First and foremost, I'm tall and heavy. Not the ideal conditions for finding a lightweight enduro bike in size XL. They are practically non-existent. So I have to put one together myself. My favourite candidate: the Liteville 301 with 160 millimetres of suspension travel. No frills, no forbidden lightweight components, no problems. That was the plan.
In practice, the giant black steed cut a predominantly relaxed figure. Thanks to the fat tyres and the light, affordable and stable wheels, both long climbs and tricky descents were no problem. With a rider weight of 100 kilos, the Liteville chased over rooty Isar trails and the usual Lake Garda bumps. The riding position and riding dynamics are superb, even the manoeuvrability is excellent with frame size XL. However, the components started to cause problems after kilometre 580. It started with a seized brake piston on Shimano's SLX. When this defect occurred for the second time - on a 1800 metre altitude loop without the right tools, of course - the SLX had to make way for an Avid Elixir CR, which lasted until the end. As with an old car, there were many annoying little things to deal with: loose shock mount, loose crank bolts, spokes creaking with every turn of the crank (thanks to the white paint!), and the fork crown crunching. Good that at least the base fits!
Conclusion: The Liteville with 160 millimetres of travel is the absolute all-in-one bike, whether for touring or technical descents. Unfortunately, the components couldn't keep up.
Function ******
Durability ***
(max. 6 stars)
DEFECTS / MODIFICATIONS:
1st Shimano Slx brake fixed - 580 km: Piston made smooth
2. brake piston seized up again - 1026 km: Brake replaced after another defect
3. brake pads worn - 1170 km: Front and rear pads replaced
4th chainring on Race Face carbon crank loose - 1890 km: Chainring bolts tightened
5. creaking noises (fork crown, derailleur, spokes) - 2400 km: Creaking parts oiled or greased
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