Litespeed Bike Parts & Accessories

Litespeed is a U.S. bicycle manufacturer founded by David Lynskey in Ooltewah, Tennessee, near Chattanooga. The company has its roots in a family-owned custom machine shop known as Southeast Machine that specialized in exotic metals. Its interest in bicycles began while one of the members of the founding family took up cycling while recovering from a running injury; this led eventually to manufacturing its first bicycle in 1986. Litespeed makes titanium and carbon fiber-framed road racing bicycles and mountain bikes. Litespeed is owned by the American Bicycle Group, parent company of bicycle manufacturer Quintana Roo as well as component fabricator Real Design (ABG also owned Merlin (bicycles) from 2000-2011). In the 1999 Tour de France, Lance Armstrong rode a titanium Litespeed Blade painted and labeled as a Trek during time trials. Several professionals have ridden Litespeeds painted as other brands. European brands such as Eddy Merckx and Bianchi have contracted Litespeed to construct titanium frames in their own lines. Litespeed sponsored the DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed and Calyon/Litespeed Pro Cycling road teams and the Maxxis mountain bike team. The World Cup ITU Triathlon champion Vanessa Fernandes (Portugal) also raced on a Litespeed. Litespeed has been a contractor and consultant to NASA for projects that require titanium-intensive subassemblies.