hahaha RacerX, you're hilarious! once again, i say something that disagrees with what you said and you go on the defense. i wasn't even responding to you, i was responding to bikebean, because he/she asked for people's thoughts about litespeed bikes. and i gave them. what are you, the marketing rep. for litespeed or something?
Originally Posted by RacerX
You don't like Litespeed because you think too many people have them, they have ugly decals.
uh, no. i never said that litespeeds aren't good. i said:
Originally Posted by Me
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.... 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.
the person asked for my thoughts on litespeed and i gave them.
Originally Posted by RacerX
You equate a bike that no one else has with being good. Uh, ok.
no, that's not what i was infering at all. i said i PREFER to ride a bike that no one else has. my reasoning behind that is this: i believe that bicycles are a personal thing. everyone has different reasons for riding, everyone has different preferences, different aesthetic styles. i, personally, don't want to ride a bike that someone else can just go out and pull off the shelf and ride too. it's why i don't ride a cannondale, or a trek, or a litespeed. i have an old-school steel, repainted pinarello, with detailing that i did myself, built up with parts that i picked out myself. it was a labor of love to put together. for me, the joy is not just in the riding, but in the selecting, the building, the maintaining...getting my hands dirty in order to make my bike what i want, not what some marketing or sales guy tells me i want. there's nothing wrong with buying an off-the-shelf bike if that's what someone wants. it's just not what I prefer. there's nothing wrong with having a litespeed Ti road bike with full ultegra or whatever, as long as it suits the person's needs. myself? i need something different. i'll admit it, i like it when i'm riding and someone notices my bike and compliments me on it. i take pride in my bike, because mine is the only one like it anywhere. and i only had to spend $800 on it! i like that feeling. my bike is a great bike. it's the perfect bike for me. your litespeed is also a great bike, and it may very well be the perfect bike for you. if i ever found myself owning a litespeed, i'd probably remove the decals and paint it black, or battleship grey, or some heinous shade of green. same goes for any other mass-produced bike out there.
Originally Posted by RacerX
People are lazy in your eyes because they can buy a well-made, excellent riding Litespeed.
i see SO many people on litespeeds, do you really think they took the time to test ride every single Ti bike available to them? no. of course not. they walked into a shop, said they wanted a fancy road bike and the shop guy sent them off on a test ride and subsequently, sold them the same model bike that they just sold to someone else 2 weeks ago. and the customer, while they may be satisfied, doesn't always get try out the full spectrum before making their decision. it's not just their fault though...most salespeople are motivated to just move product, no matter what. ocassionally, you'll find the sales guy who wants to make the customer happy.
Originally Posted by RacerX
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?
litespeed is a small company? then how come they happen to distribute more Ti bikes than any other company in the US currently? more shops carry litespeed than serotta, than carry VT, than carry airborne. you can't get the kind of distribution that litespeed gets if you're a small company. it's just not possible to move that much product.
Originally Posted by RacerX
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.
yes, that's personal preference, as in MY THOUGHTS on litespeed, which is what the person asked for. you just can't seem to stand the fact that someone doesn't like your favorite bike company.
Originally Posted by racerX
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.
i'll pretend i'm you for a second here. you're opinion is wrong. it's only wrong because i say it is, but everyone else should agree with me because i say they should.
now, back to being somewhat logical and civil: any other brand of Ti bike would be ideal. a quality steel bike would most definitely fit the bill as well, and end up costing a bit less. for me, if i was looking at spending that kind of money on a Ti road bike, i'd want to shop around a bit more and consider my options.
again, i'm not saying litespeeds are bad bikes. i saw a couple yesterday in a shop and i thought to myself "damn, that's a well-built bike."
in the end, bikebean, it doesn't really matter what anyone on here thinks, as long as you're happy with the bike you end up getting. you asked for people's thoughts and i gave you mine. i appear to be in the minority here. go out, get yourself a litespeed if that's what you want. it's a great bike.