No Exit

It seems Habaneros are sold via internet order only. Does anyone carry these bike in at an LBS?

clfjmpr44

I don't believe so. I worked with Mark at Hab Cycles extensively over the phone and through e-mail to get my custom rig dialed in. If there is someone in your area that owns one, he could probably put you in contact with them.
A

ZappCatt

The only distribution I have seen is SHeldon Brown and Harris Cyclery.

Mark runs a several man shop putting together personalized Ti bikes with frames from China..

Seems like a nice guy, website SUCKS!!! and he likes it that way...

johnny99

The web site is plain, but it is informative and it is not full of buggy and/or slow browser scripts. If you can't figure out what you want from the web site, you probably shouldn't be buying a bike over the Internet. Litespeed sells similarly priced titanium bikes through local bike shops.

ZappCatt

Exactly, Litespeed are not much more(if any) and sell through LBS(where you could be fitted, helped, etc.) Their website lists current bikes with significant info about them, info about past products, etc..

A couple of things I don't like about his site..the layout is not consistant, links are different depending on what page you are using, half the pictures of the products to are not valid links, icons from the 80's. I would like someone that is going to "professionally customize" a bike to take pride in their site.

Just stating a personal preference.

clfjmpr44

hmmm, similarly priced?

johnny99

Litespeed Firenze costs about $2000 (complete bike with titanium frame). How much did your Habenero cost?

clfjmpr44

What grouppo is that speced with? How do you know where the habanero rates in litespeed's line? In addition, the price of my frame is imaterial because I paid extra to spec custom geometry.

ZappCatt

The 2004 Firenze was mostly Ultegra..this year they downgraded. https://www.litespeed.com/bikes/firenze.aspx#

https://www.litespeed.com/bikes/2005/....aspx?k=cm_fir

johnny99

Price and performance of the Litespeed Firenze will be similar to a similarly spec'ed Habanero. The main difference is that Litespeed is sold through local bike shops, so you can test ride it and customize the fit before you pay for it. Also, warranty work, if necessary, is handled by your local shop. For those who care, Litespeed frames are made in the USA by American workers.

johnny99

I suspect that's more an issue of Shimano upgrading 2005 Ultegra (10 speed) so that is in longer competitive for bikes at this price point.

ZappCatt

I wasn't trying to say that Litespeed did anything bad..was just answering the question...

I personally WANT a Litespeed and am hoping to get a 2004 Firenze on closeout when the 2006's come out.

I actually think they always planned to downgrade the components. They discontinued the earlier lowest priced model adn brought out the Firenze at the $2,000 price point. At the time it was an amazing bike at the price..now with the lower specs it is a good bike for the price.

clfjmpr44

Ok, just wanted to confirm where I thought this thread was going...thanks Johnny

Spacey

I purchased a Habanero Team Issue a couple of months ago and have been very happy with it. Mark and I went back and forth with a lot of e-mails working on sizing and components. He was a great help with lots of great advice and the measurements I sent him turned out perfect. Once I got the bike as a quick confirmation I tried a lot of the rule of thumb type positions people talk about and they all matched up and my co-worker who does a lot of road cycling said everything looked good.

One of the best things going through Mark was getting exactly what I wanted. I wanted 32 spoke wheels with 25mm Kevlar tires (230 pounds and less than perfect road conditions). I wanted a good seat, quality components, and Campy shifters/drive train. Try finding all that on an off the shelf bike. The shop would have to rebuild most of the bike with parts they never carry in stock!

I looked into Airborne and Litespeed at local shops. None of the local shops have anything in stock so I would end up essentially ordering a bike anyways. But even then the models from Airborne and Litespeed that I was looking at maxed out about 60cm-61cm. I ended up with a 64cm Habanero with a 130mm stem and 2.5cm of spacers under it! And the handlebars are still almost 3 inches below the seat (I am 6'4" with some long limbs).

In the end though it comes down to what you want. I wanted something specific and Mark was able to deliver that for me. If you can live with an off the shelf bike then you can probably save some money. Also, I just checked the Habanero website and noticed he has raised his prices since I bought my bike.

clfjmpr44

I was just noticing that too Spacey, I ordered mine this past winter. It definitely looks like prices have jumped a bit. As for the custom job, Mark was very attentive on each detail of my ride and what I was looking for as well. I love the bike, it fits me like a glove. Have you posted pics of yours here before? I don't think I have seen them. I went with the team issue as well.
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steve_wmn

Right now the Litespeed website isn't quoting any prices. I think the last time I looked the Firenze was at a MSRP of $2195 or so, but if they aren't posted they may be rolling out new prices/2006 models soon. The Habanero with a 105 group can be had at three price points ranging from $1846-$2062 with varying quality of seats, forks, tires, bars and whatnot. They way I read this, you might be able to get a Firenze for close to the same price as a Habanero if you wait for end of season closeouts but otherwise it's $100+ more. Not too far apart really. I've seen both bikes on club rides and I'm not sure which I like better. The Hab has more options on component selection but I kind of like the dull satin finish of the Firenze, and the components on it are nice. And of course the Firenze is US made.

johnny99

$100 is a very small price to pay to be able to test ride and fit the bike at a local bike shop. Also, many bike shops give 10% discounts to local club members.

Spacey

I haven't posted any pictures here before. Here is one I happen to have.

https://www.smokinserver.com/bicycle/DSCF0003.JPG

Pretty plain looking. Centaur 10 speed, Mavic Open Pro wheels, deda handlebars/stem and an Alpha Q carbon fork. I guess the only annoying thing is how little clearance there is between the 25mm tire and the fork. I am surounded by lettuce fields with dirt usually out past the fog line on the road. When they are watering the fields they usually end up watering half the road too resulting in the front tire rubbing against a fork full of mud. Oh well, all the dirt and gravel on the roads around here are why I wanted slightly bigger tires in the first place. What are you going to do?

ivan_yulaev

Wow, looks very modern compared to the setup on my bike. Mine is a Habanero (non-team issue). Also, I noticed the finish on the frame is different. Yours is much shinier, almost polished look, while mine is a dark grey color. Very nice bike!

The advantage of a habanero, for me, was that I got to build my bike just the way I wanted it. Considering I expect this bike to last, well, until I don't need it anymore, it was obvious that I should build it exactly the way I wanted it to be, rather than getting an off-the-shelf bike. Although I probably spent a little bit more than a similarly-outfitted litespeed ($1,600 for a full 105 equipped bike), I got to pick the componentry exactly the way I wanted it. Who still makes bikes with threaded forks, quill stems, and downtube shifters?