# What ti frame - Lynsky, Moots or IF



## Fatboy66 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hello,

I am a newbie for roadbiking. I do however a lot of mountainbiking. I am looking for a ti roadbike and i am looking for the following bikes:
- Lynskey R340, Moots compact CR or a crownjewel Ti.

I already have an IF 29 ti deluxe and i am aware of the ride and finish quality of the frame. But l am not a loyal brand customer if there are other options. 

The Lynskey would be my option because you get a lot of bike for less money. The IF because you can go custom and i love them for what they are doing and the moots because i overall like the bikes of moots.

What would you do? My wallet says Lynskey and my brain says IF or moots.

Thanks.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Entirely personal choice, (and remember that Lynskey will build you a custom steed as well.)

My heart is with Lynskey, in addition to my wallet. The 340 wouldn't be my personal choice, as the level 2 is more in line with my personal desires, but that's nothing to your decision. 

I just never fell in love with either Moots or Indy Fab. The Lynskey's have been at this a long time, and IMO really know Ti. That's not saying a thing against the other two - like I said, completely personal decision. Can't go wrong with any of them.


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## lawr (Sep 5, 2007)

*Lynskey*

I have the R330 houseblend/custom - my geometry and feel. Love the bike and it was at a reasonable price - frame only $2225.


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## merlinluvr (Feb 6, 2010)

Fatboy66 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am a newbie for roadbiking. I do however a lot of mountainbiking. I am looking for a ti roadbike and i am looking for the following bikes:
> - Lynskey R340, Moots compact CR or a crownjewel Ti.
> ...


I have had a couple of Lynskey built Litespeed beasts and loved 'em both. When and if my Merlin ever dies the new Litespeed would be my last choice due to their warranty horror stories. Lynskey would be numero uno. Have fun!


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## lawr (Sep 5, 2007)

Edge fork Sram red


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## gnatman (Jan 14, 2009)

If budget is a big concern, look at a used Dean. I bought a +/- 5 year old Dean ti with carbon fork for $600. Used, but nice. I like the 'classic' flat top tube geometry in this model. I saw a similar frame go for < $500 on ebay, no fork.

I'm building it now and putting what money I have into components, some used, some new, some barter. You can get good 9-speed componets at health savings over 10-sp. I'm looking at a finished ti road bike in the 17-18 lb range for under $1100. It won't win any bling contests, but should last the rest of my life.


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## Fatboy66 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for your input. 

-What model and size do you ride lawr?

- Do you think that a R340 is to racy, less comfy for normal (no races) riding.
Remember i am a mountainbiker and i do not want to get bent over all over the bike for maximum speed all the time. I want to enjoy the ride. 
Therefore would the Lynskey cooper not be the better deal than the R340 if i would choose Lynskey?


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

*None of the above . . .*

. . . I'd get something more uique considering all the coin you'll be dropping.


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## Fredke (Dec 10, 2004)

I've got a Lynskey R330 houseblend/custom-sized and I love it. Per your concerns, the ride is definitely very harsh on chip/seal roads, but the handling on good pavement at high speed is beautiful and on descents it feels like it's glued to the road. I've ridden several centuries on it and I really like it for long fast riding, but if the roads are rough, you WILL feel it in your ass.

I'm on the heavy side (5'11", 180) and I've never had a problem with BB flex, which has been a big problem with other frames. OTOH, the frame doesn't feel too stiff either. Apart from a lot of buzz on chip/seal, it's got good road feel and is good for long fast rides.


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## fontarin (Mar 28, 2009)

I also have a Lynskey R330 and am very happy with it. I don't find that it's very harsh, especially with 25c tires. It doesn't soak as much as my Synapse, but it also feels much more snappy and stable, especially on the descents.

I know they redesigned the model this year to the R340, which has their race geo, so I'm not sure how the ride has changed with the new model. It should be noted that their old Helix model now has the R330 geometry, while the new for 2010 Helix OS has race geo.


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## tjib13 (Aug 11, 2008)

I'm selling a lynskey 320 57.3 tt, standard l geo. holla


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Pablo said:


> . . . I'd get something more uique considering all the coin you'll be dropping.


My little green monster hates you more everytime you post that beauty.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Fatboy66 said:


> - Do you think that a R340 is to racy, less comfy for normal (no races) riding.
> Remember i am a mountainbiker and i do not want to get bent over all over the bike for maximum speed all the time. I want to enjoy the ride.
> Therefore would the Lynskey cooper not be the better deal than the R340 if i would choose Lynskey?


Based on that descriptions of goals, consider the R230, too. Geometry like the cooper, a bit more advanced shaping in the tubeset. I'm a fan of the swept chainstays, too. Might be all in the head, but I believe they help the ride. 

I'd suggest giving them a call and chatting about your desires for a bike in some detail. They're not the sort to try to get everyone on a Helix. They've designed the various lines not just (or even mostly) for pricepoint, but instead for practical differentiation. The Cooper and Helix are probably pricepoints (Verblen in the case of Helix) but the 2-3-4 series are about finding the ride you want.


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## onlineflyer (Aug 8, 2005)

Lynskey builds a great bike. Both my daughter and I ride Lynskey's. Call and talk to them, they can give you better advise than most on this forum. Also, if price is an issue and you ride a 55, check out the Guru at Jensen USA. They have the ti frame, msrp of $4,000 on sale for $1,699 for the frameset. The Guru is said to have a great ride also.


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## CoLiKe20 (Jan 30, 2006)

also consider Seven or Merlin.


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## merlinluvr (Feb 6, 2010)

lawr said:


> Edge fork Sram red


You must be one biggun! What size is that Lynskey.? The head tube really stuck out to me as quite long. Have a pal who is 6'5" and his head tube is as long as my seat tube!

Mr. Lynskey sure knows his craft, beautiful ride ya got there.


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## ArkRider (Jul 27, 2007)

http://chainwheel.com/articles/grail-custom-bikes-pg613.htm

Check out Grail.


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## lawr (Sep 5, 2007)

merlinluvr said:


> You must be one biggun! What size is that Lynskey.? The head tube really stuck out to me as quite long. Have a pal who is 6'5" and his head tube is as long as my seat tube!
> 
> Mr. Lynskey sure knows his craft, beautiful ride ya got there.


I'm only 6' but most of it is legs.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Fatboy66 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am a newbie for roadbiking. I do however a lot of mountainbiking. I am looking for a ti roadbike and i am looking for the following bikes:
> - Lynskey R340, Moots compact CR or a crownjewel Ti.
> ...


*If you're new to biking look up your Local Bike Shops, and see what flavors of Ti they carry.
*
Seven, and Moots, IF also ( I think) work through local dealers to help make a bike you'll love-and the process can help forge great bonds between you and a shop, as well as save you some money in customer loyalty.

Lynskey, Moots, Seven, they ALL make GREAT bikes that you'll love-but you'll be happier in the long run going through a local dealer that carries them...than just shopping on the internet.

In the price ranges you are looking at-you're worrying about which "is better', a Ferrari or a Porsche.


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## lawr (Sep 5, 2007)

Fatboy66 said:


> Thanks for your input.
> 
> -What model and size do you ride lawr?
> 
> ...


Mine is custom sized - I'm 57, don't race, 350 Km's a week, avg speed @30 Kph - I'm fit and ride almost everyday. Mine was built to be stiff - I don't find it harsh. Speak to them and explain you want a more upright position - they will listen to what you want and translate that into a bike for you. The stock geometry could be too racy but they are flexible in their builds and in their pricing. Call Jack in sales - I found them all easy and professional to deal with. I used to ride 3000 Km's a summer on a stock carbon bike with some back pain - this past summer I did 7,000 Km's on the Lynskey - the more I rode the better I felt. It's been a very good experience for me.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

If you're comfortable picking the right frame size, check out the Moots' frames that pop up on eBay. You'll get a nice discount off of new and still have the quality of a Moots. Moots also offers frame refurbishing so if you want it to look just like new, they'll reblast it and add new decals. Once you have Moots, you won't look back. They are just superior frames.


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## Serotta 63 (Nov 2, 2009)

check out a Serotta Legend Ti-- very nice bike. :thumbsup:


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## limba (Mar 10, 2004)

CoLiKe20 said:


> also consider Seven or Merlin.


or Crisp or Strong or Black Sheep or ...

You can't go wrong with any of them.


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## Fatboy66 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for the input. My local dealers do not have much of ti bikes. I live in the Netherlands so you do not see a lot of boutique bikes around. Every dealer here is swearing for plastic. However i am more looking for a nice ti frame that will serve me for the coming years. Back in the day (1998) i rode a trek oclv in the team colours of that year.

In the beginning i liked the bike also for its colours but after a while i wished i had taken just plain black. You see my point is i see a lot of nice bikes pop up but will they be nice with all that shiny colours after 5 years? I like ti and some decent matching parts. Nothing wild.

The curved bike is also to much for me. I like the traditional tubing.

I will follow ebay for a moots compact frame i guess.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

danl1 said:


> My little green monster hates you more everytime you post that beauty.


There's no accounting for taste.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Fatboy66 said:


> Hello,
> 
> 
> What would you do? My wallet says Lynskey and my brain says IF or moots.
> ...


Since it's your wallet I'd say IF first (without their kindergartner's decals) followed by Moots.


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## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

Serotta 63 said:


> check out a Serotta Legend Ti-- very nice bike. :thumbsup:



+1 It is the Gold Standard for Ti Bikes


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## Dumbod (Dec 31, 2004)

If your wallet is an issue go used.

I really like Ti bikes and lust after both the Lynskey Helix and Litespeed Archon but used in definitely the way I'd go if I were in the market for another bike. Carbon is the flavor of the month which means that used Ti bikes are going for a relative song.


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## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

merlinluvr said:


> Lynskey built Litespeed beasts



Indeed! I'm still riding my 1996 Obed mtn bike frame, all the parts replaced many times over. I love it more than is reasonable. I console myself that if anything ever happens to it, Lynsky built it and can make me another one through his custom shop. 

My 2002 LS Ghisallo is pretty sweet too, although if I would give it up for carbon if I could combine the smooth ride of my 1st bike, a HEAVY carbon Giant w/ the feather weight of the Ghisallo.


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## andresmuro (Dec 11, 2007)

w/o question a habanero. You can get a full custom habanero ti for about $1000.00


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## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

Don't you just hate it when you ask people's opinion on three things and they ignore those three and suggest something different? 









Sorry, me too. I'd go with Kent Ericksen


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## limba (Mar 10, 2004)

I actually like it as long as they're reasonable suggestions. I had never heard of Crisp titanium until last week and their stuff looks great.
Still, I absolutely think the OP can't go wrong with any of the bikes from his original list.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

If you live near Pennsylvania, then a Spectrum Ti would be a good choice.


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

Marc said:


> Seven, and Moots, IF also ( I think) work through local dealers to help make a bike you'll love-and the process can help forge great bonds between you and a shop, as well as save you some money in customer loyalty.


It can also be a nightmare.


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## OpalEllie (Oct 1, 2007)

*My Take*

All of the above mentioned companies make great frames. I think that the advantages of buying a Ti frame include unique relationships with the frame builder/company. Personally, I have experienced a fantastic relationship with the guys at Lynskey in only the few months that I've known them. They're lively and funny, down-to-earth but know exactly what they're doing. You simply can't experience this sort of relationship with the cookie cutter carbon manufacturers out there. 

And besides, my new 2010 Lynskey Helix OS is freakin' awesome! Certainly, Lynskey's craftsmanship is stellar. The builder you ultimately got with is really a matter of subtle choice; the nuances you get from each builder is what you can hang your hat on. I've worked with Seven, IF, Serotta, and Lynskey and all are great companies. Lynskey, however, just stood out for me as extraordinary people and skilled metal workers.


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## pigpen (Sep 28, 2005)

nightfend said:


> If you live near Pennsylvania, then a Spectrum Ti would be a good choice.


I have owned Merlins in the past, road and mountain before being sold off and relocated to TN. Beautiful bikes but for some reason after the sale they lost their magic for me.
Spectrum would have to be on my short list.
I realize the Specturm are produced by Merlin but TK is a great fitter. The fit would trump builder anytime. Merlins have a beautiful finish to boot.


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## 2cflyr (Apr 9, 2002)

ArkRider said:


> http://chainwheel.com/articles/grail-custom-bikes-pg613.htm
> 
> Check out Grail.



when they were still the sofa king brand, their Ti bikes were made by litespeed.

to the op- don't rule out titus either. one of the best ti frames i've ever had was made by them.


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## Eyorerox (Feb 19, 2008)

What about Van Nicholas, since you live in Holland
or perhaps an Enigma from the UK?


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## Starter (Jan 7, 2009)

I say go Lynskey, but I'm not very objective... Here's the new ride, just built up today...


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

Moots ( I am biased), Strong or Blacksheep would be at the top of my list.


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## veloduffer (Aug 26, 2004)

Take a look at Kish (https://www.kishbike.com). He's been building ti for years (teaches at United Bicycle Institute too) and is quite reasonable. I had him build me this ti cross bike:










I have a Serotta and Seven (and have owned Litespeed and Merlin) and Jim's bike is easily an equal in quality and ride. He's easy to work with and we talked and emailed several times during the design process. At the very least, give him a call.


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## Juanmoretime (Nov 24, 2001)

Yep, I ride a Lynskey and maybe you shouldn't. Yes I said shouldn't. I find these threads extremely disturbing.:mad2: If you were sick would you get diagnosed on a forum? Do get fit and then choose the bike that the numbers work best for you. Numbers don't come close? Go custom. Lynskey does nice customs too!


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## Bob Ross (Apr 18, 2006)

The great (sic) thing about Titanium is that it's essentially "self-selecting" in the Darwinian sense: It's so freakin' expensive/difficult to work with that the only builders who can remain successful are the ones building excellent frames. 

iow, to repeat what's been said here, you can't go wrong with any of the names mentioned here.


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## Bigborb (Apr 18, 2004)

*Lynskey impressions*

Maybe I'm too late to be of use, but here's my 2 cents.. I got a Lynskey 430 last year to replace a Litespeed Ultimate that I really liked for it's smooth yet perky qualities (I have a lot of plastic bikes too, but can't stay away from ti..) The Lynskey came up as a steal online and I thought it would be a 'slicked up' Litespeed - how wrong.. Lynskey has set out to disprove the myth the ti frames have to be soft; this is an almost ruthlessly efficient bike! Somehow I always come home with a faster average on my daily training routes with the Lynskey. Not that the Ultimate was soft by any means, but the Lynskey has a very high level of power transfer, both in sprinting and general riding; and it has that joyful 'airy' feeling of riding a light bike without being flimsy.

At first I found the bike a bit harsh, but it seemed to have smoothed out a bit in time..maybe it's me, having expected the plushness of the Ultimate, and being used to some other very refined bikes - Colnago, Parlee, etc.. But there is that 'sproing' that only ti and steel impart to the ride, that is kinda addictive.. and then there's also the cool looking tubes. Definitely a first-rate frame IMO, and something you need to try at least once in your life. 

As for geometry, my Lynskey was the year before they brought in the more race oriented sizing of the Helix, and sadly my head tube is a bit long (for me). I ride a 57.5 TT and like the head tube to be 17.5 cm max., with no spacers. But with a 10 deg stem and some deeper bars, I'm OK. Before you decide on a geometry being either "race" or not, you need to determine whether you are anatomically suited to a taller HT or not, not whether you 'race' or not. I happen to have long arms and flexible hips, so my saddle is a lot higher than the bars than for most people, but that's just me. If you have a shorter HT, you can add spacers (OK, not too many), but if too tall, you can't do much about it. I have a Pegoretti, which are notoriously tall in front, and had to cut the HT (yes, I did that to a Peg!) by 2 cm to get it near my riding position.. I guess custom is a good idea, but if you're newly coming to road biking from mountain, you will undergo some positional changes anyway during your first year or so of road riding, so it's hard to fit you in an ideal position on a bike until after you've been riding a road bike for a while. I'd say, leave yourself some room to adapt.. 

Hope this helps..


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## Fatboy66 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for all great info. I am still lurking and i am looking at ebay to see if there is something nice for sale. Like Bigborb already mentioned it is not wise to go custom if you never ridden a roadbike and have no experience.


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## PLAYONIT (Aug 25, 2009)

*Baum ti*

These are nice...


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## rroadie (Jan 6, 2010)

Here's my Ti IF crown jewel, weighing in at 14.6 pounds as you see it:








I love it. Awesome lively fast feeling ride. The checkered paint is a nod to my other pastime of skateboarding.
That said I also have a Lynskey procross and it is great. Hard to compare the ride as they are soo different but the workmanship is top notch on both. They are both set up the same in terms of fit.


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## campyhag (Feb 4, 2004)

Nice:thumbsup:


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## enac (Aug 24, 2007)

what about this:


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## Breal (Feb 11, 2010)

Lynskey


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## Bigborb (Apr 18, 2004)

*Wow!!*

This is just breathtaking!! I like the little red touches as well, very subtle.. Makes my Lynskey 430 look dowdy. 

Looks like an Edge fork on there, but what headset did you use? If that is an Edge fork, how does it compare to the 'old standards': Reynolds, Easton, AlphaQ?

Thanks for the photo!

After all that, I just ordered a Moots CR with S&S couplers as a travel bike.. Tired of lugging the big box and always sweating through the whole flight, imagining my carbon beauty arriving in 16 pieces at the other end one day. I haven't got the bike yet, but I expect it will be terrific. One cool thing is that the coupler option makes it a 'custom' order, so I can get anything I ask for in the way of geometry or tube selection. As it is, the stock 58 geo, fits me perfectly, but I did ask for it to be on the 'stiff side' in the front. I'll try to remember to post a review about it.


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## Breal (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks Bigborb. It is quite a ride. Glad you noticed the red accents, that was actually my bike shops idea, they did a great job. The head set is a crane creek 110, in other words, almost bomb proof, plus the red matched the spokes 

Edge 2.0 fork on it, bot sure how it compares because I have never ridden with the others. 

I can not wait to see pics of that moots. Keep us posted.


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## lawr (Sep 5, 2007)

Breal said:


> Lynskey


Like the bike - I have a R330 houseblend custom set up much the same as yours, Sram red (with dura ace cassette and chain) and Edge (1.0) fork. Was thinking of upgrqding to the helix. I ride every day, about 1200 Km a month. PM me your thoughts.


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## aforst (Jan 2, 2009)

*Lynskey 420*

Biased toward Lynskey


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## Juanmoretime (Nov 24, 2001)

Well since we are posting porn.

12.67 pounds of fun:


















And not dialed in so pardon the funky look:


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## smoo (Sep 20, 2007)

Here's mine, getting on for 3 years old now but still good as new and recently upgraded to 11sp Record. 

15.65lbs as pictured.


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