Climb on and go and you’ll be amazed that this featherweight frame also provides jaw-dropping performance. Sprint, climb, hammer, spin and you’ll swear the bike is alive, reacting to every pedal stroke, helping you motor. It’s the combination of a frame material that has a springy, “alive” quality and Litespeed’s craftsmanship. Through years of testing, they’ve figured out ways to optimize the handling and ride of their bikes by manipulating the tube shapes to provide only the best characteristics. This shaping is hard to spot on my 1999 model, however, just glancing at newer frames you'll spot the angular top and down tubes.

And, you feel the effect of these shaped tubes right away. The Vortex sings as you spin down the road, and the frame seems to contribute to each pedal stroke. It’s like having your own tailwind along for every ride (the phenomenon is so acute that the first few weeks I had my Vortex, I kept turning around to see if indeed a tailwind was propelling me along). It’s hard to put a price on such a magical ride.

The crazy thing is, it’s race ready, but at the same time, the ride is velvety-smooth. You can get almost Vortex-like performance and approach its weight in other frames such as oversize-aluminum models, but you pay a price for it in a rigid, unforgiving ride. On the Vortex, Litespeed’s lightest machine, you glide over rough roads and finish long days much more relaxed.

While these traits set the Vortex apart from other dream rigs, all frames made of titanium offer another wonderful perk: the magic metal won’t rust or corrode and is impressively dent-resistant. What’s more, if you get a brushed model (no paint) the surface can’t chip. So, you can ride for three hours in the rain on bad roads, and while you might trash your components, with just a little scrubbing, the frame will be perfect again. And say you don’t get around to cleaning the bike right away (about the worst thing you can do after a rainy ride)? Every steel part on your bike will likely rust (which is what would happen to the frame too, if it were steel). But, the Vortex is completely unfazed by the elements. Fact is, it’s likely this frame will be going strong long after you’re gone.

Contributing to the Vortex’s outstanding ride and durability is a Look Carbon fork (different fork models are available on current Vortex models). Comprised of carbon with aluminum dropouts, here’s another gossamer part that shrugs off rain, mud and grime with no chance of corrosion or damage (unless you bury the front wheel in a pothole or rear end a parked car, or something—heaven forbid). It’s a beautiful fork with the lines and curves of a classic steel model yet with a sub-one-pound weight to help Slim-Fast any bike; plus a supple ride smoothing out any road shock that otherwise would rattle your hands, neck and shoulders.

Here are the latest specifications of this wonderful bike.