Product Description
*Cash pickup price: $1200
This is the 38th production frame David Lynskey ever built, and quite possibly the earliest Litespeed still accounted for! Litespeed's records show this frame number of #1038 as August of 1988 build, size 54, model "920", made for Jim Gayton (in photos). The head engineer at Litespeed who started in 1990 confirmed this as legit and the earliest frame number he's seen. He doesn't have any info on the models 920 and 917 referred to in the frame books. I acquired this from my friend Annika who wrote about it on her site Early-Titanium-Archive.
The first Litespeeds were referred to simply as "Litespeed Titanium". It was renamed the Litespeed Road in 1990 when the Litespeed MTB was released. It was reviewed in the May 1988 Bicycle Guide Magazine (Scans in pics), & was included in their "Best of 1988" issue.
The frame itself is quite interesting. It features "aero" top-mount downtube shifters via a unique vertical disc setup with Shimano flat mount plates. Cable routing is fully internal. The top tube is slightly forward sloping, though this one is quite a bit shallower than the 60cm frame in the Bicycle Guide. The welds are large and unfinished. Dropouts are 6/4 ti & feature dual lightening holes. Original Vitus 979 alloy fork.
David and Mark Lynskey brought the Litespeed Titanium bicycle to market at the 1987 Long Beach trade show and started production sometime in 1988. This era was the beginning of the "modern" titanium craze with Fat City ti prototypes 1984-1985, Merlin Titanium 1987, and Marin Team Titanium 1989. Its a true piece of bicycle history worth preserving and admiring for generations to come.
Condition
Excellent used shape! The frame is straight and free of dents, dings, or any other damage. There is some scratching, but its not nearly as bad as it looks in photos (my studio lighting caught the scratches really well). Original decals in great shape with just a bit of wear. Components overall are in great shape with minor wear, with exception of a pretty scratched up crank. Its been professionally tuned up and ready to ride. Bar tape is new, tires are NOS (display only as the tread has dry cracking).
Frame Details
- Frame number: 1038
- Seat tube: 54cm c-t
- Effective top tube: 54cm
- Head tube: 111mm
- Seat stays: 410mm
Components
- Groupset: Dura Ace 7400 series 7 speed, complete including HS-7400 quill stem
- Rims: Wolber TX Profil hard anodized
- Seatpost: American Classic titanium
- Handlebars: 3ttt Superleggero
- Tires: Michelin Hi-Lite Supercomp HD 700x23c