Hi Ti-freaks,

I'm new on the forum. I have a question about buying either a Litespeed Ultimate or a Merlin Extralight (both 2006 editions) as a new bike. The reason I'm considering this is that I have long planned to buy a good Ti bike since I rode a comfortable but crappy Russian one a decade ago before it broke...
I have always liked the Merlins better in appearance than Litespeed, but right now I am considering buying a 2006 Ultimate or a Merlin Extralight because their both on sale for greatly reduced prices.
Who I am and what will I be using the bike for?, I'm a large (6 ft 2, 180 lbs) 33 year old rider, doing mainly long rides in Europe, both flat here in Holland as well as hilly rides in Limburg, Ardennes and Alps.
I also own a 78-degree Tri bike for doing triathlons. I think I will put an aerobar on my new bike as well, but the new bike should be mainly for riding cyclosportive events and long races, not for triahtlon use.
I am not a sprinter, and looking for a nice comfortable ride. Is the Ultimate the bike for me, or is that really a criterium racer as some say? Is it stiffer? Or should I stick with the Merlin?
Some advice please!

Thanks,

Bart

Come on guys, no one ever tried these bikes or has anything to say?...

Have never ridden either, but i have researched both. the Ultimate is the stiffer crit bike. The Extralight is the more well rounded stage race bike. They ride differently and are inteded for different uses.

From what you wrote, I think the Extralight is the clear choice. Personally, I would also choose the Extralight. I like well rounded bikes. Plus, I have never read a scathing review of an Extralight. Let me know what you get and be sure to post pics.

By the way, you must be built like a stick if you are over 6 feet and weigh only 10 pounds!!!

PS...I would love to go riding in your part of teh world....so much beauty and history.

Haha, sorry, I meant 180 pounds, or I wouldn't need a bike to fly...;-) Edited that part of the message.
I think you're right about the Extralight, I'll sure load up some pics when I have the bike!
And do come around to Europe! I can recommend the Tour of Flanders (www.rvv.be) and Paris Roubaix (every even year) tourist rides. Especially the last is a true hell of a ride, but you can sure smell history there!
Of course the alps are great too, but usually I just do flat rides here in Holland...

I don't know how the Ultimate compares to a Merlin, but I found the 2005 Ultimate, rear carbon seatstays not withstanding, to be so stiff as to be almost uncomfortable when compared to the 2000 Tuscany using the same wheelset. Of course the Ultimate was more racing-oriented I ended up putting a more comfortable wheelset and a Brooks saddle on the Ultimate.

I have an Extralight that I raced for 2 seasons. I still have it, but it's more of a secondary bike now that I race a Works CR. The Extralight isn't as stiff as the CR, but it's plenty stiff to race. If I were to do a longer road or ride, I'd likely grab the Extralight as it's a bit more comfortable. I can't compare it to the Litespeed though.

I think I can answer your question. I own both and I have a lot of miles on both. My ultimate doesn't have carbon stays. It's all Ti. The merlin extralight is, well it's an extralight. Except for the forks, the components are indentical right down to the wheels and spokes.
The ultimate is fun. It's great for shorter faster rides. It seems to love the shorter steeper climbs. It's not a longer distance bike (80+ miles). It's very stiff, although it can be softened up by changing to a softer fork. I had an alpha fork on it. I softened it up by changing it to an easton. Now I swap the forks back and forth depending how I feel.
The merlin is a great bike. Does everything well. It takes the long rides with ease and is still fun for short fast rides. It's great for long steady climbs with plenty of stiffness for the short climbing sprints.
The merlin would be my first choice of all my bikes.

The bikes in question have a tad different design philosophies. The Extralight is traditional round tube Ti that provides a balance of comfort and performance. The bike would be aimed at someone that wants to still have a bike that can answer the call of performance on a spirited club ride but is also leaves your body in good condition when riding a cyclosportiv.

The Ultimate on the other hand will forsake some comfort for performance. It is what Litespeed would call "technical titanium" meaning that they will use advanced tube shaping to achieve the desired ride characteristics. To shape more aggressively also means that they typically have to use more 6/4 Ti, which does have a slightly different ride quality.

I'd say from your post you'd be better suited to the Merlin based on your comments. I have had a chance to spend time on almost all of Litespeed and Merlins current production models. Personally speaking it was in my top 3. In fact if I had to buy one to keep as a long-term bike I would pick the Extralight based on being well made, well rounded, and a great all around ride.

I agree with all of the above. Picked up a 1988 Extralight last year and after a thorough update rode it in Limburg, Luxemburg, Alps and flat 'polderland'. Sooo plush and plucky! Light climbing and smooth descending, at 85 km/h. (see my short review on fiets.nl). Impeccable welding and little short of magic (classic) geometry by Merlin (magician) guru Tom Kellogg. Best allround bike I ever rode, on a par with a genuine Richard Sachs.
You've got to hand it to the American artisan builders. Their Ti and lugged steel bikes simply outclass 99% of what is available from Europe. In 1988 the Merlin Extralight must have been lightyears ahead of the competition.
This competition could indeed come from the 2007 Bianchi S9 Matta Ti C2C (Coast to Coast geometry; discontinued?) which used to be much more affordable than most new US Ti. The 2008 model has Carbon seatstays, B4P (Born For Performance) geometry and retails at almost double the price! What's that all about? I never rode Gazelle V8, Van Nicholas etc. which seem to be excellent value for money. Could be worthwhile to check these out as well.
Also managed a few hundred metres on the Ultimate of the LBS owner. Different setup than Merlin. Amazing power transfer screaming RACE!