Curious product lineups, Litespeed division

[Ryan Cousineau]

So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
check out the current lineup.

This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.

http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#

Eight?

Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.

Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.

Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
count.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

 

[A Muzi]

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> check out the current lineup.
>
> This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>
> http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>
> Eight?
>
> Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>
> Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>
> Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> count.

Coca Cola, Classic, No Sugar, No Caffeine, Vanilla, Cherry, Rum-n-Coke.
No market segment left unchurned
--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

 

[Hank]

On May 7, 8:37 pm, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> > check out the current lineup.
>
> > This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>
> >http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>
> > Eight?
>
> > Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> > Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>
> > Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> > less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> > can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>
> > Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> > Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> > to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> > count.
>
> Coca Cola, Classic, No Sugar, No Caffeine, Vanilla, Cherry, Rum-n-Coke.
> No market segment left unchurned
> --
> Andrew Muzi
> <www.yellowjersey.org/>
> Open every day since 1 April, 1971
> ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

I dislike Diet Coke, but like Coke Zero. I've been drinking Diet
Cherry Coke for a while, but I just noticed that IN ADDITION TO Diet
Cherry Coke, they now have Cherry Coke Zero. It does, in fact, taste
different from Diet Cherry Coke. It's fruitier.

But can anyone come out with a diet grape soda for me? Of course not.

 

[Carl Sundquist]

"Hank" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:f8ab5f22-2e5d-457f-a50b-569308427eba@x19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>
> But can anyone come out with a diet grape soda for me? Of course not.

http://www.faygopops.com/servlet/Detail?no=1

You can mail order diet grape.

 

[[email protected]]

On May 7, 10:44 pm, Hank <[email protected]> wrote:
> On May 7, 8:37 pm, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > > So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> > > check out the current lineup.
>
> > > This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>
> > >http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>
> > > Eight?
>
> > > Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> > > Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>
> > > Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> > > less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> > > can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>
> > > Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> > > Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> > > to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> > > count.
>
> > Coca Cola, Classic, No Sugar, No Caffeine, Vanilla, Cherry, Rum-n-Coke.
> > No market segment left unchurned
> > --
> > Andrew Muzi
> >   <www.yellowjersey.org/>
> >   Open every day since 1 April, 1971
> > ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**
>
> I dislike Diet Coke, but like Coke Zero. I've been drinking Diet
> Cherry Coke for a while, but I just noticed that IN ADDITION TO Diet
> Cherry Coke, they now have Cherry Coke Zero. It does, in fact, taste
> different from Diet Cherry Coke. It's fruitier.
>
> But can anyone come out with a diet grape soda for me?

Quit being so fruty!

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com]

On May 7, 9:37 pm, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> > check out the current lineup.
>
> > This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>
> >http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>
> > Eight?
>
> > Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> > Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>
> > Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> > less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> > can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>
> > Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> > Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> > to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> > count.
>
> Coca Cola, Classic, No Sugar, No Caffeine, Vanilla, Cherry, Rum-n-Coke.
> No market segment left unchurned
> --
> Andrew Muzi
>   <www.yellowjersey.org/>
>   Open every day since 1 April, 1971
> ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

Agree..look at Toyota with their what, 6 SUVs??

Don't forget coke and ta-quill-ya-yuck!!

 

[Colin Campbell]

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> check out the current lineup.
>
> This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>
> http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>
> Eight?
>
> Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>
> Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>
> Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> count.
>

The lineup is full of sloping top tubes. I hate 'em!

 

[landotter]

On May 8, 8:51 am, Colin Campbell <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> > check out the current lineup.
>
> > This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>
> >http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>
> > Eight?
>
> > Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> > Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>
> > Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> > less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> > can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>
> > Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> > Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> > to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> > count.
>
> The lineup is full of sloping top tubes. I hate 'em!

Surely there is counseling in your locality for obsessive compulsives.
Form follows function.

 

[John Everett]

On Thu, 8 May 2008 08:23:19 -0700 (PDT), landotter
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On May 8, 8:51 am, Colin Campbell <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>> > So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
>> > check out the current lineup.
>>
>> > This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>>
>> >http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>>
>> > Eight?
>>
>> > Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
>> > Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>>
>> > Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
>> > less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
>> > can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>>
>> > Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
>> > Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
>> > to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
>> > count.
>>
>> The lineup is full of sloping top tubes. I hate 'em!
>
>Surely there is counseling in your locality for obsessive compulsives.
>Form follows function.

Form follows cost accounting. It's cheaper to manufacture frames in
Large, Medium, Small (see thread on moderately expensive Wal-Mart road
bike) and depend upon seat post lengths for bike fit than to
manufacture bikes in sizes from 48cm to 60cm (for example).

I was watching the Tour of Romandie over the weekend and it sort of
looked like many of the riders were on mountain bikes with drop bars.
I too hate sloping top tubes. :-|



--
jeverett3<AT>sbcglobal<DOT>net (John V. Everett)

 

[Michael Press]

In article
<ede7cfb2-eca6-494b-ad9d-85902f925bf1@e39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

> On May 8, 8:51 am, Colin Campbell <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > > So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> > > check out the current lineup.
> >
> > > This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
> >
> > >http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
> >
> > > Eight?
> >
> > > Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> > > Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
> >
> > > Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> > > less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> > > can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
> >
> > > Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> > > Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> > > to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> > > count.
> >
> > The lineup is full of sloping top tubes. I hate 'em!
>
> Surely there is counseling in your locality for obsessive compulsives.
> Form follows function.

But style never goes out of style.
Horizontal top tubes only for me.

--
Michael Press

 

[landotter]

On May 8, 1:32 pm, Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article
> <ede7cfb2-eca6-494b-ad9d-85902f925...@e39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
>
>
>
> landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On May 8, 8:51 am, Colin Campbell <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > > > So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> > > > check out the current lineup.
>
> > > > This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>
> > > >http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>
> > > > Eight?
>
> > > > Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> > > > Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>
> > > > Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> > > > less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> > > > can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>
> > > > Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> > > > Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> > > > to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> > > > count.
>
> > > The lineup is full of sloping top tubes. I hate 'em!
>
> > Surely there is counseling in your locality for obsessive compulsives.
> > Form follows function.
>
> But style never goes out of style.
> Horizontal top tubes only for me.

There's nothing stylish about horizontal top tubes, especially so if
they compromise the ability to dial in a comfy position with modern
threadless stems--it's just an affectation.

While I don't agree with riding too small of a frame--a little more
post showing than a traditional "fist full" gives comfortable stand
over, and getting the head tube elevated is nice for most of us. I
think that a semi-compact frame looks less static aesthetically if
that's the only meter that one measures by.

As far as sizing--most semi-compact road bike frames come in six sizes
from the big manufacturers.

 

[Colin Campbell]

landotter wrote:
> On May 8, 8:51 am, Colin Campbell <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>>> So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
>>> check out the current lineup.
>>> This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>>> http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>>> Eight?
>>> Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
>>> Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>>> Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
>>> less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
>>> can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>>> Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
>>> Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
>>> to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
>>> count.
>> The lineup is full of sloping top tubes. I hate 'em!
>
> Surely there is counseling in your locality for obsessive compulsives.
> Form follows function.

You mean if the top tube points up, I'll be able to climb better? I'll
be testing that theory on a Team CSC Cervelo in Italy in a couple of
weeks, but somehow, I doubt it....

I also dislike straight front forks, but apparently I'm badly
outnumbered, and I think I've read that there are advantages to them.

 

[landotter]

On May 8, 11:49 am, John Everett
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 8 May 2008 08:23:19 -0700 (PDT), landotter
>
>
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >On May 8, 8:51 am, Colin Campbell <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> >> > So a lucky friend just acquired a Litespeed Archon, which led me to
> >> > check out the current lineup.
>
> >> > This high-end Ti builder offers eight road frames.
>
> >> >http://litespeed.com/2008/home.aspx#
>
> >> > Eight?
>
> >> > Okay, I get the Good One, the Stupid-Light One, the Cyclocross One, The
> >> > Century Ride One, and the One for Girls.
>
> >> > Can anyone explain the other three frames? I gather one is, more or
> >> > less, The Cheap One, but a newsgroup No-Prize is offered to anyone who
> >> > can explain the Ardennes and the Siena.
>
> >> > Can anyone find a similar excess of frame designs from another maker?
> >> > Note that the same frame under two different names (as sometimes happens
> >> > to bikes with the same frame but different component specs) doesn't
> >> > count.
>
> >> The lineup is full of sloping top tubes. I hate 'em!
>
> >Surely there is counseling in your locality for obsessive compulsives.
> >Form follows function.
>
> Form follows cost accounting. It's cheaper to manufacture frames in
> Large, Medium, Small

Walmart bikes come in one size. Stop.
Quality compact and semi-compact road bikes come in usually six sizes.
Stop.

So you're a lying zealot. Congrats.

 

[Victor Kan]

On May 8, 3:38 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
....
> Walmart bikes come in one size. Stop.

Un-stop. The recent "Wal-Mart Italian Road Bike for $1198" thread in
rec.bicycles.misc shows that they've moved up to Small, Medium, Large
sizes for some of their bikes.

 

[landotter]

On May 8, 3:01 pm, Victor Kan <[email protected]> wrote:
> On May 8, 3:38 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> ...
>
> > Walmart bikes come in one size. Stop.
>
> Un-stop. The recent "Wal-Mart Italian Road Bike for $1198" thread in
> rec.bicycles.misc shows that they've moved up to Small, Medium, Large
> sizes for some of their bikes.

I'd hardly consider a 1200 buck web only Walmart bike to be a great
example of a trend.

 

[Arthur Shapiro]

In article <[email protected]>, Colin Campbell <[email protected]> wrote:

>I also dislike straight front forks, but apparently I'm badl...

Straying a bit from the original question, but you're not alone.

Probably the three things that shout UGLY to me are: threadless headsets,
straight forks, and a sloping toptube. Happily my own Habanero has none of
those aesthetic atrocities. Doubtlessly others could argue to the contrary.

Art

 

[landotter]

On May 8, 3:29 pm, [email protected] (Arthur Shapiro) wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, Colin Campbell <[email protected]> wrote:
> >I also dislike straight front forks, but apparently I'm badl...
>
> Straying a bit from the original question, but you're not alone.
>
> Probably the three things that shout UGLY to me are: threadless headsets,

Stiffer and easier to service is ugly? They sold me first time I
worked on them.

> straight forks,

Been around since the beginning of cycling. I like them fine, they
pick up on the tapered rear tubes much better aesthetically than
pointless curves do. Form is function.

>and a sloping toptube.

which gets the head tube in a good position for most folks that don't
race.

>Happily my own Habanero has none of
> those aesthetic atrocities. Doubtlessly others could argue to the contrary.

Yeah. I like convention when it works. Traditional bend bars and
square taper cranks work well for me. I do well with down tube
shifters and many other trad choices--but compact frames, straight
forks, and threadless makes a nice tight and modern road frame.

A Gunnar Sport would be a good example of traditional materials, but
without traditional biases:
http://www.gunnarbikes.com/sport.php

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Carl Sundquist" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Hank" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:f8ab5f22-2e5d-457f-a50b-569308427eba@x19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> >
> > But can anyone come out with a diet grape soda for me? Of course not.
>
> http://www.faygopops.com/servlet/Detail?no=1
>
> You can mail order diet grape.

Easier is probably to mix up some aspartame-flavoured syrup and inject
your own CO2.
isi seltzer bottle at a flea market,

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

 

[John Everett]

On Thu, 8 May 2008 12:38:24 -0700 (PDT), landotter
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On May 8, 11:49 am, John Everett
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>> Form follows cost accounting. It's cheaper to manufacture frames in
>> Large, Medium, Small
>
>Walmart bikes come in one size. Stop.
>
>So you're a lying zealot. Congrats.

Imagine my distress being called a liar by someone so obviously out of
touch. ;-)

See: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5751045


--
jeverett3<AT>sbcglobal<DOT>net (John V. Everett)

 

[landotter]

On May 9, 9:30 am, John Everett
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 8 May 2008 12:38:24 -0700 (PDT), landotter
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >On May 8, 11:49 am, John Everett
> ><[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> Form follows cost accounting. It's cheaper to manufacture frames in
> >> Large, Medium, Small
>
> >Walmart bikes come in one size. Stop.
>
> >So you're a lying zealot. Congrats.
>
> Imagine my distress being called a liar by someone so obviously out of
> touch. ;-)
>
> See:http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5751045

Every single in-store bike at Wal-Mart comes in one size only. That's
a one-off. Zealot.