litespeed...well. if you want a pretty nice Ti bike that looks exactly like a lot of other people's pretty nice Ti bikes, then go for it. i say this knowing full well that all merlins look like merlins and all serottas look like serottas and VTs look like VT and airbornes look like airbornes and so on and so on...it's just the sheer number of litespeed bikes on the road, and the sheer ugliness of their decals pushes me away from them. i feel like a lot of people just get lazy when they choose litespeed. the pick it because it's readily available. i could go down to an LBS and they'd have 15 litespeeds on the floor, and they all look exactly the same. that's not to say they ride crappily, or their not made well. from what i hear, the ride is excellent, and they are very well-made. i equate them with trek just because of their omnipresence. again, i'm not saying that litespeed and trek are bad bikes...just saying there's too damn many of them.

if you like the ride quality, go for it. personally, i like to ride bikes that no one else has. surprisingly, this isn't too expensive when you know where to look, know the right people, and have the mechanical know-how to put your bike together yourself.

get a bike you're gonna love, and make it your own.