Litespeed Antares Ultegra

Price Paid:  $2200.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
The hilly one

Bike Setup:
Stock w/full Ultegra and Ksyrium Elites

Summary:
I bought this bike in March and have been pretty happy with it. The med and med/lrg both have 13.4cm headtubes and this makes for one low bar to saddle. It's too much for me to handle so I sold the bike (don't like having too many spacers or flipped stems) I think Litespeeds are not as good as they used to be.

Strengths:
Luv the compact geometry. The bike climbs great and the color scheme is beautiful. Not too sure how long the paint will last though. Ultegra grouppo works flawlessly. Fork and seatstays are beautiful and dampen vibrations well. Bike weighs 18lbs even.

Weaknesses:
Head tube length is really short. One must use a lot of spacers to get the bar to a resonable height. I had my frame replaced by Litespeed due to a crack where the carbon stays and frame were joined. It's only cosmetic but it should not be there for such a pretty bike. The new frame has a sticker covering up this area. Shame on Litespeed for hiding this flaw with a sticker. Headset seems to loosen up after a few rides. Made in Taiwan, only 3 year warranty.

Similar Products Used:
99 CAD 3 Cannondale 105s
03 Schwinn Fastback Full DA

Price Paid:  $2000.00 at Ralph Colman Cycles

Favorite Ride:
Fowey Triathlon bike route

Bike Setup:
Ultegra except for Dura-Ace bar end shifters, rear mech and pedals.
Profile Airwing bars and Carbon Stryke aerobars.

Summary:
This bike is a beauty. The compact frame, weight and LiteTEC stays all add up to an amazing climber. You can stay sat in the saddle spinning whilst everyone else around you is stamping on the pedals grimacing and working too hard.

The paint job is classy, although I'm not sure about its longevity.

The carbon seatstays with their titanium over-weave sounds trick, looks the part and irons out all the road can throw at you (within reason). The carbon forks combine well for a really smooth and fast ride.

Mavic Kysriums are a tried and tested wheelset and I've had no problems.

Strengths:
Weight, compact frame, climbs brilliantly. Forks and stays give a smooth, fast ride. Looks good, says: 'Litespeed' in BIG letters (just so everyone else knows!).

Weaknesses:
Change the saddle. I would rather sit on a red hot poker.
Paint job looks good but may not last.

Similar Products Used:
Saracen Tourmalet (Shimano 105, 105 wheels, ITM components).