rental car without having to worry about scratches and dings.

As far as the welds go, my current frame is absolutely fine. Most of the Litespeeds I have seen have had very nice welds. Their welders are generally skilled enough that it looks fine without any secondary work. I say "generally" because there was a small mishap with the first frame my local bike shop received from Litespeed. The seat post binder bolt was welded kind of high on the seat tube, and the weld bead overlapped the top of the seat tube. When viewing the seat tube from the top, the wall thickness appeared to be reduced by about 50 percent! Since I was replacing a steel frame that had cracked along the seat tube / seatstay weld, I certainly didn't want this one! Upon closer inspection, we realized that Litespeed had shipped a 53 cm frame instead of the 55 cm frame that the shop had requested. The local shop owner got on the phone, and to the credit of the shop and the manufacturer, Litespeed shipped the correct size to him overnight so I could still have it for the weekend. That is the frame I have been riding since 2000, and it has been flawless. (Thanks to Harry Betz at the Newtown Bike Shop for awesome customer service!)

As was mentioned above, Moots does have awesome welds. However, I would have needed to pay 50 percent more for a Moots, and I knew I wouldn't be 50 percent faster, so I felt the Litespeed was the best value.

Perhaps the best thing I can say is that if my bike were stolen, I would definitely consider another Litespeed. They make a great frame, at a great price. I've been very satisfied with mine over the years. I'm sorry to see this model going away, as I think it will be very capable for most riders doing most types of riding.

Sorry - I got a little overly enthusiastic with that last post! I hope there was some useful info in there.

Nothing to be sorry about. You like your bike. That is what we come here for, talk about bikes...

HigherGround, nice information.

I've been looking at the classic ever since it went on sale at Colorado cyclist and hope to order one soon. You mentioned the Vitus frame that Sean Kelly rode as being very flexible, well thats one of my rides and yes it certainly is very flexible (lots of times it would down shift the front derailleur in the middle of a field sprint, not fun).

How much flex is there in the Classic, have you ridden a Vitus to compare? Minor derailluer rub is probably okay by me, but just curious as to how much there is in the Classic. I hope it isn't Vitus wimpy.

I purchased a new polished Classic frame from Colorado Cyclist back in 1993. It is still my only geared road bike I own.

What's nice about the Classic is that the seat stays are traditional twin tubes, the chain stays are conservative and the geometry is, well, classic. These days, so many bikes have multi directional seat stays, and the chain stays look like they are trying to take the longest route possible from the bottom bracket shell to the drop outs. As for weld quality, I think that both Litespeed and Serotta prohibit any coffee drinking so that the welders have a steady hand. Anyway, weld quality is probably one of half a dozen key factors that make frames from either shop excellent, and I ride a Merlin! If Litespeed is discontinuing the Classic, snatch one up as new while you can.

FWIW: Colorado Cyclist dropped the price $200 this weekend and thats enough for me to take the dive and order one. :)

Kgatwork - I think you'll be really pleased with the Classic. I admit that I have not ridden one of the old Vitus frames. I was basing the comments about flexibility on feedback from other riders, as well as the fact that the Vitus used standard sized aluminum tubing rather than oversized. My perception that the Classic flexes a bit is compared to the Canondales and a stiff steel frame. However, the flexing has never caused an unintentional shift. And to be honest, some of the flex could be from the drivetrain rather than the frame. My 2000 model had round tubes, where as the 2004 model has some ovalized tubes at the bottom bracket that should help to stiffen it up a bit. Enjoy the ride!

Congratulations! I think you'll be another very satisfied LS customer. I have almost 11K miles on my 2 1/4 year old bike and have loved every mile of it. Enjoy!

Hi,
I tried out one of the old Vitus aluminum frames once. Long time ago. I have tried a number of Ti frames, but not the Classic. So I can't be precise. But I can say that the Vitus had more flex than any bike I ever rode. Good Ti bikes control the flex. They give a bit to absorb shock, but maintain stiffness where it counts.
Litespeed has a reputation that is a couple steps above good. So if you don't mind my drawing a conjecture.... there is no comparison. However, Litespeed makes a few bikes with the same geometry. What changes is the stiffness. I'd imagine the Classic is down at the 'plush' end of the list. If you want fast, try the Tuscany.

Lightspeed practically invented the Ti weld. Not one person will ever say you made a mistake by buying a Lightspeed. My friend bought one from CC recently and loves it. He transferred his Ksyrium's over and is set for a while.
I just bought an Ultimate that i am building. The only reason i didn't get the classic is because it was the exact same geometry as my current bike. the ultimate is sufficiently different.

Thanks for all the positive feedback and encouragement!

I haven't purchased/built a new bike in at least 10 years (early 90'), so I'm riding old stuff (pre-sti), Suntour Superbe Pro downtube shifters and aero brakes levers,7 speed freewheels, etc. The move to STI will be a big improvement in ergonomics and will likely affect my riding style. I'm hoping the ride quality will be as good or better then my 1'st generation monocoque Carbon Fibre frame.

You are going to love the Litespeed - that is a great deal. I have a 2003 Tuscany and couldn't be happier. Difference between STI and downtube shifters is huge too.

Thanks, for the encouragement. I'm afraid that I'd like the STI too much and have to upgrade all my other bikes. :D

[QUOTE=MattC] The frame is polished and nicely finished the only thing that could be better is the decals look like they will get scraped easily. [Quote]

You can purchase decals from Litespeed and replace them anytime you want for I think $25. I have put about 3200 miles on my 04 Tuscany and love it. I have not had any problem with the decals, but after about 4 to 5 years you'll want to replace them.

Hey Guys

Thanks for the replies. I ordered my new Litespeed Classic earlier this morning. After looking around for serveral months, a toss up between the Serotta Colorado III and the Waterford RS-14. I stared then looking into Ti bikes and started looking at the Serotta Legend Ti and I thought of going that route. It just happend the last thursday night I had some free time and I was bouncing around on the web and started to take a close to at the Litespeed's that's when I came upon the Classic. I order it with the Ultegra triple 53cm frame with the 172.5mm crank.

What do you guys know about the Litespeed carbon fork? How good is this unit? I was thinking on maybe upgrading it to the Reynolds Ouzo Pro. I don't know if that's worth the $275.00 upgrade or would the Litespeed fork be good enough. Well I'm looking forward on taking delivery on this in a couple of weeks and as I said earlier, Thanks!

Good for you! Beautiful bike!

Speedemon - Good luck with the bike, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. :) As far as the fork is concerned, I'd ride the original one for several months, then decide if you need to upgrade. It will give you a reference point for how you might want to fine tune the ride if you really do need to change something (the rake, stiffness, etc.) I bought my Classic in 2000 when Litespeed was offering a free fork with the purchase of the frame. I think it was a Look model relabelled as a Litespeed fork. Any way, it has been fine for me and I have not felt the need to upgrade. Enjoy the bike!