jberenyi

I like to start a thread regarding my experience with a Lynskey Titanium Level 3 Custom frame. First off, let me say this bike is hot looking, rides great, its super light, stiff and has great balance. I chose Ti because I work with it everday in my day job as an engineer for an aerospace company. Titanium is a wonderful material but has its issues of which one really bothers me at times on my bike. Something I never knew about till I rode my newly built up De Bernardi SLX frame is that the Ti frame has a resonance factor that could bother some. I always found that my Record 10spd derailleur sounded much different at high cadence than my steel frame bike at the same cadence factor. My steel frame bike has a Centaur rear derailleur and maybe this is the difference. In any event, the steel frame always seems quieter in the rear than my Ti bike. This weekend I did a sound level check thinking I could justify my claim and found both ran at 64 db at about 80 cadence with the chain on the large chain ring and the fourth cog up from the smallest on the rear cassette. I was dumbfounded and decided that since both were the same decibel rating then it must be the tone is different. The ambient tone of the steel frame is much lower and has a deadening effect. The Ti frame gives off a more spirited tonal quality that seems to magnify a more mechanical sound. Of the two I love the De Bernardi's sound quality the best. In fact I love the ride of that bike so much I battle with myself over choosing which bike to ride for the day. I have even thought of selling the Lynskey frame to have Tomassini build me a custom steel frame but I don't have the guts to do that type of venture yet. One of these days I wake up and just do it but for now the Lynskey stays.