I was first intrigued by the Litespeed Cohutta during our coverage of Interbike last year. The finish and welds on the bike are beautiful and the geometry and tube shapes are definitely eye catching. Even better, they make a 29er that comes in a size small.

Digging a bit deeper, I found out that the Cohutta (named after an endurance MTB race in the wilderness area of the same name in Tennessee - home state of Litespeed) features 29er specific Ti tubing. According to Litespeed, it is the industry's first-ever 29er specific Ti tubing.

Beyond the 3/2.5 titanium tubes, the Cohutta features what Litespeed calls their "4nine technology" to allow riders to tune the bike to their likes dependent upon their fork selection and headset choice. This particular test model came with the Cane Creek AngleSet for even more customization for each rider. The frame also has a BB30 bottom bracket and a super duty 49mm head tube (for use with tapered steer forks). The bend in the down tube is to provide clearance for the adjuster knobs on forks.



The Litespeed Cohutta is handcrafted in their US headquarters in Chattanooga, TN. Litespeed has been making bicycles right here in the US for 26 years and specializes in titanium and carbon road and mountain bikes and they have even used their expertise in titanium with NASA projects.



The Test Sled Spec:



I received the Cohutta from Litespeed with the top of the line spec. Highlights include:

-Reynolds XC 29er Carbon Tubeless wheels
-Fox 32 Float 29 Fork with Kashima Coat and FIT
-Full SRAM XO 2x10 drivetrain (derailleurs, carbon cranks, shifters)
-Cane Creek angleset
-SRAM XO Brakes
-Truvativ stem and carbon seatpost and bar

Litespeed left nothing to chance and the SRAM XO drivetrain and brakes worked flawlessly though out my entire extended testing period. The Cohutta could easily have handled a longer travel fork up front and if you are the kind of rider who rides their hardtails through some pretty gnarly chunk, a fork with 120mm of travel up front is highly recommended.



The other highlight of the parts spec are the Reynolds XC 29er carbon tubeless wheels. These wheels work well with the Ti frame, allowing the wheels to soak up the initial hard hits with the kind of damping that carbon is known for. This allows the taut Ti frame to really feel nimble and lively without being prone to deflection.

Bike weight without pedals for the size small I tested is 22.90 lbs (this also includes tires that were not the lightest). I added Crank Brothers Candy 2 pedals, Lezyne alloy bottle cage and carbon pump.

The Frame:

Besides the intricate welds, the dropouts are also very pleasing to look at. Those dropouts also provide a certain degree of comfort to the ride. There is plenty of tire clearance in back, as visible from the photos. We ran 2.10 tires front and rear with ample room.



The fit for me on the size small is very good. Now, for anyone who is 5'5" riding on a 29er, there are certain concessions that have to be made on almost any frame. Short people will not get the same kind of cockpit setup that a taller rider would. You won't get the same saddle to handlebar height difference and this does effect handling and ride quality. But this is a side effect of short people and 29ers, not the Litespeed Cohutta specifically. There is no toe overlap on this bike and there is still stand-over clearance (albeit, not ample but more than most other small sized 29er hardtails (except custom) that I have tried). Even on the size small frame, I was able to get the normal size water bottles in and out with only a slight angle needed but larger (bigger than 21 oz) bottles will definitely not fit in the small frame.



Litespeed's 4nine technology

The Litespeed Cohutta is all about options. With the 4nine technology, the rider has all kinds of options when building up his rig. The geometry of the frame provides a wide range of fork choices. You can use a straight 1.125" or a 1.125 x 1.5" tapered steerer fork if you want. The frame is optimized to handle forks from 80-100-120mm of travel. The over sized head tube means the frame is compatible with a variety of internal and external cup headsets. Below is a table from the Litespeed website to show the options that are available to a Cohutta rider.



The Ride:

With it's oversized tubing, the Litespeed Cohutta provides a stiff, efficient ride and yet for all it's stiffness it is suprisingly comfortable for long hauls and endurance races. The aforementioned carbon wheels help with this as does the formation of the rear dropouts.



The Cohutta is an amazing climber! The benefits of 29ers on climbs is well proven and this bike loves to climb, even if you don't. The short chain stays and stiff tubing provide direct power transfer. At the same time, the Cohutta descends with confidence and ease as the carbon wheels and titanium frame work together to provide a straight tracking fun handler. No dropper post needed.



The ride is well balanced and fun. The ride of Ti bike has similar traits to both carbon and steel but it is uniquely different. Titanium provides more damping than steel, but with a livelier feel than carbon. It is nimble like steel but tracks straight and true. The Cohutta from Litespeed is not cheap, coming in at $2600 for the frame alone. However, part of the allure of the Cohutta is threefold: looks, ride, American made. The ideal Cohutta buyer is someone who appreciates a bike for it's beauty and simplicity and the feel of quality titanium. They want something different from what everyone else is riding and is confident enough to spend the premium to say "Handcrafted in the USA".



Conclusion:

Although the Litespeed Cohutta was named after an endurance XC race, you don't have to ride 100 miles a day to enjoy and appreciate the craftsmanship and quality that this 29er tuned Ti ride will provide you, for years to come.

Overall Rating 5/5 Flamin' Chili Peppers
5 Flamin' Chili Peppers

"An all day race bike even for the non-racer. A super climber and more effective on the downhills then you would expect from a hardtail with a short travel fork."

Value Rating 3.5/5 Flamin' Chili Peppers
3point5 Flamin' Chili Peppers

"Quality doesn't come cheap when Ti is involved. Even more so if it is US made."

For more info: litespeed.com