2004 Litespeed Pisgah

[nik_h]

Hi all,

I've been loitering on this site for several months, but didn't really have anything to share with everyone. However, today saw the completion of my 2004 Litespeed Pisgah build. I'm just back from my first ride and thought I'd post some pics.

The frame was bought on Ebay and arrived in pretty good condition.

However the seller had been slightly economical with the truth and there were a couple of er... 'issues'. Firstly the cantilever boses had been hacked off in a somewhat less than surgical fashion:

After doing some homework and searching the forums on here I opted to send the frame to Enigma for a refurb. On inspection they discovered problem number two: a small crack in the weld between the seat-stay and seat tube. The diagnosis was that the previous owner had been using the wrong diameter of seatpost. Not good! At this point I was beginning to think I had bought a rather expensive piece of scrap metal.

I really have to doff my cap to Mark at Enigma as he has done a stunning repair job. The bosses have been completely removed without a trace, cable guides added and the frame fully re-brushed. And the cracked weld? It has been re-welded and looks as good as the original. Really, really great work.

And so to the build. I've been riding my 1997 Kona Kilauea as a single-speed for a number of years and love the simplicity. So at least for the time being I've opted for single speed. 1x9 is also a possibility, but I'm out of cash at the moment!

The stem, bars and cranks have been pinched from my Kona, but everything else is new. First purchase were the forks. I was struggling to find a pair of RC31s so I phoned up Pace to see if they could help. Turns out that although the forks are discontinued they have enough components left in the factory to build a few more pairs. Result!

Today's ride was short and gentle, but crikey! This is my first titanium frame and the bike just floats along. Really happy with it. I'll progress to some proper off-road action next weekend and report back.

The full specs are:

Frame: 2004 Litespeed Pisgah 18”

Fork: Pace RC31

Headset: Cane Creek IS3
Stem: Easton EA50 100mm x 6º rise
Handlebar: Easton EA50 mid-rise
Grips: Specialized XC Locking Grips

Brakes: Shimano XTR M975, 160mm rotors
Brake Pads: Shimano XTR M975
Brake Cables: Shimano XTR M975
Brake Levers: Shimano XTR M975

Cassette Spacers: Surly SS Spacer Kit
Cassette Cog: Surly 3/32” x 17t
Chain: KMC X8.99
Cranks: Shimano Deore LX M563
Crank Bolts: Shimano Deore LX M563
Chainrings: Surly 34t Stainlesss Steel
Chainring bolts: I.D. Stainless Steel
Bottom Bracket: Shimano UN54, 68mm shell x 113mm axle
Pedals: Crank Brothers Egg Beaters SL

Hub Skewers: Shimano XTR M975
Rims: Mavic 717 Disc
Hubs: Shimano XTR M975
Nipples: DT
Spokes: DT
Tyres: Continental Race King 2.0
Tubes: Specialized

Saddle: Charge Spoon Titanium
Seatpost: Thomson Elite Ø31.6mm x 367mm
Seatpost Binder: Thomson

Weight: Light!

Cheers,

Nik

 

[Splatter Paint]

Good job, it looks really great! Well done Engima for sorting it out. Bloody eBay.

SP

 

[Nick C]

Wow that looks fantastic. Did you contact the seller after the purchase and did they offer any explanation as to the 'issues'?

 

[Pickle]

Top repair job.

Bike has a very classic look to it.

 

[Awkward Kid]

I like the look of Litespeeds with brown charge's mounted on them
Apart from the lugs for the disk routing it looks the same as my Outlook which is a year younger. Nice ride dude!

 

[nik_h]

Thanks for the comments guys.

It was very tempting to get back in touch with the seller, but somehow the repair just became part of the project. I quite like the fact it has a bit of, but not too much, wear and tear.

Which brings me to decals. The decals as bought were actually 2005 vintage - the 2004 ones are yellow. These got stripped off when the frame was re-brushed by Enigma. I think if I was to get new ones made I would go for the 2005 again - the yellow is just a little too much in your face. However I'm very tempted just to leave the frame bare - seems more in keeping with the build. Any thoughts?

 

[Neil G]

Lovely titanium goodness. They (Enigma) have done a great job refurbing it

 

[KiwiJohn]

Very clean. I wouldn't worry about the decals, I haven't.
Only the chain tensioner is bit of an eye sore.
Have you had it near a set of scales yet?

 

[nik_h]

First 'proper' ride today with a healthy amount of mud thrown in:

I forgot how much I love this biking lark. It zipped round the single track with ease. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the rider Project "Get-Fit" begins today!

 

[saltyman]

Ti bikes make awesome single speeds