Eger2ride

Hi - I've been away from Road riding for about 12 years but have been mountain biking - even a little racing. I'm 48 and want to get back into road biking and buy a nice bike. I am considering both a Lynskey TI bike and a Carbon Trek, or a Seven Axiom. My LBS has a "new" (as in been sittin there a while) 2005 Trek Madone 5.9. I rode it and it is rock solid and smooth with Dura-Ace. It is the older "aero" frame that Trek is not making anymore. Still felt pretty good to me so I gusess I need to know what problems there were with this frame - why didn't Lance like it? The bike is being offered at $2999.00 which sounds pretty good compared to it's original >$5K cost; however, a new 5.9 SL is on sale now for $3800 (but I don't like the 2007 color). I'm also considering a 2007 Madone 5.5 (nice gray) for $3300. Is the 2005 bike price a good deal considering it has several upgraded components over the 5.5 or are these upgrades minor and I should stick with the newer frame with a good paint scheme? Yes, I know - fit is most important - got it. Anyhow thanks for any thoughts on these bikes.

karesz3

https://postthatpic.com/files/1179/Ly...ight_side3.jpg

https://postthatpic.com/files/1179/Ly...m_bracket1.jpg



A couple of things: It sounds like you are an accomplished rider with good taste. Some of the strongest guys in any category are from the Masters 45+. About the bikes, I rode both high end carbon and Ti frames. I currently have a Lynskey L3. I love this bike more than any other. Treks are nice, but they are way over priced even at a discount. I’d rather get a nice Aluminum frame with good components and wheels than a pricy carbon one. You will never have to worry about the Lynskey. Do some research, and read some reviews on these bikes. At the end, get what you really like and don’t compromise.

EURO-TRASH

i saw a 05' madone 5.9 with full dura-ace/the works at my LBS for $2,300. that may have been an outrageous price but thats about what i figured it to be worth... but that being said that is in san diego. i would imagine if you looked around you could find a lower price for that. it is an amazing throughbred race machine if thats what you want. i would go with the 07' 5.9 sl.

Eger2ride

Thanks for the reply and the good words on the Lynskey. After sleeping on it, I realize now that besides the bike, the Trek dealership owner just sort of used the old "that looks about right" sizing approach. To his credit, he adjusted the seat, put on a shorter stem and watched me pedal backwards on the bike (didn't watch me ride though). I sort of felt like I was at your local Chevy dealership (no disrespect to GM intended).

In contrast, I went back to the LBS that carries Lynskey tonight. I felt like I was walking into a Porsche dealership by comparison. They insisted on doign a "fit kit" style measurement as a "starting point." They also talked about every aspect of the tradeoffs that I would need to make (i.e. performance vs weight vs ride vs price, etc.) I've been very impressed with them and I am now leaning very much in favor of a Lynskey.

The LBS suggested a HomeBrew Level 3 frame for me -- plan on fast riding and centuries - not a lot of racing if any at all. What frame do you have? Any thoughts?

Thanks!

karesz3

The Housblend Level 3 is what I ride. I did a lot of research, and it is the best frame they make performance and aesthetics wise in my opinion. It is plenty stiff, but the ride is extremely silky smooth at the same time. I just returned from the Tour de Georgia route where I did Brasstown and all the other big climbs on this bike. It handled great. Lynskey just ended a special promotion on the Level 3 a couple of days ago, so you may want to see if they could honor the deal. I think it was about 20% off. If you're about average size, you don't need to change anything on their factory geometry. Everything is dialed in perfectly. You can read all the technical details about their different offerings, but you will not be disappointed with the L3. It is the lightest and best tuned Ti frames I've ridden. Finally, it is very personal, but I think nothing is more beautiful than the raw look of Titanium on a road bike. It will not chip, scratch or look stupid even after a decade. You will never have to second guess its integrity when you bomb down a hairy descent or go into a sprint. I could never say that about any of my carbon bikes I owned before. They were all nice, but after about 2 seasons, I started looking at replacing them.

Cheers

Eger2ride

Thanks a lot. I spoke with the folks at Lynskey and they seem both nice and very knowledgable. When did the deal end on the L3s and how good was it? All things considered, I am definitely leaning toward the Lynskey. I had planned on doing it all through the LBS. Did you deal directly with Lynskey? Also, the pics of your bike look great! I agree with you on the naked TI look! I also noticed that you have Bontrager wheels - like Trek. My LBS was steering me toward MAVIC Ksyerium SLs or ESs. Any thoughts?

karesz3

I got my Lynskey through a local dealer a few months ago. I believe the L3 promotion was similar to the current L4 deal (20% off), but it ended about a week ago. I rode the Mavics for a long time, but I much prefer the Bontrager wheels. I think their DT Swiss hubs are way better than Ksyeriums, and I also like the Bonties in cross winds. They are slightly lighter than the Mavics, and the spokes are a lot easier to service (if you every need it at all). The shop maybe recommending the Mavics because they are not a Bontrager dealer. Both wheels are nice, but from experience and a ton of research, the Bontragers are better overall. I switched to the 2007 Chorus group since I took those pictures, so the bike looks even sweeter now. You’re welcome to take a look and ride my bike any time you’re in the South Florida area.

Cheers

Eger2ride

OK - I decided on the Lynskey and ordered the frame yesterday. Now I need to decide between Dura Ace or SRAM Force. As I see it, the advantages of Force are lighter, new coolness factor, and SRAM offers a couple of different compact crank/cassette combinations (I've decided to run compact crank). The disadvantages are that they are new in the market and don't share the race-proven history of DA, no real "trim" for the chainring, and as of next year it will no longer be SRAM's top of the line when they introduce "Red." Dura Ace on the other hand is slightly heavier, and does not offer a double chainring compact crank. Can anyone provide a little inspiration on this subject?

Eger2ride

OK, I decided on the Lynskey and ordered the frame yesterday. Now I need to decide on gruppo. Force is lighter, and cheaper, but has issues with trim/shifting. SRAM also offers multiple compact crank double chainring options. Dura Ace is race-proven, still light, but is more expensive and does not offer two-chainring compact crank options. Any thoughts????

karesz3

I would get the 2007 Campy Chorus group over SRAM or DA. I think the SRAM is a little pricy for a first generation group that is not yet proven for long term durability, and DA does not hold up as well as Campy.
However, it's mostly personal preference since both Shimano and Campy are excellent products. The Campy will look much nicer on your Lynskey though

Cheers

EURO-TRASH

carbon campy record