Litespeed Ultimate G2 Gravel Bike Frame

Titanium's Gravel Riding Marvel: The Litespeed Ultimate G2

Titanium is a wonder material for cycling – light, responsive, customizable – but perhaps it proves to be the most perfect material for gravel riding. Its ability to absorb rough road chatter is what helps make the Litespeed Ultimate G2 such a joy to ride.

The Ultimate G2 is an update on the Litespeed Ultimate Gravel with tweaks that make the G2 more capable over rougher descents. The easiest change to point to is the expansion of tire clearance. The Ultimate Gravel can cope with the already wide 45mm tires, but the G2 takes it up another notch by accommodating up to 48mm tires. Getting that extra bit of rubber width ratchets up just where you can take a bike like this.

Though Litespeed has increased the gravel versatility, the Ultimate G2 does not lose the nippiness needed to make paved roads fun. In fact, the design changes have enhanced the bikes lateral stiffness to make sure out of the saddle efforts are as efficient as possible. The obvious feature that sets the G2 apart from the Ultimate Gravel is the Interlock Dropped Seatstays. By dropping and widening the seatstays, and extending them past the seat tube to the top tube, the Ultimate G2 has two independent stiffness-enhancing weld points. This design is also what allowed them to increase the tire clearance. It’s a win-win situation for bigtime gravel lovers.

Litespeed bikes are famous for their expert use of titanium, and the Ultimate G2 enjoys a similar level of skillful work. The cold-worked 3AL/2.5V titanium tubes are precisely shaped and formed to provide size-specific performance. The tubes are pulled to provide the type of ride quality that has made titanium such an exceptional material for gravel riding, without losing the rigidity that going fast on the road requires. The Litespeed folks have also tweaked the G2 geometry to aid the bike’s stability at speed on rough descents. The elongated front-center and shortened stem provides quicker feedback on technical terrain and full-throttle stability when powering the flats or descending at speed.

Tailor the Ultimate G2 to Your Desires

One of the greatest attractions about Litespeed bikes is that they have an almost infinite number of customization options. Though there are six stock size options, you can also get custom sizing and geometry. You can also choose TiDize color anodization upgrades, Ceramic Color Coating cosmetic upgrades, attachment bosses upgrades in addition to the three standard bottle bosses on the downtube, seat tube and downtube underside. Even the bottom bracket, which comes with a PF30 standard, a T47 threaded bottom bracket upgrade is available. Obviously all these upgrades will cost you a little extra, but it’ll be a small price to pay to get the bike exactly as you want it.

The Litespeed Ultimate G2 gravel bike has been designed to be a fast, capable multi-surface dropbar bike. Take it on gravel, take it on the road, take it racing. You’ll love it all surfaces, all day.

Also check Colnago gravel bikes.