Litespeed Blade measurement

[bikehauler]

Hi,

I am the second owner of a 2003 Litespeed Blade. I bought it for my son to train on as a few of his 8th grade buddies were involved with TRI… He was 6’2 when we bought bike but is now 6’5. He wants a new frame.

The gentleman I bought the frame from told me it was a 61cm…I think he was 6’3. Because the bike fit my son so well we never measured it. Nor did we refer to the serial number…OUCH… we should have at least looked…

Now that I am selling ( not advertising here because I don’t meet post qualifier ) I am concerned about the frame size. .I remember talking with ABG about Blade size…the measurements were different than my Tuscany… In short I am measuring from CBB to top of seat attach point = 61.6, CBB to top of layered TI in Blade shape = 58.42, and finally TT = 58.4 as well. Serial number is 657?? 59 at least I think the last number is 59…could be 53 or 58? I will call ABG on Monday but I have local offers and also want to re-list Blade for auction today.

Any Litespeed experts please help with input.Is this a 59 or a 61cm??

Thanks

Charles

[Bmanners]

He wants to trade in a blade light speed ? Dude you better sit down and have a talk to him. Have you tried a longer stem and our different seat position. Seems a shame to go to a different bike.

[bikehauler]

I know, I love Ti…Kids though, when his friends get carbon!!!..If bike doesn’t sell I may keep it and get him something. I think it’s cool…I was about to send it to ABG for a polish and new stickers but they were busy with special orders and told me to wait a few months…

We never had a fitting done for either of my kids… My son along with his brother …and my wife all were fitted at the shoe store via video, pressure fit , ect …and all were so turned on by the difference in feel of their new shoes. They all think that if they are fitted on a bike it will be worth the price… Maybe with running shoes but a bike fit only provides so much benefit…

we will see…

[Former_User]

I have a '99 Blade that is a 61cm. It’s got about over 100,000 on it. I won’t ever sell it and still choose it over my carbon fiber bike.

[Bmanners]

If it was a 52 I would buy it in a heart beat from you!

[bikehauler]

Any idea on measurement or a site that shows where the measurement is taken?? Does your Blade serial number end with the number 61?? If you measure the Blade what do you look at??? CBB to top of post or top of flat Ti???

[bikehauler]

Don’t get me wrong I love Ti, I have a Tuscany and a Merlin Fat Ti mountain bike…but the kids…I have been looking all evening…there was a Litespeed archive somewhere/???
Measurements…

[SRQ_3sport]

It’s probably a 59 by what you explain of the serial number. my # is 100??? with the 59 below the serial#.

BTW I am 6’4" with a 90 mm stem.

Edit: The reason I say prob a 59 is that I’m sure he wouldn’t be close to fitting a 53. I guess it could be a 58 if they made that size.

[bikehauler]

Thanks SRQ_3sport,

If you measure from CBB… to what point on top of bike would you arrive at 59??

[SRQ_3sport]

In the middle of no where. halfway between the top tube and the top of the seat tube. I’m not the best at this but i will send you my cell in a message if you want to call me I’ll measure whatever you want.

[bikehauler]

That is why I am scratching me head…When I measure from CBB to 59cm I just, as you said, end up in the middle of nowhere…in the middle of seat tube area??? But when I measure from CBB to 61cm… I arrive at the very top of the seat tube…so maybe it is a 61cm…but the 59 at the end of the serial number???

The number is very kind of you…I’ve got to go to an engagement in a couple of minutes but maybe I could call tomorrow…if that works for you…

I will call at your convenience…although I have to go to work tomorrow night…

Thanks again…

[SRQ_3sport]

I get just over 62 to the top of the seat tube?? Mine is a 2006 though.

I’m sick so I should be around the house until 1:00 EST then off to xmas stuff with family

[Former_User]

My recollection is that a 61cm Blade is a 58 top tube with a 76 seat tube angle.
The smaller Blades are 78 seat tube angles. Sounds like you have a 61cm.

[Bavarian_Frank]

Hi,

I am the second owner of a 2003 Litespeed Blade.

Charles

I have a 2003 Blade, too.

The size is engraved directly beneath the serial #.

I also have a 2003 litespeed catalogue. There they list the headtube length of the 61cm frame as 18.4 cm, toptube is 59.5 cm.

[KaiserChief]

charles
let me know when you are selling it. i may need one as a backup. you cant go wrong with that blade. shame your son wants to downgrade haha.

[maxtbicycle]

Hi Charles,
I understand how you feel about bike measurement and it can be frustration. From my experience, I own many nontraditional tubing bicycles. It was difficult to figure out at first but it turned out very simple.

There are two types of frames:

One type is a triangle frame. It does not matter how big the tube is, always measure from center of bottom bracket to top tube. The top tube is measured from center of head tube to center of seat tube.
Here is my Litespeed Blade:

I like to share my pride and joy of bicycle collection in high resolution to passionate bicycle fans:
Click here to see my other bicycles: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxtbicycle/

Others nontraditional type tubing such as Zipp or Lotus Sport 110 bikes. The way to measure these bikes is using imaginary measurement. Since beam bike does not have top tube and seat tube, you would have to find the pin point. That would be the horizontal line going from the top of head tube meet at the imaginary seat tube going from the center of the bottom bracket all the way up to the bolt at the seat rail. Now that would give you an imaginary triangle frame by using tape measurement.
Here are my Zipp and Lotus bikes:

I have never relied on the factory specification because not all factories measure the same. Some measure from center of bottom bracket to center of top tube. Personally that is very wrong because some tubes are small and other tubes are large. Therefore that is not accurate for stand over.

Some companies also measure the top tube from center of head tube to the touch point of the seat tube. Some seat tubes are large and some are small, therefore it is not accurate measurement for your reach over.

I hope this would help you and your questions will never fail of being well reserved.

-Max T

Life is short, enjoy, love, peace!

Click here to download more bicycles in maximum resolution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxtbicycle/

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