jamesdak 

Well, to add a bit more insight on these comments in the interest of fairness. Lynskey will send the bike pretty much complete. You have to mount the front wheel on the fork. Install the seatpost (which already has the saddle attached) and mount the handlebars. Took me maybe 5 minutes. Took more time to remove all the wonderful packing material they had protecting the bike. So, it's not really a "box of parts". How does a BD bike arrive?

And I got the milled finish for free just by asking and upgraded wheels at no cost.

quicktrigger

Pretty much the same way. Not much to the final assemble. I did however change the tires first to what I wanted. Nothing wrong with the ones that came on it, just wanted a different size and colored to go with my plan for the bike. Sorry for the mis-characterization. Thanks for clearing it up. I had been told at one time, that was basically how they came. Perhaps there was a mis-understanding.

As for the mill finish upgrade, and upgraded wheels, I can only go by their website at the time, and what they were selling for locally. Glad you got the upgrades. At the time the difference in basically the same bike (as close as I could make them anyway) was $1400 from BD and $5200 from Lynskey. I know Lynskey are allot less now, but the difference is still pretty big. Doing it over again, I would still have had to go with BD. Just too big a difference for me to buy into, especially with no hard data to back it up. And that goes for all other bikes in the price range too.

jamesdak 

I've been so close over the past year with pulling a trigger on BD Ti bike but kept having that little voice in the back of my head stopping me. Partly due to documented issues with their bikes as you dig around the internet. Still, I was very close to doing it. They Lynskey had their sale and I was able to get a Ti bike with a geometry (sportive) that I wanted for comfort instead of settling for a BD solution. And with a full Ultegra setup it was not thousands more than a BD but a thousand more. Since this purchase for me was more about getting something even more comfortable than my steel LeMonds I was happy to get the type frame I needed. Relaxed angles, tall head tube, longer chain stays, curved seat stays, room for 28mm tires, etc.

jamesdak 

LOL, no worries! To be honest I could care less what wheels came on it. I've got a sweet set of Zen Cyclery wheels going on it and the ones that came on the Lynskey will probably go with one of my CF bikes as I sell them. Part of the difference for me was the ability to work directly with a sales rep at Lynskey to ensure that I got a frame with the right dimensions to compliment my odd fit. I have a messed up back and ride the bars and saddle pretty much level. With my "too large" 56cm CF frames this meant crazy short, steep angle stems to dial in my fit. With the Lynskey I gave them my current fit and they steered me to the frame size which would work best. It appears the only mod I need to make is a 10mm shorter stem over the 100mm they sent with it. Still, it's a total crap shoot buying a bike over the internet and hard to do. But with there no questions asked return policy I was not too worried.

quicktrigger

I have two BD bikes, two Specialized bikes, and a Trek. The BD bikes are very comparable. No quality issues at all IMHO. The Ti I bought is actually a Cyclocross bike, that I put road tires on. It "rides like butter" (a friends words that I let ride it for a couple weeks). It (size 56cm) was 21-22 pounds as a cross bike out of the box. So being a cross bike configuration (i.e. heavier wheels, disc brakes, and 35 tires IIRC) certainly added weight, but the frame may have been a bit heavier too. I'm no weight weenie, so I'm very happy with the weight. I was going for the ride, and that is exactly what I got.

rpenmanparker 

Thanks for not taking it personally. You well know I like the occasional "rim shot" just to put some energy into a conversation.

Of course everyone has a right to make their own choices, and I feel yours are based on a careful appraisal of what the market has to offer your aesthetic sense.

I just get a little bent out of shape when everyone starts agreeing that the most expensive and esoteric choice is the best, just because it is the most expensive and esoteric. It would be bad enough if Lynskey were panned just on the basis of its market relationship to Moots and Seven. But for some to suggest that now it isn't as good a choice as it used to be because it is being sold by Nashbar, and its demise must be right around the corner is just plain silly. Like Nashbar has poisoned their minds and Lynskey suddenly forgot how to design, specify, and weld a frame... That guy really cares about making fine Ti bikes that a lot of people can afford. BTW, he also cares about himself and his family making a living. Nothing wrong with that.

Wingsprint

Quite the opposite... Back in September, the word at Interbike was 2015 will be a record year of sales at Lynskey. Their business is very healthy.

indyfabz

Love it. You should see his shop. Amazing. He has a machine for each part of the frame and bought a CNC a while back so now he's making his own dropouts and things.

Sy Reene

If buying online, I don't see mentioned too often, but what about the Ribble "Custom bike builder" options and bikes? I have to say I like the functionality of the website for picking parts in the build (though you have to watch out as some components are priced more than they would be just buying standalone).

For Ti, they have a Sportive model Ribble Ti Sportive Racing at Ribble Cycles

garciawork

My opinion is only based on my experience with one Seven frame, and a lot of Lynskey's between a friend and myself. A while back, my friend had the opportunity to buy a complete Seven MTB frame with full XT at LBS cost, and he did so. I spent a lot of time riding that bike, and really enjoyed it (especially with a rigid carbon fork). At the same time, we both had R230's, he ordered a Lefty Pro 29 (which he gave to me), he ordered another Pro 29 (no lefty, and a better fit sizewise for him), plus we each got Stratuses (Strati...? regardless, the first Lynksey fatbikes).

All that said, there is little to no difference that I could discern between the quality of the Seven v the Lynskey's. Can't really compare the ride of the two, as the Seven MTB has a much less aggressive geometry than the Pro 29, if it was a Ridgeline, that would be another story. All of the bikes mentioned have a fantastic ride, and are all top quality with no issues. The R230 is the best riding road bike I have ever been on.

So, my conclusion would be similar to Robert's, that the higher end builders really are more about bling and name. Lynskey isn't positioning themselves as a boutique builder, or at least they have more budget friendly options, and thus they are not viewed by most as high end, even though their bikes are incredibly high quality. Whereas Moots/Seven want to be seen as the ultimate, because they say they are, and charge accordingly. My 2 cents.

And yes, my buddy has some serious dough... I actually left out a Lynskey Procross, and quite a few others. He has an actual bike shop bike rack in his garage, with probably 14 bikes on it as of now.

Shuffleman

I am sorry, I just do not get this whole debate. There are very few differences in quality between bikes. A Tiagra equipped Trek, GT, Giant, Cannondale and etc. are all pretty similar in quality. Bikes are extremely subjective purchases. There are custom bikes that have some advantages as far as Geometry goes but even that is subjective. I happen to love my bike but I do not think that it is any better than a comparably equipped bike made by another company. I may like it better but that does not make it better. I simply do not get the rational behind bashing bikes from BD, on-line, Performance, Nashbar and etc. A good bike is a good bike regardless of where you buy it. If there is a store like Performance or BD that offers you a chance to get that good bike for less than that is a good thing. In addition, those retailers keep the market honest, which means that every buyer gets a better price. If the only place to buy a good bike is at a LBS, than you are at their mercy as far as prices go. I love my LBS and I buy quite a bit from them. I also give them all of my service. This does not mean that I have to dislike the large retailers though. They all have their niche and they fill it well. I frequent Performance quite a bit. They are great for the entry level market. They do not stock as much in the next tier of bikes though. That is where the LBS comes into play for a large part. Either way, Nashbar, Performance, BD and etc. do not "cheapen" any product. A good bike is still a good bike regardless of where you bought it.

Adonis72

You guys have me considering a titanium. I appreciate a comfortable ride. Are they really that good?

ErichVonCartman

I use to ride Ti, now I will only buy and ride Carbon Fiber. Also I will never pay more than $1000 now for a frame and fork. There are some great Chinese Open Mold Designs for even $500!

PhotoJoe 

I love mine. YMMV.

garciawork

Having ridden high end CF (Tarmac SL3, was the newest at the time), custom steel, and a Lynskey R230 Ti, I honestly think the Ti was the best overall, with weight, ride, and all combined. The steel is still my favorite for looks, ride, and the sentimental aspect of it, but man that Lynskey rode well.

There are those who disagree, of course, but I find metal to have a more connected, lively feel, and I will gladly sacrifice a little wight for to obtain said feel.

rpenmanparker 

Yes, it CAN be. My current Ti bike is the best ride I have ever had. But it isn't universal. My last one was not.

datlas 

Really???? We hadn't noticed.

Adonis72

I wish there was a place I could test ride one near me. I've never seen any Ti road bikes at the LBS's and we have a few. They usually just carry aluminum, carbon or steel.

rpenmanparker 

That's the problem. Hence the value of Lynskey's 1-month free trial period. Or guaranteed return policy if you want to consider it that way. I don't know how the Nashbar situation will affect that, but I bet you can still buy one and try it out without any risk. So you can't know in advance you want Ti, but you don't have to keep it if you don't like it. So you will have to make up your mind you will want Ti IF the ride will please you.

datlas 

They can be. You can have a good frame, a harsh riding frame, or a dead feeling frame with any material. It depends. Sorry, but it's complicated. I do encourage you to consider a well built Ti frame, which can be fantastic.

Pirkaus

I am seriously considering the Lynskey Legacy, but also like the R-240.
I would be purchasing direct from Lynskey, but probably will not spend the $200 pre-assembly charge.
I have never had an issue with anything I bought from Nashbar, so I guess I am not scophictcated enough to know any better if they sell my bike frame too.

sced

It's a simple fact that various aluminum alloys are a better material than steel or ti to make a wide range of frames with widely ranging ride/physical characteristics because of its formability. It's also relatively inexpensive which is why people disregard it. Any other engineers out there?

jamesdak 

Yet strangely in pretty much every poll I've ever seen it's the least favorite material for a bike frame. So are we all misinformed or what? I know my aluminum bikes do nothing to impress me but they get the job done. Is it the immeasurable "feel" factor that makes riders not prefer it?

shelbyfv

You might be more specific as to what type of engineer you are looking for. An electrical or chemical engineer would be no more likely to have knowledge of bike materials and construction than a philosophy prof.

warpdrive

never really followed Lynskey bikes but looking about them makes me want to try a titanium frame. I don't see any reason titanium should be reserved for a boutique brand, it should be readily available by direct sales and nashbar seems fine to me. I've definitely spent a fair share of money there over the years.

Nashbar only sells the frames it seems, so if I want a complete bike, I would still have to go through Lynskey or a reseller no?

If the talent behind the brand remains the same, then the brand wouldn't be cheapened in my mind. the only time it gets cheapened is if the discounting is unpredictable or excessive....e.g. the product sells for full price and then six months later, it's discounted heavily,or there is always overstock being discounted heavily. That would impact the resale too much as it will be known as a brand that is in the bargain bin.