First Look: Litespeed Ku:wa Adventure Bike
Litespeed already makes a gravel road bike called the T5 Gravel, as well as several mountain bikes. But there's apparently enough space between the two for a bike that’s a little bit of both. Litespeed was asked to make it, and the company obliged.
At its core, the new Ku:wa (pronounced koo-wah) is an adventure touring bike. More than that, it’s designed to be a blank canvas for a rider to realize his or her own interpretation of that adventure.
Litespeed’s engineer Brad DeVaney designed the Ku:wa to be burlier than a gravel bike. The Ku:wa, made of straight-wall 3/2.5 titanium tubing, has a head angle that can accommodate a suspension fork (or suspension-length rigid fork). Overall, DeVaney says, the geometry is steeper than a mountain bike, but less steep than a gravel bike; the bottom bracket sits higher than a gravel bike's, too. DeVaney expects to see Ku:was built with both drop and flat handlebars.
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As an example of the blank canvas the Ku:wa offers, DeVaney says it can be set up with 29-inch wheels with a tire width up to 1.9 inches, or 27.5-inch wheels with tires up to 2.35 inches. It’s a bit of a surprise to see quick-release rear dropouts and not a thru-axle, though the QR likely makes it easier to find a replacement hub/wheel in the back forty.
Modern frame touches include flat-mount rear brakes for the rear; a PressFit 30 bottom bracket shell; a 44mm head tube which can accommodate a tapered-steerer fork; compatibility with electronic or mechanical drivetrains; and top or side-swing front derailleur compatibility. Additionally, the Ku:wa is dropper post-ready with a 31.6mm seat-post diameter and internal dropper post routing.
The Ku:wa is welded in Litespeed’s Tennessee factory. The frame will sell for $2,400 with complete bikes priced from $5,400 to $6,000.
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