RCUK first clapped eyes on the jaw droppingly gorgeous Litespeed Archon at last year’s Eurobike show, and now a test bike has just rolled into the bike shed. Here’s a quick look before it gets put to the
test.
The Archon is the company’s top-end bike, and as such shows no compromises. The US company has been building titanium bikes for over 20 years, and that experience and expertise is clearly evident when casting an eye over the frame.
It doesn’t look like anything ever seen before, with some extreme tube profiling and manipulation at work. Beginning at the front, the top and down tubes both wrap around the double butted head tube for increased contact area upping the stiffness of the frame. The top tube is heptagon shaped and the down tube ovalises and wraps around the bottom bracket shell. The seat stays are oval shaped and the chainstays are asymmetrically double butted, with a flat oval profile. The claimed weight is 1.15kg for a medium size frame. Nine sizes are available, from 51.5cm to 59cm.
For this test the Archon has been built up with a Shimano Dura-Ace groupset, Fulcrum Racing 1 wheels, Continental Attack and Force tyres, Chris King headset, Thomson seatpost, Fizik saddle and Deda stem and handlebars.
Price? Don’t expect much change from £2999, just for the frame, Easton EC90 SL fork and Chris King headset.
So, it looks good on paper and fantastic in the flesh. Watch out for a full review soon…
