# Litespeed help? Firenze Vs. Classic



## Looncey Legstrong

I tried out a more expensive titanium Litespeed. I liked it and am looking at the more affordable titanium models, too, before i decide anything.

The Firenze is made out of the same titanium as the Classic but the Firenze is about a pound lighter? It has the same components (ultegra) yet it retails for nearly $600 less, also?

Aside from the shiny finish, what does the classic have to offer? Why does it cost more than the Firenze? I can see the geometry is a tiny bit different... but what else?

thanks for any clues?


----------



## gogogomoveit

Looncey Legstrong said:


> I tried out a more expensive titanium Litespeed. I liked it and am looking at the more affordable titanium models, too, before i decide anything.
> 
> The Firenze is made out of the same titanium as the Classic but the Firenze is about a pound lighter? It has the same components (ultegra) yet it retails for nearly $600 less, also?
> 
> Aside from the shiny finish, what does the classic have to offer? Why does it cost more than the Firenze? I can see the geometry is a tiny bit different... but what else?
> 
> thanks for any clues?


Firenze is a scaled-down Solano without the GET tubings, while Solano is a scaled-down Vortex without the 6Al 4V oversized tubes and other goodies.


----------



## Spinner

Looncey Legstrong said:


> I tried out a more expensive titanium Litespeed. I liked it and am looking at the more affordable titanium models, too, before i decide anything.
> 
> The Firenze is made out of the same titanium as the Classic but the Firenze is about a pound lighter? It has the same components (ultegra) yet it retails for nearly $600 less, also?
> 
> Aside from the shiny finish, what does the classic have to offer? Why does it cost more than the Firenze? I can see the geometry is a tiny bit different... but what else?
> 
> thanks for any clues?


According to Litespeed's website, the Firenze is 0.3 pounds lighter than the classic in the 57 cm size.

As you pointed out, the finish is a major difference in the frames. I believe that the Classic's polished finish is fairly labor intensive and could account for a decent chunk of the price difference.

The Firenze has Litespeed's radially curved seat stays. 

You can specify a Classic in a variety of component packages, where as the Firenze is sold as a complete bike.

If you examined both bikes side by side, I'd expect you'd see nicer welds on the Classic.

The Firenze does not have Litespeed's shaped and cold-worked tubing. I'm not sure about the Classic. If you're interested in a Litespeed, you should definitely check out models that have these attributes which include the Tuscany, Siena, Solono, and Teramo, amongst others. The Soloan and Teramo have MSRP's quite a bit lower than the Cassic.


----------



## TurboTurtle

Looncey Legstrong said:


> I tried out a more expensive titanium Litespeed. I liked it and am looking at the more affordable titanium models, too, before i decide anything.
> 
> The Firenze is made out of the same titanium as the Classic but the Firenze is about a pound lighter? It has the same components (ultegra) yet it retails for nearly $600 less, also?
> 
> Aside from the shiny finish, what does the classic have to offer? Why does it cost more than the Firenze? I can see the geometry is a tiny bit different... but what else?
> 
> thanks for any clues?


It's the shaped tubing which is much more expensive to produce. For a simple example, take an ovalized tube. It is stiffer in the thick direction and more flexible in the thin direction. There are places on a bike where this would benefit the handling, ride and/or weight. Some of the tubes have much more complex shapes than just oval.

Can you or I tell the diference? I own two Classics and a Blue Ridge (Appalachian on the way) and don't know.

TF


----------



## Fez

*Lots of confusion here*



Looncey Legstrong said:


> I tried out a more expensive titanium Litespeed. I liked it and am looking at the more affordable titanium models, too, before i decide anything.
> 
> The Firenze is made out of the same titanium as the Classic but the Firenze is about a pound lighter? It has the same components (ultegra) yet it retails for nearly $600 less, also?
> 
> Aside from the shiny finish, what does the classic have to offer? Why does it cost more than the Firenze? I can see the geometry is a tiny bit different... but what else?
> 
> thanks for any clues?


The Classic is just that - a classic. It rides nice, has a classic look.

It does NOT have the curved seatstays, integrated headtube, and aggressively shaped and worked tubes of some of the cutting edge Litespeed models.

However, it does have some modern touches. It has a 1 and 1/8 conventional headtube and curved chainstays. It has a very nice bright brushed finish. The tubes are cold worked and very slightly shaped, even though they appear fairly round.

I would characterize it as a very nice riding bike. Very good all-arounder. Not the lightest and stiffest frame out there, but it can still hold its own on fast group rides. Great for long distance rides as well. And you can have it built with whatever component groups you want. You will see some Classics with modest builds and some Classics fully decked out with Dura Ace 10 components and high-end wheels.



The Firenze is marketed as an entry level bike. The finish is a duller and cheaper satin. It is sold as a complete bike only. The fork, wheels and components are fairly mid-range. The frame tubes are said to be less worked and shaped (if at all?) and it is said to be NOT a particularly stiff frame. A decent bike and a good value, since I believe they are being sold for $2,000 or less.

The frame geometries are the same and the frame weights are similar.

And in response to another poster, the Solano is said to be similar to a Tuscany frame from a few years back. Like the Firenze, the Solano is also sold as a complete bike.


----------



## shokhead1

Firenze has 105 bb,105 F Derailleur and 105 chain and its not a pound,its .3lbs difference for a 59cm.. Classic does have the curved and tapered chainstays. I've seen the classic for under 3 grand i think at bikesmart.com.


----------



## Stanley

I bought a Firenze - it has an Ultegra FD and BB - I dunno about the chain. - S


----------

