Lynskey Cooper Review

A very nice review on the Lynskey Cooper. An XL frame built up for Mike with SRAM Rival and a Quarq. Mike was excited for a new bike, like any real cyclist, but was nervous about the stiffness. Debating between a Felt F4 and Cooper, Mike wasn't sure the Cooper would have the performance he was looking for.

I've added a few shots during the build and of the initial fit. Mike has since lowered the stem 2+cm as well as flipped the stem down and even added 10mm to it. The fit has gotten much lower and longer with the added riding, flexibility, and comfort this bike has given Mike.


Read on for his impressions:

I wouldn’t call myself a bike expert, but I have ridden a variety of bikes, from aluminum, carbon fiber and steel frames, with varying degrees of enjoyment. I have never ridden a titanium bike and was a bit skeptical when Brandon and others on the team suggested that I would love riding the Lynskey Cooper. I was planning to get another carbon bike but didn’t want a bike that beat the hell out of me on longer rides (I’m not a crit racer), so I took the leap and got the Lynskey Cooper. I have had a chance to ride it long (75+ miles), during crazy group rides (yes, Judson can be crazy), during crits and one muddy road/gravel road race and I’m surprised how happy I am about the bike.


I have not been on a ride yet that I want to get off the bike. The ride feel is amazing. I have had other properly fitted bikes that I want to get off because I felt beat up, not because my legs are tired. It’s great to feel like I could ride my bike forever… or at least longer than I would ever consider riding it.

The other piece to the ride quality is the responsiveness; it's awesome. I’m not sure if it’s the stiffness, tube construction or geometry or some combination (like I said, I’m not an expert) but when I want to stand up and sprint, the bike is ready. I feel like I have another gear when I’m pushing it or sprinting. I’m a tall guy, but I don’t feel any flex in the frame. I doubt the bike is the stiffest bike in the world, but I couldn't care less because I feel confident with it when I’m sprinting. Related to being confident, I also feel like I have a lot of control. The bike takes corners nicely and handles great, a huge positive when you are riding with others.

I have also taken this bike through hell. I rode the bike during the Leland road race that was a total mud/gravel-fest. And the bike was awesome. It handled the gravel and mud perfectly. I didn’t worry about taking it through any line, no matter how rough or muddy. The other great benefit to the bike is that titanium is super easy to clean. The industrial mill finish cleans up nice… and quick. This has come in handy in the early spring and especially after Leland.

The other great thing about the bike is that it’s unique. Brandon did awesome job of building a one of a kind ride, great orange accents that look great with titanium. I like owning it.

The bike is outfitted with SRAM Rival components, which feel very similar to my SRAM Red on my cross bike. There is a small difference, but I think the biggest difference is in weight not shifting feel or quality.

I have also put on a Quarq, which I love so far and think that it’s better than my Powertap because I can put any wheels on the bike. I look forward to using the Quarq during cross season.

Now, the Cooper isn’t the lightest bike in the world (I don’t have the lightest wheels currently either, Brandon when are you getting me those Firecrest Zipp wheels?) but I could lose 1-2 pounds (or work harder) to make up the difference, plus we don’t have hills in Chicago were it matters most.

I’d recommend the bike to almost anyone. Since I have gotten the Cooper, I haven’t ridden my ‘cross bike or my TT bike. I don’t want too, I like riding the Cooper too much. My experience with the Cooper has me considering getting the cyclocross version for cross season.

This is what happens when someone puts their trust in us to help. It's a huge leap to spend thousands of dollars without riding a bike first, but there's a reason we ride everything we can get our hands on. Yes, it's a "tough" job, but we really do ride all of these bikes to help you.

Mike, we're as happy about your bike as you are, enjoy logging the miles!

What was old is new again

Received this from a good friend of the shop. It's a great point, where some people look for a new bike, with a little TLC your current bike can really bring back memories and last a long time.

This rider's tune-up would be about $290 which includes new cables and housing and good cleaning, new brakes, and a new bottom bracket. Much less than the cost of a new carbon road bike, like his current ride is.

The bike industry is a well oiled marketing machine, with new innovations always being introduced that trigger our urge to consume. This write-up isn’t about a new super product, but rather the performance improvement and satisfaction I received through an overhaul of my well used older bike.

I purchased my first road bike with minimal maintenance knowledge. Over the years I’ve learned quite a bit about service, but there are still several jobs that require a mechanic’s knowledge and a shop’s tools. My bike’s shifting had become sluggish, the wheels were slightly out of true and it just wasn’t the same machine I excitedly purchased 5 years ago.

I took her in for re-cabling and any other service needed that Iron Cycles found when looking it over. Brandon and Ben went the whole nine yards inspecting and fixing what was wrong. New cables, re-greasing the hubs, new bottom bracket (an inexpensive replacement for big performance benefit), wheel truing, and replacing the badly rusting brakes. They even did some maintenance on the shifter when they noticed that the rear shifter wasn’t quite as “snappy” as it should be. Something I hadn’t noticed and would not know how to fix at my home “shop”/dining room.

The result? The performance of a brand new bike at a fraction of the cost. I took her out the following morning for a group ride. The crisp shifting, smooth and silent crank and true wheels brought a smile to my face. It brought back memories of when I first bought it and the countless hours and experiences over the years. I’m looking forward to many more years and miles to come thanks to the help of the guys at Iron Cycles.

A little love goes a long way on your bike.

Niner first Impressions

Love love LOVE my Niner Air9. I spent the winter painstakingly selecting my build group for my Niner, and now I'm getting to enjoy the payoff. I haven't even gotten to ride any real single track and already it's exceded my expectations.

The build: Large Niner Air9, Niner rigid carbon fork, King headset; Thomson cockpit with Fizik Tundra saddle, Edge (Envy) Composites carbon riser bar, and Ergon GX2 Leichtbau Carbon grips; Sram X9 2x10 group with Elixer CR hydro brakes; Stans No-Tubes Crest rims laced to King ISO Disk hubs with DT Swiss Revolution spokes rolling on Kenda rubber; Crank Brothers Eggbeater 2's help me put the power to the ground.

A couple weeks ago I swapped out the big Kendas for some skinny 1.75 Bontragers and went across the pond to race the Barry-Roubaix in Barry County, Michigan. For my money, this was the PERFECT bike for the job. While I wasn't contending for the podium, the extra air volume made for a very comfy ride, but the real gem was the 2x10 Sram drivetrain. With the rolling terrain this rain threw at us, I was never at a loss for the right gear to keep me rolling along. I'm sure that's what helped keep me fresh enough for the final sprint to finish 16th out of 70+ in the 35 mile race!

This weekend I took one step closer to single track by hitting up the Des Plains River Trail for a good 25 miles of trails. I was amazed at how this thing carves up the trail. I hit a couple twisty single track sections, and found the Niner is a real point-and-shoot beast. More amazing was how easy it is to get the wheels off the gournd when hopping logs or jumping log piles.

I can't wait to hit up Palos and Kettle Morain in the coming weeks, and I'll be sure to share!

Soupy