Litespeed Avior Dura Ace 9 Speed

Price Paid:  $350.00 at online

Model Year:
2005

Favorite Ride:
Any

Summary:
I actually have the Litespeed Avior 2004 model. I bought the frame/fork from a guy and built it up with high end Taiwanese components (Token/KCNC) with campy shifters on Shimano drivetrain. Total weight about 17.2lbs with my decent wheels. This is essentially a vortex made in aluminum. It weights 2.8 lbs for my 53cm size which feels like a 54. The headtubes run long so it is possible to run a smaller frame size than you might normally get and still have a reasonable saddle to handelbar drop. My seatpost size is 32.4, which is huge. Creates a stiff ride but I switched to a 27.2 with a shim which is much nicer. Welds are smoothed and rear has carbon seat stays. All the frame tubes have funky shaping. There is no normal looking tube on this frame. Front fork aero and thin, hard to put on computer sensor. Rides firm. Overall it is a really fun road bike, fast but not good for long rides (>3 hours)

Strengths:
Stiff, reasonably light, great looks with blue frame/fork. don't see one every day. people think its titanium (not sure this is a strength or weakness)

Weaknesses:
Huge seatpost too stiff, need to size down with shim. unusual head tube lengths for frame size so you should check geometry first before buying. Don't make them anymore.

Similar Products Used:
too many to list.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Crazy Cat Cyclery

Favorite Ride:
gila monster

Bike Setup:
d/a nine speed, deda bar and stem, mavic comic elite, time pedals, selle italia

Summary:
I got this bike through warrenty when another litespeed I had broke. I was suspicious at first of another litespeed but this one if very nice. It's basically an aluminum vortex because of the tube shapes. It stiff, light, and is an all day type of bike. It's built with d/a nine, deda, mavic cosmic elites, and time pedals. Total weight is 18.5 but I borrowed some wheels for a race and got it to 17.1

Strengths:
Handling due to the tube shapes. Stiffness is great for climbing and sprinting. The carbon seatstays absorb shock best of my previous carbon seatstay bikes

Weaknesses:
The rear brake bridge in very small and will not be big enough for a 25c tire. In fact a tall 23c didn't even fit in there (maxxis hors catagorie). The fork is also a bit flexy. Fine for me (5'10 150lbs) it's fine, but a bigger rider will flex it. It's weird shape also requirers you to be creative when mounting a computer on it. Lastly in my opinion the seatpost needed for it is huge (34.8) but no real problem.

Similar Products Used:
Schwinn peloton pro, fuji team issue, litespeed orion