2014 cohutta - wiggle ltdnamed for a dirty and demanding 100-mile mountain bike race in copperhill,...
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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