Litespeed

About the Brand

Litespeed was established in 1986 with roots as a machine shop in the manufacture of custom metal parts. Considered an exotic material at that time, titanium was not thought to be a material from which one could build bike frames. In the late 1980's, Merlin and Litespeed changed the world's expectations towards titanium with the creation of the first modern titanium frames. With the end of the Cold War and the sudden availability of alloys no longer restricted to use in nuclear and aviation industries, interest in titanium as a viable bike-building material grew. Litespeed became able to manufacture titanium bikes that were both strong and light, while unveiling a ride quality that had been unmatched until that point.