To convert a frame design into reality there is no way around a special tube set. The standard tube sets on the market force the hand of the designer and so the design will be a compromise.
That's why all tubes for our Liteville frames are custom-made. Every single tube has been designed for the position it is used in and butted several times (5 times for the top tube). Seat and chain tubes even have different wall thinkness left and right to be correct for chain torque and brake forces. All those actions guarantee a frame stiff and light at the same time - with the strength to take what you can dish out..
all tubes of the Liteville are seamlessly drawn from 7005 aluminum.
All frame parts like bottom bracket, rocker arms or drop-outs are being manufactured on state-of-the-art machines.
Only welders with long experience working with aluminum are working for Liteville. A custom welding filler is being used.
Trueing
Already after tack-welding the frames are being checked for the first time and trued if needed. During the welding process it is being repeated up to 10 times. That is the only way to reach our standards in regards to accuracy.
... it is a very important step, responsible in part for durability and stiffness of the frame. Test protocols ensure adherence to our specs.
Used in a Liteville frame are only high-quality, double-sealed stainless ball bearings. All bearings are specific to their position. Those bearings are more expensive but they guarantee long durability and stiffness without additional maintenance.
To fasten the bearings we only use heavy-duty, fine-pitch hollow bolts. The main pivot is designed to not exert bending force onto the bolts. Into the inner rings of the main bearings aluminum inserts are being pressed, sitting themselves in recesses in the bottom bracket. This guarantees the holding bolts only being exposed to tensile forces.
Before anodizing, the surface is being shot-peened to harden the surface. This improves hardness compared to glas-peening.
... are being lasered into the anodized surface. The laser burns up the color pigments to show the natural color of the aluminum.