Originally Posted by OneTinSloth
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.
You don't like Litespeed because you think too many people have them, they have ugly decals.
You equate a bike that no one else has with being good. Uh, ok.
People are lazy in your eyes because they can buy a well-made, excellent riding Litespeed.
You are actually wrong on many counts. Litespeed is a small company. Are you confusing good press, advertising and marketing to thinking Litespeed is a huge company with billions of ti sales?
You are correct that Trek is big. They are the largest bike co. in the US.
Ugly decals? That's a personal preference. I like them but everyone has a different taste. At least Litespeed's can be replaced and updated if scratched or you want some new labels.
Anyway back to the bikes- bikebean;
if you can't find a Litespeed to test ride this maybe moot. My only opinion is that for the type of riding (and future riding) you described, a titanium Litespeed would be ideal. Give it a try if you can.
Good luck again.