Litespeed "Classic"...anybody ever ridden one?

[CarlosContreros]

I'm considering purchasing A Litespeed Classic from Colorado
Cyclist and I am looking for some feedback of the ride of
the Classic frameset??
I very much like the geometry of the Classic but I'm concerned as to
whether the size 63cm will be "stiff" enough to hold up my 190lbs.?
Ya know?....titanium and all!! :confused:
Thanks!

[Ken Robb]

a 61cm was fine under me when I weighed 215lbs.

[dirtdigger88]

my riding buddy is about 265 lbs - we just finished 85 miles together- he loves his classic- CC has great prices on them now that they are no longer being made

jason

[Sandy]

Hauling around 265 pounds on a bike for 85 miles is quite an accomplishment. Must be one strong dude (assuming at 265 your friend is a male).

Carlos- That is one fine endorsement.


Sandy

[Serotta PETE]

It will be plenty stiff enough for your weight. These days, 190 lbs will equate to whetheror or not you like the ride characteristics - not whether it is stiff enough/.

Try to get a ride on a friends bike the is close to the size and has the same fork.


Good luck. PETE

[dirtdigger88]

Sandy- my pal is one hell of a rider- I am always amazed at just how strong he really is- Today- I toyed with him on the hill for the first 50 or so miles- but he just keeps comming- By the end of the ride I was smoked- so was he- but he was still plugging away- we averaged 16.5 mph on what really is a hilly ride- this guys thighs are the size of my waist- I alway tell people that if my buddy lost weight and got down to lets say 10% bady fat- he would still weigh 225- Brick **** House

Jason

[Sandy]

I wish my waist was the size of my thighs.

I have a friend who weighs over 260 and is 50 years old. He really amazes me too. If he got down to 225, he would be rolling over, by, and past a whole lot of cyclists.

16.5 mph for 85 miles on a hilly ride for a guy 265 pounds is really impressive, to say the least. For him to keep coming, really shows you his strength.

Suggestion, don't get your friend angry at you. I think I would bet on him, big time, anytime, even if you had a baseball bat.

I am on a real diet.

Shrinking Sandy

S

[Roy E. Munson]

190 ain't that heavy, I wouldn't worry about it at all

[dirtdigger88]

265 not 285

But really I get a kick out of folks at the beginning of some rides- this guy catches all kinds of greif about his size- Half way through the ride no one is making fun any more- but the end everyone is sucking this guys wheel- he and I have a great system on our rides- he grabs my wheel on climbs and I grab his on the flats- we both push each other hard that way- I will dig up some pix of my pal- I know i have one or two

Jason

[vaxn8r]

265 not 285

he grabs my wheel on climbs and I grab his on the flats- we both push each other hard that way-
Jason

Jason, you're getting the better part of that deal. No question.

[dirtdigger88]

Jason, you're getting the better part of that deal. No question.

shh- dont tell ;)

jason

[Jeff N.]

I own and ride a Litespeed Team Issue, which was a limited edition frame ridden by the Colorado Cyclist Team several years back. It is essentially a Classic, geometry-wise, but has a few tweaks (ovalized down tube, tapered top tube) here and there. It provides a plush ride, and plenty stiff for me (6'4", 245 lbs.). They were "blowing them out the door" for around 13 hundred for the frame and fork, so when I called them and found out they had one 63cm frame left, I jumped all over it.
I also know several people who ride Litespeed Classics and all are very happy with them. I do, however, intensely dislike the integrated headsets that Litespeed, Merlin and some others have gone to with their stock frames as of late. Other than that.............. Jeff N.

[dirtdigger88]

I own and ride a Litespeed Team Issue, which was a limited edition frame ridden by the Colorado Cyclist Team several years back. It is essentially a Classic, geometry-wise, but has a few tweaks (ovalized down tube, tapered top tube) here and there. It provides a plush ride, and plenty stiff for me (6'4", 245 lbs.). They were "blowing them out the door" for around 13 hundred for the frame and fork, so when I called them and found out they had one 63cm frame left, I jumped all over it.
I also know several people who ride Litespeed Classics and all are very happy with them. I do, however, intensely dislike the integrated headsets that Litespeed, Merlin and some others have gone to with their stock frames as of late. Other than that.............. Jeff N.

I dont think the classic has an integrated headset-

Jason

[Kane]

All the litespeeds are straight guage tubing as I recall and none are custom. Why buy a litespeed when you could get a custom Serotta. The 'older' classic frames had a regular headset for a few years. I wouldn't buy an internal headset frame. Typical of litespeed they are a marketing driven company vs. a ride driven bike company. The parent company owns a whole bunch of bike companies. Litespeed changes their technology so often that it is hard to believe that all these changes are driven by a better ride.

My own ownership required warranty work and the dealer who sold me the bike left me high and dry. Litespeed was non-responsive at best, not to mention: not impressive.

[cinelli]

I have owned two Litespeed Classics. Very smooth ride on flat roads. I did experience a bit of front derailleur rub (bottom bracket flex) when climbing on both bikes. I had a 59cm and a 61cm and both exhibited the same flex. No big deal, just not as stiff as say the Vortex.