While the neon green Litespeed Li2 might share a similar paint scheme to the 9:Zero:7 Whiteout we have in, color is about the only similarity. From the widest tires in the bicycle world to some of the narrowest, Litespeed’s 2014 L series bikes are designed for speed, pure and simple. Originally a company known for their use of titanium, Litespeed has been continually revising their carbon models for years now in order to provide race ready bikes along side of their Ti couins.
After more than four years of development, the UCI approved L series is now the bike of choice for the Astellas Cycling continental team here in the US. The team has had no problem racking up a number of top 10s, podiums, and even victories on the L series including Brecht Dhaene’s recent win at the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic Criterium. Now, the Li2 won’t guarantee you the top step on the podium, but if you’re looking for a bike that’s fast and comfortable it looks like it could be a good place to start…
For a company that cut their teeth in titanium, the L series demonstrates how far they have come with the design of their carbon fiber frames. L series frames are built using Litespeed’s RPM or Reactive Pressure Molding which ensures that the bladder molded tubes are squeezed of all of the excess resin for lighter, more consistent frames.
Starting at the front of the bike, the Li2 incorporates Litespeed’s Quadrilateral System which is a fancy name for the tapered head tube and downtube junction. Starting at the headtube in a triangular shape, the downtube eventually morphs into a rectangle where it joins the oversized BB386 bottom bracket shell and asymmetric seat tube junction for improved power transfer.
Equipped with a 31.6mm Easton EA70 seatpost (not EC70 as listed), it’s clear that the Li2 is meant for racing, though initial impressions left us feeling that the frame is impressively smooth. The color matched Fizik Arione R7 is a nice touch, and highlights the build choice on the Li2 – a smart mix of components to offer race level performance while keeping the price as low as possible.
At a list price of $6000 with sweet carbon wheels, certain tradeoffs have to be made like the choice for an all aluminum cockpit. Honestly though, while the Easton EA70 components may be lower spec than you’ll find on some $6k bikes, the component choice frees up funds for more noticeable improvements like the wheels. The other benefit to less expensive cockpit parts is that if you need to change them for your fit, as is often the case, you’re not left with pricey carbon parts you can’t use.
