Model Year: Litespeed Vortex ?

[tuscanyswe]

Anyone with good knowledge on older Litespeeds?

Im thinking this is an 04 or 05 but dont really know much about these other than what i gathered from an image search.

What say you? I have more images if theres any particular area that helps seperate the different years.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50319538531_ec7f55794b_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50318869103_136cae7742_b.jpg

[old_fat_and_slow]

Can't help you with nailing down the year, but that's still a really nice looking frame. Hope you plan on keeping it, and not flipping it.

[tuscanyswe]

Can't help you with nailing down the year, but that's still a really nice looking frame. Hope you plan on keeping it, and not flipping it.

Cheers its a nice looking frame.

Its is not mine. A friend of mine asking me to sell 5 of his frames. Some really nice ones. One or 2 will make it to the forum but this is easier to sell locally. Or at least i hope so.

[m_sasso]

Appears to be a 2004, 2003 had yellow decals, 2005 had yellow outlined lettering decals.

[ti_or_die]

Here is a link to the 2004 Litespeed catalog, as well as earlier or later years:

http://mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/BikeHistoryPages/Litespeed.html

[ti_or_die]

It appears to be a 2004....

[FlashUNC]

Definitely early to mid-aughts.

Man I had an obsession with those bikes in the late 90s.

[Matthew]

I had an obsession with these too back then. Almost pulled the trigger when Colorado Cyclist sold them. This one looks to be in great shape too. Awesome frameset.

[tuscanyswe]

I was also very into litespeed at a point. I ended up with a 2003 tuscany (hence my name) that i liked very much and its still the bike that gave me the best feeling i ever had on a bike. Likely cause it was such a huge upg on my previous bikes. And at the time it was the most beautiful bike i ever saw. Its hard to replicate that feeling now when uve been a geek for so long.


Thanks all. Looks like its very likely a 2004.

[Ken Robb]

Is this the model made with 6/4 ti?

[tuscanyswe]

Is this the model made with 6/4 ti?

yes

[djg21]

Can't help you with nailing down the year, but that's still a really nice looking frame. Hope you plan on keeping it, and not flipping it.

I had one of those — a 2002 or 2003 with yellow decals. It was a great bike. It was one of the original David Lynskey designs before he sold Litespeed to ABC. It is full 6/4 throughout, and is fairly stiff for a titanium bike. It evolved into the Lynskey R460 frame, which uses a similar shaped toptube. The only thing I disliked about that bike was the integrated headset, but that was just my pet peave.

[tuscanyswe]

I had one of those — a 2002 or 2003 with yellow decals. It was a great bike. It was one of the original David Lynskey designs before he sold Litespeed to ABC. It is full 6/4 throughout, and is fairly stiff for a titanium bike. It evolved into the Lynskey R460 frame, which uses a similar shaped toptube. The only thing I disliked about that bike was the integrated headset, but that was just my pet peave.

Its bit od my tuscany 03 also said D lynskey designed. But they sold to abg in like late 90s

Was he still on the team and designed frames after that perhaps? Or were they using 5 year old designs with tweaks and calling it d lynskey designed.

[djg21]

Its bit od my tuscany 03 also said D lynskey designed. But they sold to abg in like late 90s

Was he still on the team and designed frames after that perhaps? Or were they using 5 year old designs with tweaks and calling it d lynskey designed.

The Classic, Tuscany, Ultimate and Vortex were the staples of the Litespeed line pre-sale to ABG, which was in 1999. ABG continued to sell the Tuscany and Vortex, and I think the Ultimate post sale.

[tuscanyswe]

The Classic, Tuscany, Ultimate and Vortex were the staples of the Litespeed line pre-sale to ABG, which was in 1999. ABG continued to sell the Tuscany and Vortex, and I think the Ultimate post sale.

Yes but they changed a lot in the design over the year. Or so i believe. Maybe the changes were after 03 and dident say lynskey designed after that.

[djg21]

I wouldn’t know. I loved my Vortex, and when it got destroyed in an encounter with a car in 2006, it took me about 5 minutes to decide to order a Lynskey R460 (I think it was called a 420 in 2006).