Strengths: Beautiful fit and finish..truly a USA made thing of beauty. The bends and the welds couldn't be any better.
Weaknesses: I'm not sure about the quality of the decals they use,seem to scracth and flake very easily.
Bottom Line:
Purchased the frameset on ebay..wanted to go TI. The ride is very smooth..although not as "soft" as carbon fiber. Stand on the pedals and this bike takes off like a rocket ship..much quicker then my Look 566. Handling is very quick, but neutral..confidence inspiring on fast downhills and sweepers..find myself going much faster downhills.
Strengths: Very little road chatter, pretty to look at (I have the red decals option), ti inherently has awesome qualities to it like longevity. Great handling due to compact frame.
Weaknesses: It's a little heavy and pricey for what you get - there are carbon options that perform better. But hey - you get ti because you already looked at carbon options
Bottom Line:
I bought the 2009 Siena - I believe this is the most recent Siena as litespeed did not come out with another one for their '10 and '11 lineup. I bought the bike without wheels, and swapped out the parts with DA parts from another bike and added my reynolds attack wheels.
This bike has a very nice muted ride quality to it. The handling is racy, but does not communicate the road very well. This could be a good thing if you're doing recreational riding, but for racing, stick with carbon. The ride is stiff but not punishing, and the supplied litespeed fork is plenty stiff.
Strengths: Light and attractive with curved seatstays made of TI. Solid handling and stiffness, not too twitchy not too relaxed. The perfect commuting bike.
Weaknesses: Hard to keep clean looking. Fork (litespeed house brand) is a touch flexy under lateral loading.
Bottom Line:
I transitioned to this bike from a bianchi CX bike. This bike is 100% better at everything (except perhaps CX) than my other bike. The ride is uber-compliant yet it is stiff and resilient. It turns in with authority yet holds and changes lines with ease. I find myself turning in too tight sometimes just by moving my head. Component wise the Ultegra is solid and the rest of the spec is basic. The litespeed saddle did not work for me at all though.
The Siena was re-engineered in 2006. Reviews of the 2005 and earlier models are not comparable.
Litespeed offers five high-end road bikes, and the Sienna sits one notch above entry level. The frame is titanium, butted, shaped, and handmade in Tennessee. Because of the labor-intensive workmanship, Litespeed bikes are expensive when compared to similar weighted, foreign-fabricated, carbon fiber frames. But the trade off isn't just weight or money. There is more to consider.
The Siena is an amazing bike, for both its ride quality and aesthetics. Stand on the pedals and you will be instantly rewarded with forward motion. This is a very quick bike without any of the harshness you would expect to find with such responsiveness. Think of a BMW or a Lexus. The ride is ti-smooth, and the handling is very predictable and stable. On downhills and corners it tracks with laser beam precision. The Siena's handmade-in-the-USA fabrication approaches metal sculpture, with cake-decorator welds and oh-so-exotic tube shapes. With the exception of the head tube, there is nothing on this frame that is straight and ordinary. That said, a Siena is not for the weight-obsessed, although with Dura-Ace and a lot of carbon componets it could be built up to a little over 16 pounds. Larger riders (I'm six feet, 220 pounds) will find it especially attractive because of its strong, solid construction. It will not noodle under your weight at all. If you want an unique combination of durability, comfort, beauty, strength, and ride, the Siena is worth a very serious look.
Weaknesses: Real Design Super Sphere hubs that come with the stock wheels are kinda weak.....easy enough to fix. Other then that.....None!
Bottom Line:
I've been riding/abusing this 2006 Sienna for about a year now. I've got nothing but good things to say about this bike. Looks sharp, shaped seat stays smooth out the road, full titanium compact frame design gives instant response when you stomp down on it. I'm fairly new to road racing so I do mostly CAT 4/5 races. I must say this bike exceeds all my needs. Very responsive in the sprints, VERY stable at higher speeds (40+MPH), and was probably a Timex watch in it's former life because of it's ability to take punishment (hard riding and those unfortunate crashes).
I'm a firefighter, which means "everything is junk and will break until proven otherwise". Not so with the Sienna.
This bike is a great investment for someone who can't drop $2500-$4000 every other year on a new ride. I see a ton of older Litespeeds and other titanium bikes still on the road years after they were purchased.
