Strengths: Smooth as silk. Flawless welds. Still very fast and can climb with the best.Great customer service. Very stable bike and looks awesome in mill finish.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Talking with Steve at Bicycledoctor and dealing with him before, I went in search of a titanium bike after I sold my Litespeed vortex and missed it so much. I have bought many things off Steve and knew that he knew his stuff. He recommended the Lynskey 230 if I was wanting something that rode smooth and still fast. I have a cervelo R 5 for racing and the steep hills and wanted something for the long training rides that would be smooth and yet still be plenty fast. So I bought the Lynskey 230 stock frame w/o riding it since the measurements came really close to my cervelo and madone. I must say this was the least expensive frame I have ever bought, but the wisest choice ever. I put Zipp 404 clinchers on it ( yeah I know- why not tubies) because I have the 303 tubies and I wanted the aero and not worry about flats on my long training rides by myself. The ride is buttery smooth and I am a stickler when it comes to comfort. I contemplated the Cervelo S 5 until I rode one and decided what good is fast if when your done riding it , you feel like you just went 9 rounds with George Foreman. The cervelo R 5 is definitely snappier than the Lynskey but not anywhere near as smooth. I had one problem with the shimano cassette being defective and as usual, one call to Steve at bicycledoctor and he had a 3 way call to Shimano immediately and had one sent to me within minutes. Customer service is what it's all about and bicycledoctor has mastered it. This bike rides better than ANYTHING I have ever ridden and I have had some very expensive bikes. I was going to go custom Seven but this geometry fit me as good as any custom and was alot less expensive. The welds are flawless and the people at Lynskey bend over backwards to help with any questions. If your looking for all day comfort and yet still have something that will cruise and climb with the best out there - look no farther.
Similar Products Used: Cervelo R 5, Cervelo S 5, Colnago C-50, Every Trek Madone made, Litespeed Vortex, Bianchi steel,
Bike Setup: Lynskey 230 stock frame in small (I normally ride a 51 cervelo and a 52 Trek, 3T ergosum shallow drop bars with 3T stem, Chris King headset, 3t Dorico carbon seat post with a carbon rail Terry fly saddle, Zipp 404 clincher wheels with Michelin Pro- race 3's, Dura- Ace 7950 compact with a 12-27 cassette and an engine that probably doesn't so this bike justice
Strengths: Ti is a fabulous bike material
Lynskey does a great job
The home office staff is top notch - friendly, informative, and helpful
Great website - easy to get info and understand
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
Have been riding bikes since I was a kid and love anything with two wheels. Was riding an AL tri bike (Giant) and a classic steel Peugeot bought in Germany in 1990.
Was about to have to repaint and get an updated gruppo on the Peugeot so started looking at bikes. Liked AL and steel but was really drawn to Ti. It looks great - seems to be bomb proof - and pretty light. Was not into carbon since I do not baby my bikes and was worried about cracks and dings.
Rode a Lynskey and fell in love with the geometry, ride, and the fact that it is made in the US.
Strengths: Feels very reponsive. Nice stiff frame, No flexing around the Bottom Bracket during out of the saddle climbs. well finished off frame.
Weaknesses: no weakness'es come to mind regarding the physical build quality and performance. Only minor - Lynskey decals do not seem durable as are peeling off frame (minor complaint). Maybe wished i'd had the decals etched instead.
Bottom Line:
I have had my R230 for 3 months now in the United Kingdom and what can i say? WHAT A GREAT BIKE!
Discounting it light weight, it is fast and comfortable absorbing the road just right. Stops on a shoe string with no shuddering.
Bike Setup: Sram Force Gruppo, Mavic Kysrium SL wheels with Michlin pro 3 race tyres. Selle Italia sl Saddle, FSA Seat post stem and handlebar. Easton EC90 curved fork. LOOK KEO carbon/ti pedals.
Strengths: 1) Ride quality
2) Aesthetics
3) Titanium is forever!
4) Reasonable light wt
5) Love the compact gearing and SRAM drivetrain
Weaknesses: The ritchey seat post squeaks and creaks alot. Will be replaced soon. The Easton forks isn't that stiff so, the front wheel vibrates under heavy front braking. The headtube badge is beginning to show signs of wear. Probably not a good idea to mix bronze and paint for the headtube badge with a titanium ride.
Bottom Line:
2010 Lynskey R230 - the Ghost. I have had the bike for about a year and still wonder why I didn't get one sooner. The ride is unbelievable. Very smooth and quiet! Honestly, I often do not notice pavement irregularities that make my buddies uncomfortable. I often had significant back pain with the Kestrel but, almost none with this bike. This bike is probably great for a recreational rider/occ racer type who wants a quick ride that handles well but, is still comfortable for the long haul. Not recommended for sprinters/crit racer types.
Similar Products Used: Several Kestrels (Talon, 200SC), Peugot, Schwinn
Bike Setup: R230 with flames, Easton EC90 SLX fork, Fulcrum 7 wheels, Cane Creek Headset, Force/Rival group mix, Vittoria Open Corsa tires, FSA stem/bars, Ritchey seat post, Selle Italia saddle
Strengths: In addition to what I mentioned already:
1. Compact geometry -- the frame feels like it disappears beneath you in a turn. I also like Lynskey's use of tall head tubes (145mm on size M). The front end feels really buttoned-down and sturdy, and I don't like headset spacers.
2. Little details, like excellent bottle cage boss locations, perfect weld seams, protected rear dropouts, and the shamrock on top of the rear brake bridge.
3. I really like the Alpha-Q design, using a bonded alloy insert and a standard star-nut in the steerer, versus a compression plug. It may be a few grams heavier, but the interface with the stem feels stronger, stiffer, and more positive.
4. Made in USA. Nuff said.
5. Lifetime warranty. This bike is bombproof.
6. The aesthetic is "all business" -- all function, no fat, no nonsense, no flash, no paint to chip. The understated appearance of the bare metal says, "Warrior." The radiused seat stays, contributing to the tight rear triangle and all-day comfort, also add a fluid, elegant character to bike's profile. The brushed finish is classy without being overdone or pretentious, and it looks cool even when grimy. I use WD-40 to clean it.
Weaknesses: A couple very minor issues:
1. Not a big fan of the barrel adjusters on the head tube. If I were using standard housing, the bends from bars to stops might be a little tight. Also, the adjusters need spring tensioners -- the front derailleur adjuster tends to loosen the cable when not in the big ring.
2. I'm also seeing some premature corrosion on the head badge. The badge took one too many bug strikes, methinks.
Bottom Line:
Lynskey R230 -- "Glamdring, the Foe Hammer"
I purchased a clearance-priced 2009 R230 direct from Lynskey in November 2009, along with a GS-10 fork (Frame, size M, brushed finish; & Alpha-Q GS-10 Fork, 44mm rake; $70 shipping). Jack Kopeski guided me through the process. He demonstrated a superb level of personal attention, courtesy, and professionalism seldom seen nowadays -- I cannot recommend him more highly. The GS-10 fork, BTW, was a no-charge upgrade (~$90 value over the standard CS-10) as a gesture of military appreciation -- these guys are a class act!
Over the past 25 years, I've owned & ridden all types and manner of frames & materials, and I've always gravitated back to visceral feel of steel and titanium. This is the first butted Ti frame I've owned, and it proves A.C.Clarke correct -- magic can be had from technology.
So far, in eleven months, I've logged over 6500 miles on the Hammer. This bike climbs, descends, handles, accelerates, and flies like a forged, finely-crafted, precise, lethal weapon. This amazing bicycle handled the climb up America's Mountain (Inaugural Pikes Peak Highway Climb, 29 Aug 10) with finesses and aplomb -- all the way up to 14110 feet. You really get a sense for the magical qualities of Lynskey's titanium artwork on an epic ride like that, straight up a mountain. Spring 2011 will see me returning to the racing scene for the first time in several years, and this is the only bike I'll use -- it's definitely a "do everything" bike.
Excepting perhaps some of the most expensive crabon fribé frames with special inserts and exotic lay-up schedules, you will NOT find a more comfortable road racing frame that you can ride all day, fly up mountains, and dive-bomb corners with abandon.
Subject to the possibility of some future calamity, this will likely be the last road frame I'll ever purchase... It will still be rolling along, going strong, long after I'm gone.
Favorite Ride: USAF Academy Loop; Rockrimmon-Woodmen Loop; Pikes Peak Highway
Price Paid:
$1750.00
Purchased At: Lynskey Performance
Similar Products Used: 1986 Raleigh Gran Course
1988 Klein Quantum Race
1995 Excel Sports Macalu Pro Ti Road (Litespeed Catalyst)
2001 Spicer Road Al
2006 Flyte SRS-1 Carbon Road
2009 Soma Smoothie Road
Bike Setup: I built the Foe Hammer in February 2010 with SRAM Red, IRD B2 Bars, Fizik Antares saddle (most comfortable lightweight saddle EVER), USE Alien post, Ritchey stem & pedals, Nokon cables & housing, and some wheels I built up with DA hubs, CXP-33 rims, and 28/28 DT Ti-MMC spokes. Complete bike weighs 16 pounds.
The quality and precision of the frame were obvious, and the build up was fun and hassle-free, notwithstanding the additional step of bonding the alloy insert into the steerer of the fork. And, BTW, for anyone who's had trouble with Nokon cables & housing, I have only one thing to say: installation fail. I have over 20,000 miles of trouble-free operation on Nokon cables/housing on several road and a couple mountain bikes.
