Litespeed Ultimate
I prefer a more traditional looking frame as opposed to the popular compact archithecture.
As a sidebar, there is also a brand of bike that has a curved top tube that continues past the seat tube and turns into seat stays as if part of one continuous elipse. Very cool/unique looking bike geometry for a road bike. Anybody see/know the brand?
Purely based on aesthetics, I’d go with the Litespeed. It has a more streamlined look than the Cannondale, and looks less cramped than the Pinarello.
Those are some serious looking bikes. My Fuji Crosstown 3.0 just arrived last week and I think it weighs twice what those do. Still, my goal is to drop the weight from my own body before I start looking at a lighter bicycle.
I had an Omega Mountain bike, well over $2500 back in 1993.
I was riding over some grass verge, and it was slightly sunk around a drainage cover, the whole front end just broke off, not a dramtic snap either, it just gave way. Closer inspection showed that the weld on the top tube and down tube had simply come away from the head tube, there was no weld penetration at all and the front end was effectively just stuck on rather than welded.
I ent back to the dealer for my money back or a replacement, they had a frame jig upstairs to measure me up for another machine as I demanded a proper custom made bike, and in a largeish box in the corner was a whole load of other broken Cannondales forlornly poking out fork legs and frame bits.
I’ve seen plenty of others with problems with the finish too, I would not recommend a Cannondale to anyone, unless they like to watch the finish fall off, or the fraem dent and snap.
As for the others, I like the Lightspeed most, but I have reservations about the Dura-Ace equipment, very nice, shiny, expensive, but Shimano have a very nasty habit of redesigning it every year so the spare parts become very difficult to obtain.
I would probably not go for any of them, I’d assemble my own from the parts I wanted.
I’ll be back later, but my honest impression right now is that I don’t like any of them given their price range, but then again I wouldn’t exactly turn any of them down for free.
The Pinarello is meh, the Cannondale is probably the best pick of the three, and I absolutely hate the Litespeed.
Are you going to be racing or just riding?
Look at a Cervelo Soloist Carbon with Record if you want something fast and of equal ride-quality to the Litespeed, but lighter and cheaper with so-so aesthetics or else the Cinelli XL8R if aesthetics are really important.
But I’d choose the Litespeed, simply for the frame material. Of course, I have a 4 or 5 year old Ultimate that I like, and it replaced a steel Masi 3V that I loved.
I wanted to replace he Masi with an Independent Fabrication steel frame, but at the time I needed a frame fast, so I ended up with the Litespeed. No regrets.
Bianchi, IF, and Lemond make bikes that fit your traditional look. It really sucks that you can only pick one, huh?
On more reflection, the Litespeed remains at the bottom of the stack. I know it’s a good bike but the odd tube shape takes away from the aesthetics of a more traditional looking bike.
Not that the Pinarello isn’t odd with those curvy forks and stays. Still, the Pinarello says *Italian design * (a la Ferrari) and that’s very appealing and original.
The Cannondale is a sweet bike with an interesting combination of carbon and aluminum. I think it’s a strong contender.
What will I use it for? Mostly long rides. I’m no stranger to centuries. I’d like to race this year as well but my racing will consist of triathlon events which call for a TT type bike and I may just make do with a road bike given the sprint or olympic distance events I have in mind. A set or aero bars and minor seat adjustments will be a sufficient conversion for that purpose.
At the other end of the spectrum is this Motobecane. Enticing at the price. No?
Click on the small “here” 's near frame size selector pull downs for a bigger and better picture.
I understand you being dubious but it’s a racing configuration road bike. Production (not custom) but obviously a pretty small manufacturer here in the U.S.
I wish I could remember their name. :smack:
It was a very cool looking frame which I saw in Bicycling magazine as recently as last year or 18 months.
I agree. That’s what I plan to do; all I did to my IF Crown Jewel was add aero bars. 'Course, my aim is to finish rather than win. Mebbe someday I’ll buy a TT or Tri bike (more likely TT).
Knowing this, especially the multi-sport, the Cervelo Soloist Carbon is the hands down winner. Absolutely the fastest bike for this type of stuff, good resale, and unique enough to turn heads. I’m sure you can find it somewhere for $4500.
Except for some of the steel frames thrown out here this bike will have an equal ride to the titanium, it’s far superior on any other aspect, and frankly you’ll avoid looking like, well, a master rider with way more money than sense or speed which Lightspeed just screams.
It’s a sweet looking ride and certainly gives off that TT aura. I’m going to check it out and do a comparo. I’m going bike shopping this weekend. Got the bug with this warm spell we had.
I take it the Motobecane didn’t impress anyone at the pricepoint? I’m a little surprised with the hype intollerance around here.
It’s a screaming deal. I don’t care for the compact cranks (though the make is fine), but the component list for that bike is probably worth the price alone.
Yeah, that’s what I keep thinking… and then I ask myself… what’s the frame going to be like? Is it going to fold on the first hard climb? Does it flex like a trampoline?
Probably okay. I think that bicycles like the Pinarello or Colnago are, frankly, all marketing.
If spending $1300 will be the difference between you just dreaming at a bike and actually getting one, I’d say jump on the Motobecane. Frankly, Al is Al, and the Motobecane will probably be perfectly suffecient, but again no je ne se quois.
Nah, ride I must so ride I will. A little je ne se quois in a bike is very nice and I’m willing to pay a little extra to get it but I’m not looking to be a poseur either. I’m going to test ride a few models in the next week or two and make a decision.
