Chattanooga, TN (July 10, 2019) – Litespeed (LS) high-performance titanium road, gravel and mountain bikes manufactured by Tennessee-based American Bicycle Group (ABG) has been invited to the White House Monday, July 15 for the 3rd Annual "Made in America" Showcase. The Showcase is hosted by President Donald Trump to highlight each state's effort and commitment to American-made goods. Invited companies – one from each state – will display their products and, as he has done in the previous Showcases, it is anticipated the president will review the products and meet with company representatives.
For a product to qualify for the Showcase and be called "Made in the USA," the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the United States, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). "All or virtually all" means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin.
"It's an honor to be selected to the Showcase because it's only one company per state," said ABG president and CEO Peter Hurley. "We feel that Litespeed is worthy of the invitation because it started a revolution in handmade titanium frames that vastly improved performance for serious cyclists. We are proud of our product and we're proud that it's Made in the USA."
ABG launched production of its Litespeed titanium bike line in Chattanooga 33 years ago and has continued to enhance and expand its line of award-winning road, gravel and mountain bikes. In 2016, ABG's growth prompted a move to a larger production facility to manage future expansion of its Litespeed, and Quintana Roo brands, and the introduction of a third brand, Ocoee Bikes. The 48,000 square foot facility houses operations for manufacturing, assembly, painting and corporate offices.
The company's leadership in the use of titanium in bike design was acknowledged in 2009 when NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory asked Litespeed to collaborate on the design and manufacture of the landing leg system for the Mars land rover 'Curiosity.' After an eight-month journey, Curiosity made a successful Mars landing in August 2012 and completed its mission of searching for evidence that the Red Planet might once have hosted life.
Litespeed bikes have been recognized by industry publications beginning two years after the brand was established with Bicycle Guide's "Best of Cycling" Award. It went on to earn the coveted Eurobike design award (Archon Ti); be the editor's pick in the Velo News Buyer's Guide; and was inducted into Bicycling Magazine's "Gear Hall of Fame" (for stellar design past and present).
Olympic, IRONMAN, and Tour de France competitors have been aboard a Litespeed bike for podium wins including: triathletes Tim DeBoom, Cameron Brown, and Simon Whitfield; cyclists Greg Lemond, Lance Armstrong, Robbie McEwen, Jeannie Longo and Vanessa Fernandez; and Olympic mountain biker Geoff Kabush. Litespeed also has sponsored teams including Team Maxxis, Lotto-Addecc and Astellas, to name a few, and Bob Roll competed on a Litespeed mountain bike on Team 7-Eleven.
About American Bicycle Group
Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, American Bicycle Group (ABG) manufactures leading-edge, high performance bikes and wetsuits under the Quintana Roo (QR) brand; Ocoee carbon all-road, gravel and mountain bikes; and the Litespeed brand, titanium road, and mountain bikes. QR was launched in 1987 to build the first triathlon-specific bike. In 2017, ABG invested in an expanded manufacturing facility with a paint and assembly line for its QR and Litespeed bikes, allowing athletes to custom build a bike. Demand was high and the line was expanded in 2018. In 2019, ABG launched its Ocoee brand bikes and QR entered into a partnership with HED Cycling to add the Vanquish 6 GP wheelset to its PR disc tri bike lines. Athletes can order bikes from their local dealer or order online direct, customizing his/her bike to precisely fit the look, feel and performance desired. All bikes shipped in the continental United States are sent fully assembled, directly to the buyer's door in the QR ProBox. quintanarootri.com/, ocoeebikes.com/ and litespeed.com
