Model history – Litespeed Ultimate road frame

The Ultimate was the 2nd road frame model Litespeed launched, dating back to 1991.  The Ultimate, as the name implies, was a flagship model for Litespeed, showcasing Litespeed's design innovations. During its initial years, the Ultimate was made from 3/2.5 titanium, but later Litespeed employed a blended 3/2.5 and 6/4 titanium tubeset.

The design evolution and geometry/weight specs that ensued between 1991 and 2006 (when it was dropped from Litespeed's model line-up) are as follows.

Note: the information below was culled from Litespeed marketing materials, which show inconsistent information over time. I have highlighted the year-to-year changes in design and/or specs. Please comment on omissions and discrepancies below.

1991

• Tapered top tube
• Tapered and ovalized DT
• Curved seattube
• Integrated seatpost binder bolt
• Braze-on front derailleur clamp
• 48cm to 62cm, 2.5 to 3.5 lbs

1993

• Tapered/butted 3/2.5 tubing
• 68mm BB, machined from 6-4 solid bar
• 48cm to 62cm, 2.2 to 3.5 lbs

1994

• 48cm to 60cm, 2.4 to 3.3 lbs

1995

• 48cm to 62cm, 3.12 to 3.55 lbs

1996

• no changes

1997

• Cold-worked, tapered/butted 3/2.5 tubing and bladed 6-4 downtube
• Radially-curved seatstays for vertical compliance
• 49cm to 63cm, 3.24 to 3.92 lbs

1998

• no changes

1999

• Standard seatpost clamp
• New cable-stop adjusters near headtube
• 49cm to 63cm, 3.25 to 3.95 lbs

2000

• Cold-worked, 3/2.5 geometrically enhanced tubing (GET) with 6/4 aero-bladed downtube
• Curved cut-out on seattube for rear tire
• Engraved bottom-bracket shell
• Sculpted dropouts
• Custom Litespeed stainless steel seat collar
• Cold-worked dual-bend radially-curved seatstays
• Braze-on (bottom pull) front derailleur clamp
• 27.2mm seatpost diameter
• 1-1/8” headtube
• 49cm to 63cm, 3.4 to 4.08 lbs

2001

• Taller headtube
• Custom option: internal cable routing for front-derailleur

2002

• 1-1/8" integrated headset design
• LiteTEC Titanium Enhanced Carbon seatstays

2003

• 49cm to 63cm, 3.4 to 3.9 lbs

2004

• New cold-worked 3Al/2.5V shaped top tube
• New oversized 6Al/4V tapered, diamond-shaped down tube
• Oversized seat tube (31.6 seat post)
• High-profile shaping of the new 3Al/2.5V chainstays
• Standard seatpost clamp
• LiteTEC HP Enhanced carbon seatstays
• 49cm to 63cm, 3.1 to 3.5 lbs

2005

• no changes

2006

• Blended 6/4-3/2.5 Titanium tubeset
• Flared-diamond toptube
• Massive down tube with ovalized triangle cross-section
• Seattube transitions to transverse flat oval at the base (requires custom front der. clamp--included)
• Billet titanium replaceable rear derailleur hanger
• Reverts to non-integrated headset design
• 49cm to 63cm, 2.38 to 3.00 lbs