Vamoots RSL vs Litespeed T1SL

[foo_fighter]

Was it a Vortex?

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

What was the Litespeed model that was advertised as 'uber light'...I had one for repair and the front der clamp crimped the seat tube..

Get the Moots..they 'do one thing and do it well'..no marketing whizbangery.

[dbnm]

Litespeed Ghisallo

Very light, at a cost.

[Jeff N.]

Firefly. Next.......?

[beeatnik]

Jeff, what if the cat has a race next week?

[Jeff N.]

Originally Posted by beeatnik

Jeff, what if the cat has a race next week?

He's gonna have to put it off a while.

[cmg]

Litespeed T1sl, 1,000 grams average weight for medium frame, 6A/4V break sheet formed and variably tapered top tube, Oversized, butted and bi-axial ovalized 3AL/2.5V down tube, Triple butted, oversized, asymmetric chainstays , Handmade in the USA, from geometry chart, BB Drop (CM) 6.8

Moots RSL, LIGHTWEIGHT, proprietary, butted titanium tube set reduces weight and maintains stiffness and durability, Head tube 44mm, BB drop tends to be deeper than Litespeed.

The 44mm head tube will stiffen the from end, you'll notice it. The litespeed ovalizes the top tube to accomplish the same stiffening. The asymmetric chain stays stiffen the BB on the litespeed, Moots just uses larger chain stays.

I have a Lynskey R230 and think it's a great ride but yes on the lower resale value. that's how/why I got it. cheap buy, cheap respray. Buy it used, ride for a awhile, try to lose a little and go on to the next.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by dbnm

Litespeed Ghisallo

Very light, at a cost.

Yes, the Ghisallo. I've got one from their first production year (2002). If you pinch the top tube between your thumb and fingers, you can feel the tube walls flex.

[Tabl10s]

Originally Posted by grnrcr

Two top end Ti race bikes but how similar or different do they ride in real life? I imagine the Litespeed is probably a good 2-300 grams lighter. Stiffness? Comfort?

T1sl is the prettier one that'll get you on the road more often.

[m4rk540]

Originally Posted by Tabl10s

T1sl is prettier that'll get you on the road more often.

Someone who rides a Cervelo and F8 would say that.

[grnrcr]

Doesn’t seem like anyone knows if one bike does one thing better than the other. I guess it comes down to appearance and brand affinity.

[Tabl10s]

Originally Posted by m4rk540

Someone who rides a Cervelo and F8 would say that.

I'd like to have an T1sl and might do it when the company has its annual sale.

[madsciencenow]

I have a 2016 RSL, recently acquired Pronto and Legend and I think you really need to ride what you are considering before dropping some serious coin. I like the three bikes listed above but for different reasons.

As the saying goes, one man's heaven is another man's hell and while you probably can't go too wrong with any of the bikes you are considering I've found that on the occasion when I'm looking for a new bike and actually taken a test ride it has become pretty apparent as to what the right choice is for me.

Good luck with the decision and let us know what you decide!

[Alaska Mike]

I'll say this up front- I'm fairly new to ti frames. I bought a Russian-made frame off of eBay (Pro's Closet) on a whim a few years back after TSA did some custom crimping on my aluminum Storck travel bike. I rode the hell out of that Russian frame, and its durability and the ability to shed dirt sold me on the material. The only real issues for me on the frame was it was more of an endurance model and I generally prefer something more sporty (sprinter).

In the end, I ended up with two Moots I got off the 2nd hand market (a 2008 Compact and a 2015 Vamoots DR) for about the same price as a single frameset (even with a pretty good team discount). The DR is built up with a lot of Moots ti bits, and the Compact is mostly ENVE- but I'm still sorting things out as far as builds go. Minor stuff at this point.

The Compact is the one I reach for for just about everything. I have a healthy stable of plastic bikes that are set up for racing, but they barely get ridden anymore outside of the few times I've pinned on a number this season. It's just a fun ride.

The Vamoots DR probably hasn't gotten a fair shake yet, because I've ridden the Compact so much and I favor more race-oriented rides. However, with the rain and otherwise less-than-optimal conditions lately, the disc brakes and wider tires of the DR are finally getting some use. It isn't snappy, but I can eat up the miles on it.

What I can say about both Moots is that they were made extremely well by a builder who takes pride in their work. The welds are beautiful, and it's obvious a lot of thought went into the respective designs.

I bought a Lynskey Urbano frameset to use as a gravel bike a year before I bought the Moots, and it's still hanging up, 95% finished. I just haven't been inspired to ride it yet. When you get right down to it, that should be the deciding factor- what inspires you to ride more.

I will say I hate press-fit bottom brackets and internal cable routing (especially on metal bikes), and since both of my Moots don't have these blemishes it will be a long, long time before I replace them.