I ordered a Lynskey Pro GR with GRX Di2 a couple of months ago. It's now two weeks past the projected ship date with no end in sight. The holdup seems to be availability of the GRX Di2 groupset.
There's a Salsa Warbird with mechanical GRX in my size in stock at a bike shop about 3 hours from my house. I could go there in a day and be back with a bike. It's also significantly cheaper than the Lynskey with the Di2.
I've been riding my 30 year old Trek hard tail mountain bike in the interim. It's about 30 pounds and the bearings are pretty much shot. I'm not too comfortable taking it out at this point. It needs significant work or I think it's going to give up the ghost.
Thoughts? Would you wait for the Lynskey or just go get the Warbird?
One advantage you have with the Warbird is you can ride it to see if you like it. Parts can always be upgraded at a later time. Compare the geometries and see what you think.
I understand the all day trip and am also not really a fan of the hot pink. Either bike is going to be a great long term ride. Unfortunately, I don't think Shimano's supply chain was prepared for the demand of GRX to start with and then throw Covid in the mix and they got way behind.
I have a Lynskey GR270 and I do like it. I too had to wait for mine due to waiting for parts to build it although not as long as you are having to wait. My big problem with Lynskey is they ding your credit card as soon as you hit the buy button. I am not your banker Lynskey. With several people waiting well over a month they are getting a hell of a deal on a zero interest loan. Heck, you don't even have to pay 100% up front for a custom frame. I would not buy from them again unless they have a bike ready to ship to me.
Yes, I was surprised that they charge your credit card for the full amount when you order. That's a foul in my book -- especially when delivery times are uncertain.
I talked to them today and they have FedEx tracking numbers for the GRX parts and expect deliveries next Monday or Tuesday. Should ship my bike by the end of next week. Looks like we may have a hurricane early next week, so I probably won't be riding gravel for a few days anyway.
If the parts don't arrive at the factory next week, then it will probably be time to take a trip to North Carolina to look at the Warbird.
You might take a look at Litespeed. The brand that Lynskey started. I've always wondered why none of the much more expensive boutique brand Ti builders don't even offer anything other that 3/2.5. I would prefer it over the more expensive tubing.
Yes, it came down to Litespeed vs Lynskey when I made the original decision. Now, I'd have to start the process over again if I ordered a Litespeed and I suspect it would take longer than waiting on the Lynskey.
I would wait for the GRX Di2! I am building up a bike with it and that is the main reason I didn't go w/ Salsa bcs of only their pre-builts. The Ti frame should outlast you. With exception of my MTBike - all I ride is Di2. If you want another opinion...Gravel Cyclist did a long term ride and comparison of the Di2.
In regard to cost - buy what you truly want - don't settle. I waited for my ideal build - I will be happier for the wait and in the long run. Just my 2 cents!
Thanks for the input. Hopefully, the wait will soon be over for the Lynskey. Both bikes have advantages, but I'd really like to invest once in the groupset (at least for the next few years). If I went with mechanical, I'd definitely look to upgrade at some point in the future. Might as well get the pain (i.e. the initial cost) over with at the beginning. 🙂
Not sure why you want TI (there are lots of valid reasons) but I was fascinated to see that the old TI warbird was about 10% LESS compliant than the newer aluminum warbirds (and much less compliant than the carbon version).
Interesting... Ti is just one of those things I've always wanted to try. The Warbird would be lighter, but I feel like the Ti will be more durable. I live in a coastal area. A lot of my riding is in sandy areas and with salty air. I feel like the Ti will work well for that. True carbon doesn't rust, but the grit probably won't help it.
I definitely think the Pro GR is likely to be less compliant than the Warbird due to the 6/4 Ti. I'm counting on a replacement carbon seatpost as well as tubeless (lower pressure) tires to get the compliance I need.
I recently went through this same dilemma after ordering my GR300 from Lynskey. I ordered on 3/9/20, so basically right before the effects of COVID on the bike industry became visible. I had been shopping for a Warbird for several months, but found a bigger than usual discount on new Lynskeys, so decided to go that route with a GRX600 build. Delivery took 12 weeks instead of 4, but I’m glad I waited.
One question, if you’re considering a mechanical GRX groupset on the Warbird, why not consider the same on the Lynskey? If the Di2 is the holdup at the moment, but they could finish your build with GRX600 or GRX800, maybe that would be a reasonable compromise to get your bike sooner? With that being said, I’d actually be surprised if they could get the mechanical GRX any sooner than the Di2 version.
Best of luck in whichever direction you decide to go, I don’t think you could go wrong with either bike.
The holdup seems to be with GRX in general--mechanical or Di2. Switching to mechanical wouldn't make a difference in this case for the delivery time.
As Snake points out, CF has a different feel. I have a CF road bike, so I have an idea about that. I've never ridden a bike with a Ti frame, so that's the unknown.
I've got Ultegra on my road bike and I assume that mechanical GRX will be very similar in performance, which really is fine. No complaints with mechanical Ultegra. I'd just like to try the Di2 for some of the capabilities it offers. It's cheaper to buy it at the time of purchase rather than upgrade later. As Volsung says, the FOMO would also be there if I went with mechanical. The only Di2 bike I've ridden was a road bike with the 6800 Ultegra group. At the time, I didn't see what the fuss was about, but that was the previous generation. It was good, but I didn't think the price premium was worth it. Most accounts say that the latest generation is a step up and if that's the case, I'm willing to give it a try.
The bike purchasing process has got to be one of the oddest out there. It's an expensive item that is difficult to try before you buy. There are no Ti bikes in my local bike shops and I also haven't seen GRX Di2 in a LBS. I understand why bike shops don't stock this type of inventory, but it really makes the process a leap of faith. Lynskey does give a return policy, but return shipping is complicated and expensive. Not to mention, I'd be bummed it I waited all this time and then hated the bike. Oh well...
Of course, FOMO goes both ways. I'm missing out currently by not being able to ride yet. There's a gravel event near me in early September. If this drags on too much, the Salsa becomes more attractive. I'm hoping that Lynskey was right and the parts will arrive this week. Oh the waiting...
Well I changed out my groupset on my Raleigh Roker Comp back at the end of Feb. beginning of March. I switched the Roker from 1x Sram Rival to 2x Shimao GRX Ultegra 48/31 with a 11 - 40t rear. Even back then my LBS was having trouble getting the GRX crank in so I ordered it in from REI. Good luck in finding the bike for you.
