Test Lab: Lynskey R340 – Bicycling Australia
Titanium bikes have an almost mythical popularity; a gloriously snug experience, traditional seems, unmatched longevity, bulletproof strength and a dazzling end that’s impervious to dents and scratching. There’s additionally the fact that there simply aren’t many of those gleaming beasts on the street. Scarcity is an attractant, however beware; proudly owning something in brief provide strokes the ego and titanium wire can incite envy in the gang. There’s one thing about titanium bikes that conveys an aura of prestige. There’s a certain elegance. Honesty about them. Perhaps it’s the understated nature of the silvery polished tubes; so refined compared to the gaudy colours. Lairy decals emblazoned on many different bikes on the market. Mercedes Benz used this ‘restraint in colour’ idea to nice effect in their promoting, the place for a very long time nearly every car proven of their print advertisements was silver, reinforcing the repute of model and distinction with the color of the valuable metal.
Titanium frames are usually conservative in design; straight, minimally formed tubular members delivering simplicity of kind that harks back to the romance of a classical steel diamond body of bygone days. It’s a stark distinction compared to most of the hydroformed aluminium. Convoluted carbon frames at the moment in production. But there’s no denying they do look good.
Certainly one of the reasons titanium tube has been so costly was its brief supply. Through the chilly warfare most of the world’s supply of titanium was commandeered by the world’s defence industries. So what titanium tubing was accessible was prohibitively expensive. Scarcity is an attractant. Ownership of unique, refined goods strokes the ego. It’s not surprising then that titanium bikes solid a spell on some people.
Another cause of the low numbers of titanium frames in the marketplace prior to now has been that building frames from titanium is troublesome compared to steel. Titanium can soften and gall if sharp tools and proper cooling methods usually are not used. However manufacturing processes for titanium frames have come a long way lately to enable extra shaping of tubes to boost the frames engineering properties. Indeed Lynskey have created their distinctive Helix frame from titanium tube [blurb.com] that has been swaged and twisted to create a body which not solely seems good however they claim adds to the stiffness of the frame, perhaps allaying one in every of the main fears about titanium frames.
The Lynskey heritage began with production of titanium frames beneath one other name. In 1986 Litespeed bikes began at the hands of David Lynskey. The business and brand was offered and 20 years passed earlier than the household once once more entered the market with their namesake bikes. The family connection to the enterprise is proudly proven in the head tube badge incorporating the father’s signature, a shamrock for his Irish heritage and a hunting hawk for his wife’s British heritage. It’s a nice touch.
Conservatively sized tube is used all through the frame and the top and down tubes have been formed to kind a ‘roundcornered diamond’ cross section. The down tube has also been compressed laterally to create a taller junction at the pinnacle tube, and vertically to create a wider joint at the bottom bracket. The seat tube is round for many of its length, just widened barely at the bottom bracket as well. Seat stays function the helix twisted shaping (as seen in all the tubes for their Helix frame). Welding at all junctions is ground back however not completely obscured. Lynskey have made a function of the welds the place the stays be part of the dropouts; leaving it as a smooth raised ring across the join-I’d moderately have seen this totally removed so there’s a clean section right by way of; as it is it appears to be like like a concession to efficiency the place prefab dropouts are rapidly welded to the stay ends. The dropouts themselves characteristic a shamrock reduce-out, one other classy reference to the Irish past. Tubes are brushed and the simple black and white decals finish off an exceptionally good trying frame.
This bike is a custom spec with top finish parts from SRAM Zipp and Enve. Fully decked out with SRAM Red 22 groupset from entrance to back, the gears and brakes on this bike perform exceptionally well. Red 22 has been designed to allow choice of any chainring/cassette mixture without consideration of cross chaining. On the road I thought this objective had been achieved fairly properly; you get to use the complete 22 gearing options you technically have with two chainrings and titanium wire an 11-cog cluster, swapping cogs at will with impunity.
However the feeling that ‘I actually shouldn’t do this’ when climbing in the massive-huge combination didn’t go away me all through the test.
Though SRAM have launched their hydro braking choices-rim or disc, I questioned how you possibly can want more than the braking supplied by these RED22 cable actuated rim brakes. The stopping delivered by this package deal really is confidence inspiring; easy one-fingered motion to ship powerful stopping from the hoods; it’s a step up from the older model Red I have used earlier than.
I usually run brake pads with minimal clearance to the rim, preferring the instant braking response when squeezing the brake levers. The Zipp 30s had been useless straight so there was no downside there, however I did get somewhat entrance brake rub resulting from cable drag when turning sharply. I believe this is primarily attributable to an excessively tight bend within the cable between the bars. Callipers – a longer cable would most likely type this out. Backing off the adjuster one flip fixed it right away, nevertheless it goes to point out setup is crucial.
Zipp’s 30 wheelset seems to be good and carried out nicely, and stayed straight throughout the check. Despite the fact that they run an 18/20 spoke count they’re not tremendous gentle and don’t have the complete aero pedigree often related to Zipp wheels, however they roll along nicely wrapped in Zipp’s Tangente 23mm clinchers and hold their line effectively cornering at speed.
Up front there’s more Zipp and a few Enve too. A 110mm six-degree Service Course SL stem and 44cm service Course SL bars, mated with the Enve Road 2.Zero carbon fork operating via a Chris King Threadless Set stored this rig on observe with no flexing to be seen. Lynskey’s house model titanium seatpost looks very a lot the half complimenting the body nicely. Topped with Selle Italia move SLR saddle makes for a cushty perch.
I had a terrific time riding this bike. The inherent flex of the titanium has been well managed by means of clever design, tube selection, shaping and joining to supply stiffness for efficient energy delivery and predictable steering.
On the road this bike is a delight to ride. The compliance of the body and seatpost make for a sublimely comfortable seated experience-which happily just isn’t paid for in poor performance. At the danger of sounding excessively complimentary, many times the smoothness of this bike surprised me as I rode over long tough chip roads, expansion joints on bridges, and joins in asphalt roads. It simply soaks all of it up. And knowing how snug it is I hoped for one of the best but expecting otherwise as I headed for the hills. But climbing and sprinting the R340
bundle was light and responsive sufficient to surprise me once more. I started to understand the
experience I have heard once in a while from others, of becoming one with the bike.
It simply felt so stable and easy, delivered feedback from the road and pedalling response that one way or the other simply felt proper. It’s positively not the lightest or fastest bike I’ve ridden, however it have to be a contender for essentially the most satisfying. And for the most part enjoyment is what it’s all about.
Summing Up
Quality
The R340 is a superb body, masterfully engineered in titanium, immaculately welded and completed with a gleaming brushed satin polish. The take a look at bike was spec’d with top shelf elements from major brands SRAM Zipp and Enve. A high quality package.
Performance
Lynskey’s expertise and years of product development are evident on this bike. The frame is mild and stiff enough to be a real contender for racing or for the serious social rider. SRAM’s RED22 the Zipp 30s and Enve fork praise the R340 frame effectively and would also be at dwelling on the stiffer lighter R430.
