Rider Profile Ultra cyclist Bryce Walsh will ride the Cohutta in the 2014 Tour Divide, an unsupported race that challenges riders to traverse the backbone of the U.S. and part of Canada, starting in Banff, Alberta, and ending in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. The Tour Divide is the world’s longest off-pavement cycling route. At completion, a rider will have climbed nearly 200,000 feet (the equivalent of summiting Mount Everest from sea-level seven times!).

Racers must not only navigate old forest service roads and jeep trails but also complete the ride wholly unsupported (barring a few exceptions). Bryce, who is also a cycling coach at Vision Quest in Chicago, will ride through Grizzly country, bivy sack along the route for rest and endure 16-plus-hour days in the saddle.He’ll be riding through

Litespeed Tech Feed: 2014 Cohutta

You will not find a better value in a 29er hardtail this technically advanced. The Cohutta is crafted in Litespeed’s legendary, expert titanium shop, and value is built right into its durability andamazing performance.

Named for a dirty and demanding 100-mile mountain bike race in

Copperhill, Tennessee, Litespeed’s new titanium Cohutta 29er hardtail

features the industry’s first-ever 29er specific Ti tubing. The Cohutta

provides the rigidity needed for surviving heavy-duty single-track terrain,

yet the nimbleness required for stellar tracking and performance.

The tubeset features a BB30 bottom bracket, 49mm head tube, oversized

tubes and a curved downtube to clear the adjusting knobs on suspension

forks. While the Cohutta handles steep descents with control and tackles

climbs like a champ, Litespeed’s 4nine technology allows ride tuning in

regards to fork and headset selection.

Litespeed’s 4nine technology is 4ward thinking for 29-inch wheels. With

clean-sheet-of-paper thinking in regards to tubeset and geometry,

Litespeed designed a fully optimized 29er that increases torsional stiffness

of the entire front triangle of the frame and permits a wide range of fork

choices. The rider can truly customize based on preference, distance

and terrain.

Litespeed’s 4nine technology increases torsional stiffness of the entire front

triangle of the frame and creates a wide range of fork choices, allowing

the rider to truly customize based on preference, distance and terrain.

Riders can use a straight 1.125” or a 1.125 x 1.5” tapered steerer fork or

easily set the bike up with 80-120mm travel forks without compromising

handling.

2014 Cohutta

Bryce Walsh

© 2013 American Bicycle Group | All Rights Reserved

(CONT )(CONT )

• Features the industry’s first-ever 29er specific Ti tubing

• Innovative 4nine technology allowsrider to ride tune in regards to fork

and headset selection• Compatible with the Cane Creek AngleSet

for a steeper or slacker head angle• Geometry optimized for 80, 100mm, and

120mm fork travel delivers ideal suspension• Sold as frame only

desolate country, but will occasionally pass through towns, where he can resupply and rest up.

“Just ride until you have to sleep,” Bryce says of his strategy, which is something he’s used to doing in endurance races around the world. Bryce’s 2011 race roster included the Paris-Brest-Paris and the Hill Country 600 (Race Across Oregon). Just before he rides the Tour Divide, he’ll have ridden a Litespeed bike from Cairo to Cape Town, travelling the entire length of Africa in the Tour d’Afrique, averaging 77 miles a day for four months. “I’ve been joking that I’m doing a 7,400-mile training ride in Africa,” says Bryce with a laugh. “And I’m hitting up all the Wizard of OZ animals, from lions and tigers to bears.”

Humor aside, Bryce has some apprehension about the race. “The Divide is the one that is a little bit out of my comfort zone, because I am not as experienced of a mountain biker. Riding on trails at night when I am tired… I wonder how the off-road aspect will translate. I don’t know if I can do it,” he says. “That’s what’s exciting about it.” The Tour Divide record is 17 days, 23 hours, 45 minutes, set by Matthew Lee.

Dirty Talk

Litespeed answers the burning questions of mountainbikers who’ve been drooling over the Cohutta

Q: Why is the size of the head tube larger than normal?

LS: The large head tube makes the frame compatible with a variety of internal and

external cup headsets that can use either tapered or straight

steerer tube forks. The owner can optimize the bike to his or her choice of fork, length

of travel and riding style.

Q: Has the tubeset for the Cohutta been used on other titanium frames?

LS: No. This tubeset was developed specifically for the Cohutta 29er.

The competition uses the same tube spec, whether building for 26-inch or 29-inch.

wheels. Once upon a time, we did, as well. Litespeed’s design and fabrication of this

29er specific tubeset marks a new era in titanium 29er performance.

Q: Where did the geometry and sizing of the Cohutta originate?

LS: First and foremost, we approached the Cohutta with fresh ideas on how to optimize

handling. We felt we could enhance performance over other 29ers in the marketplace

with a neutral, well-balanced geometry. The shorter chain stays and precise wheelbase

produce a quick, easy-to-maneuver bike.

Litespeed’s Cohutta X-Country frame features something new in titanium: 4nine. It’s clean sheet of paper thinking with regards to tubeset and geometry. This technology was created specifically for building a fully optimized 29’er.

Beyond increasing torsional stiffness of the entire front triangle of the frame, 4nine allows some great options with regards to fork and headset selection. Whether you wish to use a straight 1.125” or a 1.125 x 1.5” tapered steerer fork, the frame is capable. In addition, you can easily set the bike up with 80-120mm travel forks with no compromises in handling. Should you wish to tune a bit beyond fork travel, the new 49’er head tube allows you to choose between internal or external cup lower headsets. And finally, you can utilize the Cane Creek AngleSet with a tapered steerer. The following guide will help you with the fork and headset selection for your intended use.

The frame geometry is ideally designed around a 100mm travel fork, using an external cup lower headset. However, we also suggest the use of 80-120mm travel forks depending on the rider’s intended use.

Here are suggestions when making the decision regarding fork choices, head tube angle selection, and headset specification:

Discipline Fork Travel Steerer Diameter Head Tube

Angle

Headset Cups

80 100 120 1.125 1.125x1.5 Taper (upper/lower)

XC Short Course

stock ZS49/EC49

XC Race

-0.5° ZS49/EC49

stock ZS49/EC49

stock ZS49/ZS49

+0.5° ZS49/ZS49

Marathon

-1.0° ZS49/EC49

-0.5° ZS49/EC49

stock ZS49/EC49

Trail rider preference

Set Up OptionsHere are suggestions when making the decision regarding fork choices, head tube angle selection and headset specification:

© 2013 American Bicycle Group | All Rights Reserved

Litespeed’s 49mm head tube allows the

rider to tune beyond travel fork by choosing

between internal or external cup lower

headsets. The rider can also utilize the Cane

Creek AngleSet with a tapered steerer, so you

can tweak your stock settings without having

to re-weld a new headtube. The Cohutta

frame geometry is ideally designed around a

100mm travel fork, using an external cup lower

headset. However, Litespeed also suggests

the use of 80-120mm travel forks, depending

on the rider’s intended use.

Litespeed Tech Feed: 2014 Cohutta

2014 Cohutta

Rider Profile