Litespeed Swirling Around the Bowl

[BroDeal]

When Litespeed's carbon bikes are being compared to offerings by Bikesdirect and Planet-X, which are both bottom of the bucket rebranders, then you know that Litespeed's reputation is in the toilet.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=242336

This comes after the warranty debacle over the last few months when multiple threads on multiple cycling forums detailed the horrors of getting ABG to honor its warranties. It seems that Litespeed's standard method of "repairing" their titanium frames is to offer a cheap replacement frame popped out of a mold in China, pretending that it is a great deal fo the hapless customer instead of a cost cutting move by ABG.

In addition, no one seems to know what is going on with Merlin. Some sources say the brand is being completely killed. Others say that it will go exclusively custom. And still others say that the number of models will be cut down to two or even one. Tom Kellog of Spectrum switched manufacturing to Seven; evidently ABG can no longer do the production necessary.

I remember a post on Velocipede Salon from last year that said that ABG sold its production facility to Lynskey and moved to another location with space for half the capacity and half the employees. I guess it is understandable. Anyone who wants the quality and customer service of a Litespeed of old simply buys a Lynskey.

It looks like this sucka's going down.

 

[washedup]

Sad to see what was once such an innovative company dropping such a duece on itself.

The management team should really be ashamed.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

When Litespeed's carbon bikes are being compared to offerings by Bikesdirect and Planet-X, which are both bottom of the bucket rebranders, then you know that Litespeed's reputation is in the toilet.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=242336

This comes after the warranty debacle over the last few months when multiple threads on multiple cycling forums detailed the horrors of getting ABG to honor its warranties. It seems that Litespeed's standard method of "repairing" their titanium frames is to offer a cheap replacement frame popped out of a mold in China, pretending that it is a great deal fo the hapless customer instead of a cost cutting move by ABG.

In addition, no one seems to know what is going on with Merlin. Some sources say the brand is being completely killed. Others say that it will go exclusively custom. And still others say that the number of models will be cut down to two or even one. Tom Kellog of Spectrum switched manufacturing to Seven; evidently ABG can no longer do the production necessary.

I remember a post on Velocipede Salon from last year that said that ABG sold its production facility to Lynskey and moved to another location with space for half the capacity and half the employees. I guess it is understandable. Anyone who wants the quality and customer service of a Litespeed of old simply buys a Lynskey.

It looks like this sucka's going down.

Yep, they have been on our 'death watch' for a while. It's just investor $ keeping them afloat, not sales.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

This news is a little sad to see. No wait! This could be a reason to go buy a new bike! Just saw some really awsome, beautiful full carbon Felt's and Bianchi's hanging up in one local shop.

 

[Black Dog]

Too Bad. I had great waranty service from them last year with a cracked seat stay on a vortex. I was not the original owner (and thus they were in now way obliged to help) and they offered to replace the stays for a few hundred bucks or sell me a new Icon at cost with a new Easton EC 90 fork. It was too good a deal to pass up and I took the new Frame and fork. The quality of the frame (welds etc...) is very high. I am now also covered under the lifetime warranty with the new frame. I hope they stick around, but I think that they lost their focus.

 

[DirtyWorks]

This news is a little sad to see. No wait! This could be a reason to go buy a new bike! Just saw some really awsome, beautiful full carbon Felt's and Bianchi's hanging up in one local shop.

..coming out of the same facilities as the BikesDirect product.

To be fair, not all models come from the same few manufacturers. Outside of Look, it's hard to know what's built in-house or just ordered.

The fundamental problem with some of these more well-known premium brands is the relentless competition from all sides. Monster bike brands like Cannondale, Trek, going vertical and welders with a jig and some shop space are all working against your sales. They are almost too big to do new product in micro-segments too.

 

[Black Dog]

In house carbon (not a full list, but all that comes to mind):

Trek (upper end only)
Colnago (upper end only)
BMC
Time
Look
Carrera
Serrota
Callfee
....

 

[dsut4392]

In house carbon (not a full list, but all that comes to mind):

Trek (upper end only)
Colnago (upper end only)
BMC
Time
Look
Carrera
Serrota
Callfee
....

Giant springs to mind...a mighty big house that also produces lots of other people's bikes, but in-house none the less.

 

[craptastic]

DeRosa is in house unless that's changed in recent years.

 

[Boeing]

Sad to see what was once such an innovative company dropping such a duece on itself.

The management team should really be ashamed.

at what point was American Bicycle Group ever innovative?

the innovation is now at Lynskey Performance

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

..coming out of the same facilities as the BikesDirect product.

To be fair, not all models come from the same few manufacturers. Outside of Look, it's hard to know what's built in-house or just ordered.

The fundamental problem with some of these more well-known premium brands is the relentless competition from all sides. Monster bike brands like Cannondale, Trek, going vertical and welders with a jig and some shop space are all working against your sales. They are almost too big to do new product in micro-segments too.

In house carbon (not a full list, but all that comes to mind):

Trek (upper end only)
Colnago (upper end only)
BMC
Time
Look
Carrera
Serrota
Callfee
....

Thanks for the info!

If anyone wants more on carbon bikes here's the thread in this forum on that:
Top 5 or 10 Carbon Bikes

Cheers

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

When Litespeed's carbon bikes are being compared to offerings by Bikesdirect and Planet-X, which are both bottom of the bucket rebranders, then you know that Litespeed's reputation is in the toilet....
It looks like this sucka's going down.

Great thread title! (even if bad news)

 

[Black Dog]

Litespeed was very innovative until the Lynskey family sold it to ABG. However, after the sale, Litespeed did raise the bar on High performance Ti with the Archon and Icon (Icon now discontinued...why?). They are very innovative frames.

Full Disclosure...I ride an Icon and may have some slight bias.

 

[Notso Swift]

Giant springs to mind...a mighty big house that also produces lots of other people's bikes, but in-house none the less.

Fantastic!
I would add Merida to that as well LOL

 

[Boeing]

Litespeed was very innovative until the Lynskey family sold it to ABG. However, after the sale, Litespeed did raise the bar on High performance Ti with the Archon and Icon (Icon now discontinued...why?). They are very innovative frames.

Full Disclosure...I ride an Icon and may have some slight bias.

they allegedly raised the bar way too late in the game. and in fact there is little measurable difference to the previous versions and the price increase way out weighed the net gain in technology compared to carbon at the time.

I am sure it is a great bike. however they were headed in the wrong direction and are behind in the game..

 

[Black Dog]

they allegedly raised the bar way too late in the game. and in fact there is little measurable difference to the previous versions and the price increase way out weighed the net gain in technology compared to carbon at the time.

I am sure it is a great bike. however they were headed in the wrong direction and are behind in the game..

Not sure that is all correct. The Archon is very expensive but is in line with anything out there that matches it's fabrication. The Icon was right in line with other top end offerings from Ti builders and the Xicon matches price for value performance frames. These are not straight gauge tubes and are very manipulated in terms of butting and hydroforming. In terms of Ti they seem to be doing all the right things. Going to Carbon seems to be a way to use their heritage to keep selling bikes, not Ti bikes specifically. They may be too marginal in the Ti world to recover without a good marketing campaign to revive the Ti part of their brand. It will be hard to do as part of a corporate conglomerate. Long term thinking is needed but hard to find under these conditions. Too bad, it seems that there is a growing market for Ti due to the durability and ride characteristics.

 

[Monty Dog]

DeRosa is in house unless that's changed in recent years.

At least 2-3 models in the current line-up are generic Xpace Industrial products which you can buy for $500 on ebay.

 

[BroDeal]

Yup, it's over. The company that once was synonymous with titanium handmade in the U.S. now uses imagery of cheap frames popped out of a mold in Asia.

And Merlin's website has been reduced to a "rebranding in progress" splash page.

 

[Black Dog]

Merlin is no more. ABG sold off the assets and only holds the name in reserve.

 

[BroDeal]

Merlin is no more. ABG sold off the assets and only holds the name in reserve.

It is worse than no more. The Merlin brand was sold to Competitive Cyclist. I guess Bikesdirect didn't offer enough money.

http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/competitive-cyclist-buys-merlin-metalworks

The article also mentions a deeper business relationship between Litespeed and Competitive Cyclist. Relying on distribution through bargain basement Internet dealers is not a good sign for a supposedly high end brand.

 

[BroDeal]

Apparently the idiots at Litespeed learned nothing from the experience of destroying the position of the company's brand by blowing out titanium frames at the end of the year for bargain basement prices via catalog/internet retailers. CN is now plastered with ads for realcyclist.com selling 2011 Litespeeds for 46% off.

ABG may not be totally to blame. Litespeed used to manufacture frames for lots of companies that would let it be known that the frames were built by Litespeed. The message was clear: Instead of buying a Litespeed, pay less money for a frame made by Litespeed but with a different name on the downtube. Lynskey is following that same business model. Must be something in the water down there.

 

[Black Dog]

Yea they are dumping the carbon frames that are Asian made and have a huge markup. The Ti frames are down 10%. This seems to be no different than any other outsource builder.

 

[BroDeal]

Yea they are dumping the carbon frames that are Asian made and have a huge markup. The Ti frames are down 10%. This seems to be no different than any other outsource builder.

The point is that Litespeed demolished its position as a prestigious titanium frame maker by discounting its over production through bargain retailers. Anyone foolish enough to buy a Litespeed at full price must have felt like a chump. I cannot imagine bike shops were too happy with the situation.

 

[Black Dog]

True for the carbon stuff but did they dump the Ti stuff too? I agree that they have lost a lot of position in the Ti world. They may have a limited Ti future. Too bad, I think that Ti will make a comeback (never as strong as before though) and Litespeed may miss the boat.

 

[DirtyWorks]

This seems to be no different than any other outsource builder.

And that is Litespeed's #1 problem.

Their titanium product is likely OEM too. Still nothing special going on at Litespeed. And they wonder why they can't stay profitable when your competitors have access to your product.

[rant on]
I've listened to too many pitches from people who think they can make it work. Heaven forbid they actually manufacture anything themselves in an attempt to build and keep a niche. Oh no.... Outsourcing is cheaper... Must 'go big' to make the finances work. Until warranty claims blow the profits on a year's worth of sales. You can't rain on their parade.
[rant off]