Wheels mfg Blog

Some bikes are built to check boxes. This one was built to turn heads in Emporia. For Unbound Gravel 2026, Wheels Manufacturing teamed up with Litespeed Bicycles to create a titanium gravel bike that blends modern gravel performance with a clean, stripped-down aesthetic built around speed, simplicity, and premium craftsmanship. At the center of the project is the new Litespeed Toscano, a handcrafted titanium gravel platform designed for riders who want the responsiveness of a race bike with the capability to disappear down endless dirt roads. Lightweight titanium tubing, aggressive gravel geometry, and massive tire clearance make it the perfect foundation for a modern gravel build. But this one goes deeper than frame material. The build showcases Litespeed's new Cerakote finish options, bringing an entirely different visual language to titanium. Instead of covering the frame with thick paint, Cerakote adds an ultra-thin ceramic coating that delivers durability, corrosion resistance, and a distinctive finish that feels more industrial and performance-driven than traditional paint. For this collaboration, raw titanium surfaces meet custom Cerakote detailing and a full collection of anodized blue Wheels Manufacturing components. The contrast between the brushed titanium, muted coated surfaces, and bright anodized parts creates a bike that feels equal parts race machine and showpiece. Built With Purpose This build features our soon-to-be-released gravel chainring, designed specifically for the demands of modern gravel riding. Strong, lightweight, and engineered for rough terrain, the chainring pairs with our SOLO-XD single speed conversion system to create a drivetrain setup that is quiet, dependable, and refreshingly simple. Additional Wheels Manufacturing components featured on the build include: SOLO-XD Single Speed Conversion Kit New Gravel Chainring DROPOUT-666 Single Speed UDH Outboard T47 Bottom Bracket Seatpost Collar Headset Spacers and Top Cap Water Bottle Cage Bolts All finished in anodized blue. The final result is a gravel bike that feels intentional from every angle. No unnecessary clutter. No wasted details. Just titanium, precision components, and a build designed to stand out in a sea of carbon bikes and sponsor logos. This project is also a celebration of American manufacturing and rider-driven product design. Litespeed has spent decades building titanium bikes in the USA, while Wheels Manufacturing continues to develop precision components and tools in Colorado for riders who care about how their bikes ride, look, and hold up over time. If you're heading to Unbound Gravel, stop by the Wheels Manufacturing booth at the All Things Gravel Expo and check this one out in person. Trust us. Photos won't fully prepare you for this bike.

The Bike That Almost Wasn’t! Our Colorado Copper Sanitas Finally Made It Home We had big plans for the Philly Bike Expo this year. Front and center in our booth was supposed to be a one-of-a-kind Sanitas Cycles titanium Pistil Soft-Tail fully decked out in our Colorado Copper anodized components. A clean, bold build that showed off the best of what we make, all in our signature colorway. Then… it disappeared. Somewhere between Colorado and Pennsylvania, it vanished. Lost in transit. Despite days of searching, tracking updates, and a few panicked phone calls, the bike didn’t make it to Philly. We were bummed. So was the Sanitas crew. This build deserved a spotlight. But here’s the happy ending: the bike finally made its way back to Sanitas HQ, safe and sound. And now, we finally get to show it off. This is the Colorado Copper Sanitas build that almost wasn’t. A clean titanium frame brought to life with our anodized components: SOLO-XD Single Speed Kit – simple, fast, and coppered out T47 Bottom Bracket – built for longevity and smooth power transfer Headset Spacers + Top Cap – the little details that tie the whole build together Wheels MFG Thru Axles – because solid connection matters Seatpost Clamp – clean, secure, and color-matched A huge thanks to Sanitas Cycles for the build and for rolling with the punches when the bike went MIA. It didn’t hit the Philly show floor, but it’s too good not to share.