Originally Posted by
Marcus_Ti
My
Carver Gravel Grinder that I built rides just as nice as my Seven. the cost of the entire Di2 build was about the same cost as my frame/fork from Seven. Both are lovely bikes for what they do....but the economics are problematic for the Seven.
Give Forrest a ring, great guy to work with.
I haven't had the pleasure of riding any of your shortlisted machines. All I know for certain is the same stuff I read as you.
Email all of them, see who replies and how quickly. When I was shopping last spring--I was unimpressed at how long it took some companies to answer queries...Carver got back to me within 24 hours every time IIRC, the Carver GG is sourced from Lynskey actually.
All frames can crack....But steel can rust, particularly when it lives a rough life.
My bone to pick with the Lynskey GR...they don't need to use 6/4 titanium. It is just upping the price, drastically. If they used the same shaped tubing set in 3/2.5 they could get almost certainly get the same ride.
That is a beautiful looking machine you've got there. I had not heard of Carver, thanks for the rec. As far as the 6/4, I had a feeling some people would feel that way. Definitely makes you wonder if it is in fact the tubing shape that makes more of a difference on that bike.. Guess I'll have to track down some Lynksy enthusiasts to get more of an insider opinion.
[MENTION=469965]Koyote[/MENTION] true, but that's not the point. There are tons of great steel bikes out there. I own 2 and enjoy them both immensely. But once you've ridden something, faster, lighter, and equally capable, it can be less than exciting going back. Luckily in our day and age there is a premium option that offers the best of all worlds- Ti. Of course it can crack, anything can. That just makes it all the more important to find the right builder who knows what they're doing. Hence the original post.