Lynskey Ti Gravel Bikes

[cd_davis]

Hi Forum - anyone have experience with a Lynskey Ti Gravel Bike?
Own Serotta Ti Legend and trying to decide between carbon and Ti frame.
Thanks for your advice.
Chris

[biker72]

No gravel but I own a Helix Sport Disc Road Bike with 105 hydro disc. Currently running Conti 5000 700x28 tires. The 700x32 will fit with no rub but a little too tight for me. Overall a nice bike at a crazy low price.

[AngryScientist]

i've seen a few in person and they always look nice, and well made.

in my mind titanium makes for a better material than carbon for a gravel bike, but there are lots of carbon gravel bikes out there that people love. the OPEN is a clear winner that gets excellent reviews, but the price is much higher than something from lynskey.

i like that they are made in US and offer a lifetime warranty. for a bike you're going to beat up on dirt roads, they seem like an excellent value.

[commonguy001]

I’ve had an Urbano (procross/cooper cx geometry with standard road cable routing) for close to two years and really enjoy the ride, it does everything well IMO. With the steeper angles (72.8 HTA / 73.3 STA and higher BB 65.6mm drop)compared to all the new stuff coming out it’s a nice and snappy ride which is what I wanted.
Construction quality is quite good, no issues and the welds look proper.

What I love - the ride, the rack and fender mounts, ability to run either QR and 12mm axles with modular dropout, the brushed ti finish.

What I don’t love - the alloy seat tube insert was very tight and scratched a carbon post up pretty bad. Also replaced the seat post binder with a Thomson as the stock binder wasn’t good and looked extremely cheap.
Lastly I should have just got the Cooper CX version as mine doesn’t have full cable housing routing so it’s more susceptible to contamination, not a deal breaker but something I don’t love.

If I were buying a new gravel bike, I’d likely try and find a deal directly from Them on a new GR. I only paid 800 for my Urbano direct which I was really happy with.

[marciero]

I have an Lynskey Urbano that I built 650b wheels for. It fits Compass 48mm tires tubeless on i27 rims. They plump out to a little over 50mm. Frame was cheap. Has been an ideal non-bling/no nonsense gravel and camping bike. Of course the fork (a Rodeo Labs Spork) was almost what the frame cost.

[alancw3]

slowly but surely lynskey is becoming the household name for titanium bikes. why wouldn't it? the lynskey family did the same thing with litespeed all those years ago. great quality at great prices! they seem to know and understand titanium and somehow get get welders.

[marciero]

I'll also throw out Carver as a Ti option here. They are local to me, and in fact Lynskey makes some of their models.

[Lanternrouge]

I have a Lynskey road bike and would recommend one. They are not quite as pretty as some of the other Ti bikes and are notably heavier than the carbon options, but they cost way less than a Moots, Firefly, etc. and most of us carry the extra weight on our bodies anyway. Whenever I get a gravel bike, the odds are pretty decent it will be a Lynskey. They also offer more sizing options than Open, etc. and I find the geometry is better for me than a size that's close enough.

[Likes2ridefar]

i've seen a few in person and they always look nice, and well made.

in my mind titanium makes for a better material than carbon for a gravel bike, but there are lots of carbon gravel bikes out there that people love. the OPEN is a clear winner that gets excellent reviews, but the price is much higher than something from lynskey.

i like that they are made in US and offer a lifetime warranty. for a bike you're going to beat up on dirt roads, they seem like an excellent value.

I’m starting to think they’d be better too. Perhaps I’m taking my carbon Roubaix too far out of bounds, but rock strikes are wreaking havoc on my down tube. I think one big impact has cracked the carbon above the BB. Perhaps more specific designs like the Open fix that with some protection built in. I recently saw a loaded Open in the shop near me (7300 retail) and it sure was nice...

[nalax]

And yet another Urbano owner here. I have mine set up with Potenza 11 and 650b Byways. I have Switchback Hills coming tomorrow and am looking forward to those.

[m_moses]

I’ve got a buddy who rides a Cooper CX and he likes it a lot.

You might want to check out the Gravel Cyclist on YouTube for his long term review: https://youtu.be/GzrOUoY7PYo

-Mick


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[JLQ]

I have an Urbanskey that couldn't love more.

[biker72]

i've seen a few in person and they always look nice, and well made.

in my mind titanium makes for a better material than carbon for a gravel bike, but there are lots of carbon gravel bikes out there that people love. the OPEN is a clear winner that gets excellent reviews, but the price is much higher than something from lynskey.

i like that they are made in US and offer a lifetime warranty. for a bike you're going to beat up on dirt roads, they seem like an excellent value.

I have a co-worker that switched from a carbon Diverge to a titanium Seven. He was always concerned about chipping the carbon on gravel roads.

[dbnm]

Is Lynskey still dumping bikes on ebay? If so, they will never reach "top shelf" status while selling highly discounted bikes on ebay.

[berserk87]

Is Lynskey still dumping bikes on ebay? If so, they will never reach "top shelf" status while selling highly discounted bikes on ebay.

I'm not sure what that means, or if it's even relevant. I don't think that Lynskey pretends to be anything other than it is. It's not Moots, or Firefly, or No.22. That's not a bad thing at all. There is a place for them in the market.

I bought a Helix because it fit my parameters for a bike:

1. Wanted something durable (Titanium fit the bill)

2. Wanted to buy at a local shop

3. Wanted something made in the USA

4. Wanted something that fit my budget ($2k or less)

5. Wanted to go with a new frame

6. Not concerned about resale value (I ride 'em until they break)

I don't know if it's the best Ti bike on the planet. I don't care - it fit what I wanted. It's a solid, Ti frame.

I'm not concerned about how clean the welds look, or if I get a foot rub and a fancy cup of coffee with my initial build consultation. Some folks want that. Fair enough. There's a place for both in this world.

[TiminVA]

I bought a R230 frame used about 4 years ago and have been extremely pleased. I've put close to 20,000 miles on it and it's still the best frame I've owned. I've had all materials for gravel, aluminum, carbon and currently steel. If I'm ever in the market for another bike, road or gravel, Lynskey will be at the top of the list for consideration.

[Greenpea]

I hummed and hawed for ages over the GR270 and GRPro. The builds look super solid now with lots of options for all sorts of budgets. I ended up going with a different builder but still keep a pretty close eye on those sales just because of the price.

Really look at those geo charts before you pull the trigger though. Some of their size recommendations for my height would have put me on a longer top tube than I felt comfortable with without swinging a leg over.

[cd_davis]

Hi Paceliners - thanks for all your advice.
Chris

[p nut]

I hummed and hawed for ages over the GR270 and GRPro. The builds look super solid now with lots of options for all sorts of budgets. I ended up going with a different builder but still keep a pretty close eye on those sales just because of the price.

Really look at those geo charts before you pull the trigger though. Some of their size recommendations for my height would have put me on a longer top tube than I felt comfortable with without swinging a leg over.

Which frame did you end up with?

I've got to say, that GR270, which comes with a carbon fork, headset and Ti seatpost. All for $1,450. That's pretty enticing!

https://lynskeyperformance.com/2019-gr270-gravel-bike-frameset-with-seatpost/

That said, I don't know why I am not that enthused about this brand. Probably the annoying sales tactic I encountered a few years ago.

[91Bear]

Does (or did) Lynskey ever make a rim-brake gravel bike?

[nalax]

Does (or did) Lynskey ever make a rim-brake gravel bike?
The 2010 Cooper CX was rim brake. After that they went disc

[Greenpea]

Which frame did you end up with?

I've got to say, that GR270, which comes with a carbon fork, headset and Ti seatpost. All for $1,450. That's pretty enticing!

https://lynskeyperformance.com/2019-gr270-gravel-bike-frameset-with-seatpost/

That said, I don't know why I am not that enthused about this brand. Probably the annoying sales tactic I encountered a few years ago.

I ended up with a Moots but only because I stumbled upon a NOS frame and got what I felt like was a pretty good deal.

[RFC]

Does (or did) Lynskey ever make a rim-brake gravel bike?

Why yes, my Litespeed Appalachian.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48383970496_f33935b841_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gHwuKS)IMG_0049r (https://flic.kr/p/2gHwuKS) by Robert Copple (https://www.flickr.com/photos/161536771@N04/), on Flickr

[ColonelJLloyd]

Does (or did) Lynskey ever make a rim-brake gravel bike?

I've looked at their website a couple times in the last few months looking for a frame built around mid reach calipers for ~35mm tires and haven't seen it.

I think they used to have some touring models with canti studs.

[SlowPokePete]

I've had my GR260 for 13 months and have put about 8,000+ miles on it in that time.

They gave me a great deal and I have no complaints.

SPP

[cd_davis]

Hello all - thanks for all of your input. Pulled the trigger last night and ordered the GR270 complete with 2x11 Ultegra and Stan's wheels. With their finish upgrade and 15% special discount for the TDF, a great bike for the price. Delivery is expected ~8/20, so expect a report from this gravel novice.
Safe riding,
Chris

[Clean39T]

I've had my GR260 for 13 months and have put about 8,000+ miles on it in that time.



They gave me a great deal and I have no complaints.



SPPYou should be a paid brand-rep for them - or at least be getting some schwagg...

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[pbarry]

Hello all - thanks for all of your input. Pulled the trigger last night and ordered the GR270 complete with 2x11 Ultegra and Stan's wheels. With their finish upgrade and 15% special discount for the TDF, a great bike for the price. Delivery is expected ~8/20, so expect a report from this gravel novice.
Safe riding,
Chris

Nice! Great deal and well thought out. I’ve come around to their lower BB spec after thinking abt it for a few weeks. :beer:

[TBLS]

Congrats. Post a review once received. On the fence shopping for a gravel bike....

[Alaska Mike]

I'm not sure what that means, or if it's even relevant. I don't think that Lynskey pretends to be anything other than it is. It's not Moots, or Firefly, or No.22. That's not a bad thing at all. There is a place for them in the market.
A few years back Lynskey started "dumping" frames on eBay for extremely cheap, and pretty much crashed the used ti market. Why buy a used frame when you can buy a new one with a warranty for about the same price? I picked up my first ti frame back then, taking advantage of the significant drop in price on a frame that had been selling for a few hundred six months before. Lynskey dumping on eBay at the time may have been a marketing move to get more of their bikes out there (brand visibility), a way to keep employees productive during a slow time, an inventory-reduction strategy, or some other reason.

Then I bought an Urbano frameset 2 years ago, which has been languishing in a semi-built state ever since. I just haven't been able to muster the enthusiasm to complete it, mostly because I'm not really a gravel rider and I'm afraid I might want to enter another 'cross race. It's not the bike- it's me. The Urbano will never be a go-to ride for me, but may fill a niche in the quiver with its disc brakes and clearance for wider tires.

At the moment, I have three Moots in addition to the Lynskey, plus one aluminum, one steel, and four carbon bikes. The steel and aluminum get the most use simply because they're dedicated to the trainer (comes with the job and the environment), but when I'm on pavement I grab a Moots. My RSL has taken over as my crit bike, with my Compacts being my everyday rides. They just make me smile. It's a geometry/ride quality thing. Nothing I've tried has fit me (and my finicky nature) quite the same.

It's a great time to be in the market for a rim brake ti bike, and a crappy time to be selling one. I've been able to try bikes that were completely out of my financial means because of this fact, but I've had to stop myself several times because flipping the bikes (even at a decent loss) is an issue. Plus, I have bikes that I'm absolutely in love with and a stable of others that I feel guilty for not riding (but won't get rid of). N+1 is no longer a thing for me.

Lynskey? I think they make a pretty solid bike. I've tried several of their stock road offerings and either found them typical ti construction (noodle) or otherwise not completely to my liking in terms of stiffness and geometry (finicky, remember?). To be fair, I think they could put together a custom frame for me that would do the trick, but the cost would put it above what I'm willing to pay at the moment. There are few brands (non-open mold or sticker/paint marques) out there I would trash. Each has their own selling points, and it's really up to the buyer to decide what works for them.

[Hilltopperny]

Lynskey makes a fine bike at a great price point. I bought about five of them when they were blowing them out a few years ago on eBay. I ended up riding three or four of them and moving them along because my other titanium bikes cost me more $$$ and the return would have been much less.

I enjoyed all of them. The ride is as good as any other titanium bike and I have owned and ridden a lot of them.

Aesthetics are personal and I prefer the geometry and looks of my No22s, but the Lynskeys were all pretty nice in a no nonsense industrial way.

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[SlowPokePete]

You should be a paid brand-rep for them - or at least be getting some schwagg...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Would be nice...

SPP