I recently had the opportunity to ride 3 titanium tri bikes: LS Blade, QR Ti-Phoon, GURU Aero-Ti. For whatever reason I have been “fixated” on getting a Ti bike. I had thought that I was going to like the GURU best, yet ended up being most impressed by the Blade with regards to its design, ride, and appearance. I have been curious as to why I don’t see many posts about this bike. What am I missing?
Nothing. It’s a very, very good frame. I’d say my favorite all-ti frame. The Guru Aero-Ti has carbon stays.
Remember though, basing a buying decision on a test ride is identical to basing a marriage on one date. Your talking about “how it felt” not “how it fits” and the two can be very, very different.
Tom-
Great points as always. I am bothered by the fact that you feel you have to qualify your posts by saying you have a business selling tri-products. Your input on this forum is always in my opinion informative and unbiased so keep it up. I only wish you had a shop in the Northwest! Thanks.
I think the lightspeed blade lost a little popularity in the last couple of years with a couple of incarnations that didn’t do to well. The new 05 blade is really really nice looking at least in the online pics I’ve seen. Not only do bikes now need to be aero but they need to be light and aero. Seems like the new blade does that more competitively than the blade of old.
great bike. i think the tiphoon is a very slightly better handling bike if you’re going to ride it steep. i’m riding a tiphoon this year. i noodled both bikes pretty carefully before making that decision.
i also, btw, thought it would come down (for me) to the same three bikes you picked from. all 3 would be great bikes to own.
No Yaqui?
“No Yaqui?”
i’m going to spend about 2/3 of my year on a road bike, and about 1/3 on a tri bike. ever since riding herbert’s blade i’ve been thinking i need to give one of those bikes a go. but i’m going to ride a new mandaric as the road bike. i’ve got 3 of his road bikes already, but he’s really antsy to get me to ride a new bike that i think has a carbon rear triangle entirely. so, why not? plus, i need 2cm more of head tube and i want to go to 72° of seat angle (my current bike is 73°). no big deal, but as long as i’m going to get a new one i’ll get just what i want.
I had Litespeed build my blade custom…I picked the tubes and geometry…worked out great!
Where do you work?
Where do you work?
In Atlanta.
lol, I meant what’s your job?
lol, I meant what’s your job?
OHHHHH… I am a real estate broker/investor mostly…but have doing working as a model and actor for about 20 years. www.sambean.com.
why?
Ohh so you’re one of those people who always appear in Lifestyle magazines =P
I always thought they were random people, but I guess not.
I have a '03 Blade - I love it and IMHO its the best looking Blade ever made. If I’d buy a new ti bike now I’d buy a Ti-Phoon because I like the look better. Qualitywise they are the same I’d say.
regards,
Frank
Random professionals… 
That Delta Airlines print ad is outstanding! I do a lot of work as a copywriter and that’s the kind of stuff I’d be really proud of to conceive.
As for the Blade, I think it’s suffered from a backlash at the silly design it took on a couple years ago with that wind scoop for a top tube. Tom’s review of that bike was absolutely correct.
That Delta Airlines print ad is outstanding! I do a lot of work as a copywriter and that’s the kind of stuff I’d be really proud of to conceive.
As for the Blade, I think it’s suffered from a backlash at the silly design it took on a couple years ago with that wind scoop for a top tube. Tom’s review of that bike was absolutely correct.
Hey! Thanks!
Hi there, I have attached the most current image of the Blade with a section of the shop in the background. Regarding the question of changing designs, we are indeed constantly trying to improve all of our designs, but it is certainly not just for change sake. We want the customers to have the best performing bikes possible. Herbert Litespeed/QR 
I bought a custom Blade that was in stock back in 2000 at Bicycle Sports. It was made as a replica to LA’s. I have enjoyed it so much I had LS make a custom to the same specs as a fixed gear. (I like to TT with a fixed gear) I have to say that getting a custom through LS was an easy process and I think I figured it came out to approx $400 upcharge for a custom. Let me see if I can attach some pics here…
This one’s got the track dropouts…
Crappy phone pic as it is today. Just need the bars…
I’ve got a review slated to go up on our site, oh, when it slows down enough for me to get it up on the site…
In the mean time here are a couple teaser photos of the high points of the bikes design and workmanship.
The older versions of the Blade reflected the technology of the time and that technology was in a state of change. Refinement made it better. The Blade you see now is the product of a lot of good, hard work on the part of the people at ABG, and the product shows the results. The new Blade for 2005 is excellent, it is such a dramatic improvement over previous model years one wonders if a model name change may have been appropriate. 
