Lynskey GR250 Titanium Gravel Bike - Long Term Review
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2017
- The Lynskey GR250 titanium gravel bike arrived on the doorstep of Gravel Cyclist HQ in January of 2017. Since that time, the GR250 has been ridden and raced at events such as the 2017 Middle Georgia Epic, and 2017 Land Run 100. In between, it has racked up a ton of training miles aboard multiple wheelsets in 700c and 650b, and multiple tyre combinations. The review also features a good amount of drone footage.
For those curious, the bike weighs between 19.5 - 20.5lbs (8.8kg - 9.3kg) with pedals, dependent upon wheels, tyres, etc.
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Jom, Many thanks for the content, and for the recommendation. This video sold me - I saved up for a GR260, and I'm loving it....at least until a couple of weeks ago. Covid -19 also put a stop to Dirty Clare, but hopefully next year. Also loved your seeing trips around The Adelaide hills at Christmas, look forward to trying some out when I'm there next to visit family. Keep up the great work and please stay safe.
Great review, thanks for all of the real world info about how the bike performs.
Appreciate the feedback!
Solid review JOM! Good points on running 650b and 29r hoops... something more ppl need to consider when purchasing a groad bike.
Very thorough review. Excellent.
You seriously need more subscribers, man. Great job - been watching your stuff for years.
Thanks Brett, agreed! Please spread the word!
Awesome bike. Thanks for the review
Review aside, the riding footages are pretty cool. Love the view on your rides!
Well done, sir!!
Excellent review
nice Video, greetings from Germany + Miami:-)
What a beauty
Great job
Not sure why the youtube algo fed me this old video, but I really enjoyed it as I have this exact same bike. I agree with the content, and I'm also having issues with the derailleur hanger. I have probably gone thru more derailleur hangers than tires at this point. Once I got stranded in the middle of nowhere; so I decided to carry a spare hanger at all times. For some reason mine does not have the Di2 routing in the chain stay.
classic look
Espetacular! Quando finalmente adquirir um quadro de titânio que me agrade, abandonarei os quadros de carbono.
I can't understand why more frame manufacturers don't place more emphasis on decent tyre clearance. Wider tyres improve the ride quality for all bikes and riders except genuine road racers. Kudos to those few brands out there doing just that.
Nice bike
Thank you for the great review. It would be nice to know the frame weight of this. I have heard that Lynskey's are on the heavy side (for titanium). A decent ti frame should easily be under 1600 grams for a medium frame.
Great review! One small correction: you mention the brakes are Post Mount. The rear brake mount is clearly ISO standard, with a Post Mount adapter installed.
Thanks Neil, appreciate the feedback... this isn't the first time I neglected to catch one of my own errors. D'oh!
That actually means the brake calipers are postmount ;-)
Happy to admit if I got anything wrong here, but thanks for your comment Enrico!
that thing is so sweet.
good bike
Hey Gravel Cyclist, great review of the GR 250. My question is; as I already have a pair of new Mavic 29er boost carbon wheels, do you think using the Lynskey 29er pro frame would do as good a job as the 250 ? I would set up with road bars etc. The reason I ask is the 250 doesn't come in boost spacing. Or would you sell the wheels and go down the GR 250 route? Thanks for any advice.
Gravel Cyclist .Monster Cross indeed. That looked like a great project. Many thanks for your reply/help. A decision to make!
Thank you for the review. Where in Middle Georgia is this brick layer gravel road?! I must know!
…no answer …
NICE bIKes!
G'day trendsetters!
That's a salutation if I ever heard one. Made me laugh. Good stuff JOM
My standard intro, glad you like Charlie :)
Good review. Litespeed is in TN too, but it should be known that the Lynskey brothers were founding partners of Litespeed before starting Lynskey on their own.
The review is interesting in that some of the static views of the bike lit looks like a huge 10cm saddle to bar drop. Super tuck aero all the time. Though it's deceptive in other shots. Was the bike small for you? Compare this to the rider at 5:45 for example.
Phil, check my factory tour video of the Lynskey facility. Well aware of the company history - in fact, I have an interview of company CEO, Mark Lynskey, posting soon.
The bike fit me perfectly, but I am borderline on the sizing. With said, I prefer to use the smallest frame possible, and stretch it out a little with the seatpost and stem. This method of fitting isn't for everyone... but fitting is a personal choice.
Thanks for clarifying on the fit. I'm sort of the opposite. I don't mind reaching out, as much as having to reach down. I guess that's why bike fit experts exist. :--)
Cool on Mark Lynskey. I think my comments on Lynskey/Lightspeed was more for viewers than you. You're going to know far more about this than I am. While you're interviewing Lynskey, ask him if my Merckx TiAx (circa 1999) was made while he was still around at Litespeed. Kind of joking as it's trivial, but I've honestly always wondered. ;-)
What was the weight of your bike with the 700c wheels (out of curiosity)? I'm looking at Firefly, Linskey, and a few others for a do-it-all road bike/"gravel bike" that's strong/tough yet lightweight and fast so as to keep the rides fun instead of feeling like I'm clunking along on a overly heavy bike. I'm on the borderline between going with a gravel bike or a CX bike. If I could find a race CX bike made of steel or titanium that had more of a road bike gearing setup (instead of the 1x) with mounts for fenders/racks and a little more steady steering for fast descents and speeds with disc brakes... I would like to add on a Quarq power meter and Rotor chainrings perhaps... with a good wheel setup I think that would be my idea bike right now. I could be wrong still (?)
Weight varied anywhere from 19lbs - 20lbs, depending on the wheels and tyres I was using at the time. Sorry for the delay in responding.
Велосипед мечта , очень хорош.
Great review. Looking at the geometry of the bike, the small has a 53.7 cm top tube however the sizing guide states heights 5'3"-5'5" which seems on the small size for that TT length. I would normally get a 53cm TT bike at 5'8". Any thoughts on this? How tall are you?
Jon, I do agree the top tube measurement versus the suggested rider heights is not right. I typically ride a 54 - 54.5cm top tube road bike and I'm about 5'10" - 5'11"... always good to round up :). Fit is personal and I ride the smallest frames I can get away with. I rode the size small in the video. I was at the absolute max in terms of seatpost extension (it was right on the limit line), but the bike wasn't cramped and fit me like a glove. I also prefer a more aggressive position to most.
With all of this said, I say disregard the suggested height guide - I never look at those, but look at the top tube length. That is the one that counts. You can always compensate for seat tube length by lowering or raising the saddle, and you can stretch a bike out by running a setback seatpost or longer stem. Remember, I am not a fit expert, and my method isn't for everyone.
Finally, the GR260 was recently and has superseded this bike. However, the frame is identical in every way barring some small modifications to how the cabling is routed, flat mount brakes, etc. Geometry is the same.
Good luck!
Hi JOM,
Great review! I'm looking at the GR260 and had similar thoughts about sizing. I'm 170cm tall (short?) - both my road bike and TT bikes have 530mm horizontal top tube length so I'll go with that as key metric.
The main alternative choice I'm considering is the Niner RLT steel.
Cheers!
Ian - Aussie in Vietnam
Ian, definitely use the top tube as your measurement point. You can always raise or lower a saddle which directly impacts the effective seat tube length. I always pick the smallest frame I can get away with, which isn't a sizing philosophy for everyone. You will not be disappointed with the GR260 - the tyre clearance is the biggest available.
Gravel Cyclist
Many thanks JOM
Question: I have a 29'er mountain bike, a Santa Cruz Tallboy to be exact. If I bought this frame and fork would I be able to interchange the parts from my mountain bike to the Lynskey?
… no answer …
Does the 3T Fork have significantly better clearance than the Lynskey fork provided? (Hence why you were able to run 2" 29er tires)
I will respond to your question when I have the PRO GR in front of me (that has the new Lynskey fork installed).
Are you planning a review of the newer GR300 model?
That would require me having the GR300 to review... as a friendly FYI, I don't chase review bikes, I'm fortunate enough to be contacted by many of the manufacturers. With that said, I would definitely consider a review of the GR300, thanks for asking!
I was all set to take a trip to Chattanooga and tour the Litespeed plant and now I find out there is another Ti bike manufacturer there? Maybe I will just get new gear on my Fuji. I'm overwhelmed with the options.
Be thankful for all of the options. When I started riding gravelly roads in 2006, I had one tyre choice, and only CX frames - which admittedly, do the job just fine :)
@@GravelCyclist I am only here because of the word "titanium". My current ride is a 50 year old Fuji Finest, double butted steel, chromed frame from the factory, came with sew up tubular tires. I paid $350. for it in 1974, like spending $2K today and today I have a lot more money. I got pushed into retirement by the Wuhan Flu and started riding my bike almost every day. All on pavement. I was going to do some upgrades on the Fuji but I figured it would just be better to buy new. I can afford it. I'm looking at a "city" or "hybrid" like the Litespeed Cherohala. I am done with dropped bars. Bear in mind I am almost 70 years old. God bless!
How do you prefer the Pro GR vs the 250 or now 300 series?
PRO GR is my fave, I have not ridden the 300 series or the latest iteration of the PRO GR. However, I think the changes are quite small between the new and old PRO GR. It is my go-to bike for the gnarliest of conditions.
@@GravelCyclist awesome thanks for the info! Hard to find a lot to read up on with these bikes so your reviews are much appreciated!
Geometry seems too small for you ? or old fashioned short top tube on gravel with short head tube , I guess if you feel comfortable though that’s what counts
Videos are great 👍🏻 ...
Do you think this could handle the Tour Divide with the 2" tires on it?
Sorry, no Tour Divide experience... but, could it handle a bunch of varied terrain with 2" tyres?, I would say yes.
How tall are you? Small looks small. Could you have gone with a Medium?
Small fit me perfectly. About 5'11". Bike fit is a personal thing, thanks.
what's the weight of the bike?
Depends on the wheels and such... see the description for more detail, has weights listed.
Thank you ... Sorry I didn't read the description. I enjoy your videos, continue !
stickers on titanium are criminal... but nice review
Now I know Phil Collins
Haha, I've heard that from four different people now.
What I dont understand, and maybe its my advanced years, why a gravel bike with more relaxed geometry as compared to a true road bike, would have such an extreme drop between saddle height and handlebar…. Doesnt look as comfortable as it should be…
Reminder, bike fit is personal, and my setup, super comfortable.
It's like this channel hates steel and aluminium gravel bikes.
Seriously? That is a very silly thing to say. We review what we receive. I have a steel bike review coming, although it may be in web format only.