A personal commitment to Quality from the Lynskey family

When Litespeed first started building titanium frames in the 1980's. there were only a few people in the world thinking about this metal as a bike frame material. The first major obstacles they had to overcome wasn't the tubing or how to weld it together; it was all the other small frame parts needed to build a multi-speed bicycle. There simply wasn't a source of titanium cable stops, shifter bosses, seat post binders, brake bridges, dropouts, or bottom bracket shells. These little parts are one reason that Litespeed was one of the first titanium frame builders in the world. From the beginning they've been able to use their nearly forty years of metal fabrication experience to create the finest bicycle frames available. Their experience is also the reason many legendary cycling figures go to Litespeed when they are thinking titanium. Names like Merckx, DeRosa, Tommasini, Biachi, Basso and Lemond, to name a few, have gone to them for their bikes.

The backbone of your bike

The bottom bracket shell should be considered the backbone of the bicycle. The tubes of the frame are merely trusses to support the forces placed on the bottom bracket. For this reason, Litespeed demands that their shell be the best that can be created. While other titanium frame manufacturers use more easily machinable grade 4 alloy, we make our parts from 6Al-4V titanium bar, one of the strongest alloys available. Once the blank shell is roughed out, our CNC machines precisely cut away the metal inside and outside, applying facets, threads, and the smooth surface finish. This might sound simple, but Litespeed is the only company to go to such great lengths to create the ultimate backbone for our bicycles.

The tubing

Tapered/butted and ovalized tubing are formed through a cold working process at Litespeed. Their cold worked tubes play an important part in making us the technological leader in titanium construction. These proprietary processes are used to create a tubeset which can be up to forty percent stronger without extra weight, and varying shapes allow them to fine-tune the riding characteristics of each frame. The goal is to make a frame which is functionally stiff while providing a very responsive and comfortable ride.

The dropouts

The dropouts of a bicycle frame, while required to be very strong, should be friendly to use, easily aligned, and attractive. Litespeed's experience with race team and discerning customers helped them to create a dropout design that allows easy wheel changes and repair of crash damage, and is compatible with today's high-tech, low torque, quick release skewers. They originally used 6Al-4V plate in their design, but found it too hard for easy in-store realignment; plus lightweight quick releases couldn't make a good purchase on the metal. They now CNC machine every dropout from a custom made titanium alloy that closely matches the strength of the tubeset. This material allow them to provide a strong anchor for the rear wheel without fear of wheel slippage, as well as the ability to repair any damage with basic shop tools. They are also extremely proud of the elegant lines of all their dropout models.

The brake bridge

The brake bridge is required to transmit braking forces to the frame while resisting the twisting torque being applied to it. Litespeed's new, beautifully machined bridge is crafted from a single piece of solid titanium bar to create an extremely strong, yet amazingly lightweight part.

The rest of the little things

The titanium cable stops, seat post binder, shifter bosses and cantilever brake bosses are also all CAD-designed ad CNC machined in their factory. Each of these components has been skillfully designed to perform at its best when machined from titanium.