Lynskey R230 or Lynskey Sportive - Anyone got one ?

C_Sharp
C_Sharp Posts: 20
edited May 2013 in Road buying advice
Hello,

I'm currently considering buying either a Lynskey R230 or Lynskey Sportive based bike.

If anyone has either of these models, I'd be very interested in your feedback and comments please.

Lynskey describe the R230 as a "do-all, multi-use road frame". Does this suggest that the geometry is more relaxed than their full on road bikes like the Helix ?

This would appeal as the Lynskey road bike frames seem to have quite an aggressive geometry and very stiff frame and I just wondered if that would lead to fatigue on a long day ride.

It'd be great to hear from any other owners.

Comments

  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    It really all depends on fit and how supple you are. A full on race bike will be comfortable, if the fit is correct for you. Some folk ride them almost everyday for three weeks, in May, July and September :wink:
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    Garry H wrote:
    It really all depends on fit and how supple you are. A full on race bike will be comfortable, if the fit is correct for you. Some folk ride them almost everyday for three weeks, in May, July and September :wink:

    Thanks Garry,

    I'm 42 now and reasonably fit and supple, but with a titanium bike being a "bike for life", I'm just wondering if an aggresive race geometry might be a tad uncomfortable a few years down the line.

    That's why I was interested to know if the Lynskey R230 or Sportive were slightly more relaxed than a full on road bike.
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Compare the top tube and head tube lengths for a given size. The shorter the TT/longer the Head Tube, then the more upright the position will be. It's difficult to give proper advice, because even with a proper fitting you may not be able to tell until you've spent a good few hours in the saddle.

    There's no real reason,however, why you can't maintain flexibility as long as you stretch properly :)
  • marksteven
    marksteven Posts: 208
    i bought a second hand r330 on ebay in feb its very nice to ride not harsh at all , im just over 6' & it a 58 does have a long head tube but no spacers & its fine dont think any ti bike can be called a hash ride
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    marksteven wrote:
    i bought a second hand r330 on ebay in feb its very nice to ride not harsh at all , im just over 6' & it a 58 does have a long head tube but no spacers & its fine dont think any ti bike can be called a hash ride

    Thanks Mark. How does the geometry of the R330 compare with that of the R230 ?

    Is the R330 a more relaxed geometry than the R230 ?
  • ADIHEAD
    ADIHEAD Posts: 575
    If you're worried you'll end up with the wrong 'bike for life' I really would go custom. Have you not considered an Enigma custom build for example? Otherwise get a proper bike fit from a Lynskey dealer that you trust and consider their advice first:wink:
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    edited June 2010
    ADIHEAD wrote:
    If you're worried you'll end up with the wrong 'bike for life' I really would go custom. Have you not considered an Enigma custom build for example? Otherwise get a proper bike fit from a Lynskey dealer that you trust and consider their advice first:wink:

    Thanks for that ADIHEAD, but Lynskey and Enigma dealers seem to be very few and far between - at least those that stock the full range and offer test rides.
  • Ash_
    Ash_ Posts: 385
    If money's not really an issue - you could go custom with Lynskey.

    After discussion as to what you want - satisfaction is guaranteed. If the bike doesn't fit / perform how you expected it to based on your consultation, you can send it back and they'll do it all again.

    You could also contact Lynskey direct through their website for advice.

    That said - I just bought an off-the-peg ('Houseblend') Cooper Sportive. Yes the headtube's a little higher than an equivalent sized race-orientated bike, but not as much as say a Specialized Roubaix or Secteur. A lot of the increased height comes from the steep head angle, in fact.

    I haven't finished building it up, so can't comment on the ride. Build quality is excellent, however, as you'd expect.
  • mikey_748
    mikey_748 Posts: 108
    Haven't got a Lynskey but have got the Planet X Lynskey built Ti Sportive and the ride quality is fantastic. It's built with Zipp bars and stem and Alpha Q forks and seat post which may help but over recently gravelled roads just about all vibration is removed.
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    mikey_748 wrote:
    Haven't got a Lynskey but have got the Planet X Lynskey built Ti Sportive and the ride quality is fantastic. It's built with Zipp bars and stem and Alpha Q forks and seat post which may help but over recently gravelled roads just about all vibration is removed.

    Hi mikey_748

    Thanks, I guess that must be the same as the Lynskey Cooper Sportive frame.

    http://www.hotlines-uk.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=52275

    Does that frame still offer a good level of performance in terms of acceleration and climbing etc ?
  • mikey_748
    mikey_748 Posts: 108
    Performance is fine for me - no noticable flex but then I'm not the most powerfull

    Can't comment on the climbing - I'm from Norfolk!

    Mag reviews rated it highly and difficult to beat at the price - I paid £695 in the christmas sale.....
  • jrduquemin
    jrduquemin Posts: 791
    I have a Lynskey R230 in a 54cm size. Very happy with it so far too :-)
    2010 Lynskey R230
    2013 Yeti SB66
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    jrduquemin wrote:
    I have a Lynskey R230 in a 54cm size. Very happy with it so far too :-)

    Thanks Julian. I think it's probably the R230 that I'm after.

    Trouble is, I can only find ChainReaction (Northern Ireland) and Hotlines (Edinburgh) who stock Lynskeys.

    Can anyone recommend a Lynskey dealer in England ? Surely there must be others.
  • ScottieP
    ScottieP Posts: 599
    There are a number of dealers (9) for Lynskey listed on the Hotlines website including Cycles Dauphine in Surrey and Bigfoot Bikes in London (Bromley) - hope that helps.
    My cycling blog: http://girodilento.com/
  • Andy140
    Andy140 Posts: 130
    I have a Lynskey level one, had it for 3 years now - not sure of the current model. I can say however what a fantasic bike it is, really smooth and comfortable on all roads surfaces. Completed many 50 - 70 milers and two 100 miles rides.

    Great bike and great survice from Lynskey.

    As for dealer - try Bikelab in Poole, Dorset
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    Thanks both, I'll have to check out those Lynskey dealers.
  • Bamford
    Bamford Posts: 65
    You might be interested in these two blogs.

    http://callmepokey.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

    http://www.stefan.com/stefan.com/Cyclin ... anded.html
  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    I really think that if you are looking at a 'bike for life' you should get properly fitted!
    I would do this even if it meant travelling a long way. No-one on here can advise you on which frame to buy, as they haven't got your measurements and haven't sized you up on a jig.
    http://lakescyclist.wordpress.com/
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    Nickwill wrote:
    I really think that if you are looking at a 'bike for life' you should get properly fitted!
    I would do this even if it meant travelling a long way. No-one on here can advise you on which frame to buy, as they haven't got your measurements and haven't sized you up on a jig.

    Thanks Nick,

    I've managed to find a dealer who can offer me a test ride on a Helix, but I suspect this will feel quite different from a R230 unfortunately.
  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    C_Sharp wrote:
    Nickwill wrote:
    I really think that if you are looking at a 'bike for life' you should get properly fitted!
    I would do this even if it meant travelling a long way. No-one on here can advise you on which frame to buy, as they haven't got your measurements and haven't sized you up on a jig.

    Thanks Nick,

    I've managed to find a dealer who can offer me a test ride on a Helix, but I suspect this will feel quite different from a R230 unfortunately.

    If he is able to have a fitting session with you, he ought to be able to advise and set you up properly on one of the other bikes in the range. He should be able to advise which model would best suit you.
    http://lakescyclist.wordpress.com/
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    Thanks Nick,

    Unfortunately, as seems to be the general case, the dealer can only obtain a Helix for a test ride, irrespective of the model in which I am interested.

    Also, they haven't sold Lynskey bikes before, so I'm not sure how knowledgable they are about the different models.

    I'm assuming that the R230 model is the one that I'm after, from reading the Lynskey website, as I don't want a full on race bike, but then I don't want one that is too laid back and sluggish.

    The other one I considered is the Cooper Sportive (completely out of stock with long waiting lists) or the Cooper CX, but that is more of a cross bike that can take 32C tyres, so I can't imagine that being very sporty.

    Thanks again for your help so far though.
  • ScottieP
    ScottieP Posts: 599
    Yes - much stiffer I'm sure - good if you're a sprinter - there is a good thread on the Helix on Weightweenies from a guy who also has an R330 I think - who seemed to be saying he'd made a mistake going for the Helix. I can probably dig it out for you this evening if you can't find it.
    My cycling blog: http://girodilento.com/
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    ScottieP wrote:
    Yes - much stiffer I'm sure - good if you're a sprinter - there is a good thread on the Helix on Weightweenies from a guy who also has an R330 I think - who seemed to be saying he'd made a mistake going for the Helix. I can probably dig it out for you this evening if you can't find it.

    Thanks Scottie.
  • ScottieP
    ScottieP Posts: 599
    In case you didn't find it the link I mentioned is: http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=67543&start=45 -the review part is on the last page of the thread (which I've tried to link to).

    If you do get your test ride - please let us know what you think.

    Cheers
    ScottieP
    My cycling blog: http://girodilento.com/
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    Thanks Scottie, I'll have a read of that thread.

    My local Lynskey dealer hasn't got back to me yet.
  • jrduquemin
    jrduquemin Posts: 791
    Andy140 wrote:
    I have a Lynskey level one, had it for 3 years now - not sure of the current model. I can say however what a fantasic bike it is, really smooth and comfortable on all roads surfaces. Completed many 50 - 70 milers and two 100 miles rides.

    Great bike and great survice from Lynskey.

    As for dealer - try Bikelab in Poole, Dorset

    I purchased my Lynskey from BikeLab too. Spoke to Martin at first but ended up dealing with Clive Gosling for the most part. Both were very helpful and will explain a few things about Ti to ensure you're getting a bike you want. Have ridden 2 sportives on it, both in excess of 100 miles with no problems with setup as well. Overall, very impressed with the ride quality but am now wondering if i'll ever need to buy another bike :-D
    2010 Lynskey R230
    2013 Yeti SB66
  • C_Sharp
    C_Sharp Posts: 20
    Thanks Julian,

    A guy called Stefan who bought a Lynskey R230 has uploaded several videos to YouTube, within which he recounts his experiences of riding his new bike.

    Within the following video (round about 4:40) he mentions that the Lynskey R230 has turned out to be far stiffer than he ever imagined that it ever would be and he almost seemed concerned that he'd bought the wrong bike.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw3Jyq38 ... re=related

    He the goes on to say that the top tube of his Lynskey is 1cm (think he's got a 54cm) shorter than the top tube on his old bike. He basically swaps his stem for one that is 1cm longer, presumably to compensate for the shorter top tube and as a consequence, he ends up with a far more compliant ride.

    He must have a Medium sized frame (54.1cm top tube), whereas, I think I need an XL (59cm top tube), so will that mean that my XL sized Lynskey R230 will be less stiff and more compliant than his Medium Lynskey R230 ?

    Also, could you please tell me if the Lynskey R230 will comfortably take a 25C tyre with plenty of clearance ?

    I'd be grateful for anyon'es comments on this one.
  • romeocuerpo
    romeocuerpo Posts: 1
    I have a R340...and installed a Michelin 700x25C Pro4 Endurance and I have barely enough clearance. I could suggest you have Lynskey crimp the chainstay to give you that added clearance for a 25C

Categories