This is a special build that we partook in, though we can't lay claim to the entire bike. You may recognize the wheels from a few weeks ago, which we were thrilled to be a part of building. Rims are Velocity A23, hubs are White Industries H2/H3.
Let's backtrack a little. This bike belongs to a friend of the shop who has served out country in the Army. From the get-go this bike was to be loud and scream patriotism. But at the same time, we didn't want to go down a route that lead to a bike that crossed a line TOO far into being gaudy.
The fork was painted locally by a great friend of ours, Duane over at Chester Cycles. If you need something painted, this is your dude. Turnaround has always been totally acceptable, his pricing is great, and his work is top-notch.
It's clear that in as many areas as possible, choices were made to stick with US companies, and preferably US-made products. Of course, it's pretty much impossible to completely pull that off, but Ryan got damn close.
The frame is one that hits close to home for us, a Lynskey Cooper. I've spent a ton of time on an identical frame, Chase still sports his, and we have a few more team people riding theirs, check them out here, here, here, and here.
The drivetrain is a mix of SRAM Force and Red. The headset is a Chris King, the stem and post are both Thomson, tires are the wonderfully plush and grippy Vittoria EVO CS.
While the Cooper is considered by some as the "budget" Lynskey, it's far from it. The tubing is still shaped, the frame is light, and it has one very nice feature some of the other Lynskey frames don't: a replaceable derailleur hanger. Don't take that the wrong way, a Ti derailleur hanger makes for excellent shifting, but in the case of a serious crash isn't it nice to know that hanger is replaceable?
Nothing "budget" about this bike. Built with care, each part chosen for a very specific purpose. I can't help but to assume this bike rides as well as it looks. Enjoy it, sir.
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