Litespeed Bicycles - Made in Tennessee
OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Litespeed Bicycles are regarded as the Ferrari or Lamborghini of cycling, and they are all made in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
When it comes to building a bicycle, there is the way all bikes are made, and then there is the Litespeed way to build them. The company is one of the premiere manufacturers of high-end bicycles and leads the way for building bikes that are lighter, stronger, and sought after around the globe by professionals and novice alike. It uses titanium in its creation because it's the highest quality, lightest weight, and most durable metal available.
And for Litespeed Bikes, the highest of quality is the only way to do business.
"It's (titanium) still the most prestigious, most expensive bikes on the market that have extreme value and durability," said Brad DeVaney, Litespeed's Lead Product Developer.
The company started building bicycles in the 80's and has since led the market in high-end manufacturing. Each bike can easily sell for thousands of dollars and have been seen on some of the world's biggest stages. From winning first place in the Tour de France to leading the pack in Ironman competitions, Litespeed bikes are known for their innovation, design, and precision quality.
DeVaney said one of the major things that sets Litespeed Bicycles apart from the rest of the pack is the fact that each bike is built by hand and not on an assembly line. The hands-on build creates a level of quality control that ensures each bike is as close to perfect as it can get.
And Tennessee has the quality personnel to build such an exemplary product.
"What's really, really unique and cool about delivering and building a Lightspeed titanium bike here in Tennessee is the skill set. And our area is perfect for building this product," DeVaney explained.
Each bike is built from raw sheets of titanium metal, then cut, trimmed, molded, and welded into shape. And because racing bikes is all about speed, each bike has to weigh a very specific amount without losing the integrity of the metal. Welders are tacking pieces of metal together that have about the same depth as chewing gum paper. Metal workers trim pieces down to within fractions of a gram of a specific weight. Every piece has to be precise, and every person has to be a highly skilled worker. It's that dedication that makes Litespeed Bicycles what they have become.
"We have developed and deliver a product that is very unique. Hand built. A group of artisans work in our workshop," DeVaney said.
And it's not just avid cyclists who have noticed the work coming out of the Ooltewah production facility. NASA noticed what the company was doing and called on them to build the legs to what is perhaps one of its largest missions;
Litespeed Bicycles is the company that built the legs to the Mars rover.
"We did deliver the major suspension components of the Mars rover, and it was quite an undertaking," DeVaney said.
So if you're in the market for a new bicycle, check out Litespeed Bicycles and look for the logo that proudly displays that it was built in the USA, and made in Tennessee.