Litespeed Pinhoti III Mountain Frame

Discovering the Litespeed Pinhoti III - A Titanium Trail Bike

If you grew up on the West Coast or in the Rockies, you may never have considered taking your mountain bike east. The people at Litespeed would definitely convince you that you are missing out. The Litespeed Pinhoti III is a hardtail titanium trail bike that takes its name from the revered Pinhoti Trail outside of Chattanooga, not coincidentally very near the Litespeed headquarters in Tennessee. With technical ridgeline singletrack galore, this is a mountain biker’s paradise, and the Litespeed Pinhoti III is the perfect bike to tackle it.

For anyone already familiar with Litespeed’s trail bikes, the Pinhoti will be a recognized name. This is the third iteration that has received some significant though perhaps not immediately obvious updates to make best use of technology and match the modern style of trail riding. When we’re talking modern riding, the first thing that always gets tweaked is the geometry. They have slackened the head tube angle and lengthened the reach, which is what you’d expect from a modern geometry. But they have also increased the stiffness of the head tube and shortened the chainstays to enhance the nimbleness of the handling. And it has been designed to accommodate between 120mm and 140mm front travel, which is that gorgeous sweetspot for trail riders who want to keep traction and control without sacrificing agility and speed.

The titanium tube set is made from 3AL/2.5V tubing that allows for a cold-worked shaping to produce tuned compliance and performance. It’s why Ti as a material in general works so well for a hardtail trail bike. The rear end can flex to absorb vibrations much better than a conventional carbon hardtail. Adding a curve to the down tube and the seat tube has also increased the level of ride comfort over many hours in the saddle. Then things like the oversized 3AL/2.5V downtube working with the PF30 bottom bracket will ensure the frame provides the type of stiffness and rigidity you need to power up some steep scree fields.

Tailoring the Pinhoti III to Your Needs

The Pinhoti III is available in 29 inch and 27.5 inch configurations, and has been given an asymmetric drivetrain side dropped chainstay in order to offer as much room for the wheels and front crank choices as possible. It means that the 29 inch wheels can fit up to a 2.6 inch tire while the 27.5 wheels can go up to 3 inch tires for serious chudder-eating fun. The frame comes in five sizes from XS to XL. Be aware that the size XS is not available with 29 inch wheels, only 27.5. Custom geometry is also available for special order.

Aside from the general burly abilities that you’d pretty much expect from most any trail bike, the Litespeed Pinhoti III has a wide range of elegant and sophisticated design aspects. The beautiful titanium comes either with a standard decal, a bright brushed etched finish, or a new two-tone polish, exposing the real motivation for most of us to reach for Ti. But there are other exquisite reasons to stump up for this bike. From the dropper post cable integration port to the CNC-machined titanium chainstay yoke, there are a lot of charming details that make the Pinhoti III a bike worthy of a lifetime of love.

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