Large Litespeed Catalyst/Natchez failure prone?

[beech333]

I picked up a 59cm (center to top of top tube) Litespeed Natchez frame earlier this year, added a steel fork, then mounted some 10s Campy Veloce. Clearly, the frame is a bit flexible, which I love. It is running 25mm tires and seems to smooth out bumps as well as my Riv Quickbeam that has 35mm tires. Since I am not a racer, I am not interested in anything related to power transfer...especially considering that I am 6'1" and 210lbs, down from 225lbs since the beginning of the covid pandemic.

So far, I absolutely love the bike, but I wonder if I would fit better on their 61cm frame. I've been looking for the 61cm Natchez or Catalyst, but they don't pop up. I have been watching Ebay, nationwide craigslist ads, the sales forum here, as well as any other source that I can find, but it seems that although the catalogs list a 61cm frame as being available, I cannot manage to find many comments on the largest size.

I wonder if these turned out to be failure prone in the largest sizes, or was it possible an error in the Litespeed catalogs. I see plenty of 61cm Classics though. Does anyone here know if the were failure prone or if Litespeed simply did not build many(any?) of them?

[Mike Bryant]

I’m your same size and weight range and own a ‘96 Litespeed Classic in 59. The top tube on it is 57.5. I definitely would not go up to the 61. Bought it new so long ago. Rode it as my main bike for years and years. Lots of miles on it, all kind of rough roads. Never a problem with the frame, save a minor issue with the seat post binder which was corrected under warranty. Just last year had it made into a travel bike with S&S couplers by Stephen Bilenky. It has been a great bike and I recommend searching for a Classic versys a Catalyst. Classic has cold worked butted tubes versus the straight gage tubes on the Catalyst. Also consider a later model than ‘96 to get a 1-1/8” head tube. 1” quality carbon forks are getting harder to come by.


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[old_fat_and_slow]

I would suggest getting a Classic in size 61 if you see a good used one. Why would you prefer a Catalyst/Natchez over a Classic. Catalyst/Natchez was Litespeed's entry level bike. A great bike for the money, but no frills. Classics had butted tubing and a few more frills. I can't imagine on frames that old, there would be a significant price difference between them that would lock you out of the Classic options. Get a Classic and if you like it, sell your 59 Catalyst.

[beech333]

The problem is that I had a Classic and was not as thrilled. I plan to continue using that steel fork on the current Natchez frame, so a larger headtube diameter would be a negative for me. The fork was built for a longer headtube, so I am holding off on cutting it until I decide which frameset I want to keep.

[beech333]

I was a bit disappointed by the lack of responses, but apparently went a bit hog-wild since my last post. I picked up a larger Merlin road frameset and just recently bought a Litespeed Appalachian, to allow for wider tires. I hope I like one of them as much as I love the Natchez.

I also saw a larger Natchez popped up in the Seattle area, but I think the seller is asking too much for it, even with covid pricing. I kept watching, hoping for the price to come down, but I suspect he does not really want to sell.

I hope to start assembling the new pair this weekend, perhaps with a New Years ride on the Appalachian, if it gets here in time. We are expecting snow, so it could be fun.

[robt57]

I am 6'1" and have had a few of those back when. I found it was a brand going to the 61 did not works for me. The 57.5 TT were a touch short, but also bars had a lot more reach back then so the cockpits were in range easily. The HT stack on the 61 was a bit heavy for me, but I used Merckx deep drop bars when I did a 61.

I would not ride the cay/natchez and stayed with Classics. A little too beefy in the legs, and I was a younger powerful stud. Even the Classic under a sprint before the 1-1/8" I could bend back then.

I bet today [20 years later] I would love a Classic, a lot less leg now...

[ColonelJLloyd]

I missed this the first time around.

What size and year is the Appalachian you picked up?

[Ken Robb]

what fork was in the Natchez when you got it?

[Ken Robb]

what fork was in the Natchez when you got it? If it was an Ouzo Comp you may have my old bike.

[beech333]

The Natchez did not have a fork when I got it. I bought it from a guy in MI for peanuts. He had tried setting it up as a 650b build and was not thrilled with it. I think I recall it having some sort of chrome fork.

I had a local framebuilder make me a fork for an older Fuji Titanium a few years ago. About a year after that, I found that the chainstay cracked, so I repurposed that fork to the Natchez. I might move it over to the Merlin though...I have not really decided what to do with that fork.

The Appalachian was on Ebay recently, so you can easily find it there. I recently got the Merlin and felt a bit guilty buying another, so I made an offer that I did not really expect the selller to take, but he did and now I have two bikes to try. According to the tracking, it will be here Wednesday.