Paul Barnard

I have been ready to press the order button on a few different items and realized there's just not enough info for me to be sure I am getting the right thing. Even going with the TRP brand flat to post for 160 rotor for my TRP spyre brakes, I have no idea if the mounting bolts will be long enough for the Lynskey mount. For that matter, I have no idea if TRP even includes the mounting bolts.

Paul Barnard

I already put blue loctite on both the derailleur hanger and the left drop out. Thanks for that tip.

Paul Barnard

Yours is a 160 isn't it?

Tourist in MSN

Paul, I did not bother to quote your four postings here, but responding to them in order.

1. Agree their website is not that friendly. In my case, I had an Ebay posting so they knew exactly what they already had ready to ship to me, as the frame as it sat was what I was buying. But they posted the incorrect photos on Ebay. I suspect most Lynskey buyers that are spending that much are having a bike shop build the bike for them. And the bike shops likely have all the various options already in stock. So, they probably are used to dealing with bike shops that can install either kind of brake, etc.

2. If the issue is only bolts, I would not worry about that. M6 bolts are readily available at the hardware store. I usually use stainless but those bolts might need more strength so the black coated steel bolts might be a better idea.

3. You are welcome.

4. Mine is a 160. When I first contacted Lynskey (by e-mail through the Ebay system) I told them that I had already bought the 160 mm post mount brake because that would fit based on their photos. So, when they sent me the post mount adapter, they knew that I needed one for that size. I have no clue if they make different post mounts for different disc sizes. The adapter that my brake is attached to I believe is Aluminum and not Titanium. It has that bright silver look to it instead of the darker gray of Titanium. That is not an important issue, just thought I would mention it.

Which finish did you get? Mine is Industrial Mill.

Did you get a dyno hub or a regular hub? I got a dynohub, headlight, etc.

Paul Barnard

I got the basic industrial mill and no dyno hub.

I really appreciate all the help all of you have given me. I suspect at some stage of the build I'll need a little more help.

Tourist in MSN

Order some of these. For less than a buck you can't go wrong.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8A09-10pcs-...e/263834473150
They look better than zip ties to hold your brake cable to the down tube. Shipped from china can take a month so you would likely have to use zip ties at first, then replace with these when they arrive.

I think that is a good choice. I know a gal that got the plain matt finish, scratches show up much more on that. And since the Industrial Mill finish is basically pre-scratched, if you did get a scratch in it, from what I have seen on teh internet you can often buff it out with some scotch bright pad. I am sure I have scratches on mine that I can't even see.

Paul Barnard

I like those C clips they look so much cleaner than Z-ties. I will get some. In the interim, how snug do the zip ties need to be?

I called Lynskey. They said the TRP flat to post mount should work fine with my 160 rotors and the post mount brakes. I ordered one and it should be here by the end of the day Saturday. I may get this thing built this weekend.

Tourist in MSN

Zip ties to hold the brake cable to the frame, not tight at all. The clips do not hold it on very tight either. Compressionless brake cable is pretty stiff so it won't slide around. And one end is anchored at the brake.

I am not sure how many photos of mine you have seen, so I attached a few. First, bike with racks for touring, Tubus Tara front and RackTime AddIt rack rear. Second and third, on a tour. Fourth, I mentioned that for around home I do not use my touring racks on the bike, the rear rack is a lighter duty nitto rack that I picked up cheap at a swap meet.

Paul Barnard

That's a great looking set up. Remind me what fork you are using.

seeker333

He's using a Surly LHT 700 fork, but you might instead use the Surly Disc Trucker fork for disc brake capability (MSRP is the same). Either of these forks have an axle-to-crown distance (ATCD) of 390mm. In the past the Backroad was paired with either a Lynskey-branded steel or CF fork, both with 400mm ATCD. Assuming the Backroad was designed for use with 400mm ATCD fork, using a 390mm ATCD Trucker fork will increase the seat tube and head tube angles ~1 degree, and shorten wheelbase a bit and increase likelihood of toe-overlap.

The Surly Straggler fork looks like it may be a better choice geometrically with 400mm ATCD distance, and all other aspects apparently the same as Trucker forks. You should email derby@surlybikes.com and inquire if the Straggler fork is suited for loaded touring duty. My guess is Straggler fork will work fine since many have toured on Surly Cross Checks, and Staggler is a disc-braked version of Cross Check.

Lynskey now sells the Fyxation Sparta CF fork for use with Backroad, but this fork is apparently capable of light front loading only (water bottles). However, the fatter upper fork legs/crown will probably look better with the Backroad's 44mm tapered headtube.

Tourist in MSN

Yup, Seeker is correct, a LHT fork, vintage 2004 for rim brakes and 700c.

I think your Backroad has a conical shaped head tube whereas mine is cylindrical.

My frame is the size large. I do have a bit of toe overlap, but I have some toe overlap on every 700c bike I have had that had fenders on it.

I consider my Lynskey to be my light touring bike, my Thorn Sherpa for medium weights and the Thorn Nomad for expedition weight touring.

Paul Barnard

Tourist, mine does have the conical head tube. I like the looks of a straight one better. I got quite a bit done this evening.

All I have left is the rear brake install (my adapter is supposed to come in tomorrow) my grips, bar-ends and chain. Then all the adjusting.

Oh crap. I just realized I forgot to insert my star nut.

Paul Barnard

It's complete with the exception of the rear brake. It was a pretty smooth build process. Two slight issues. I installed the bottom bracket using the 2 spacers on the right and 1 on the left as the directions dictate with a 68MM BB shell. That put my chainline pretty bad out of whack. I removed the right spacer. In doing that when I tightened everything up, it crushed the plastic tube/sleeve in between the bearings. I had to toss it. I wondered if the absence of one of the spacers would cause the crankset to drift left and right. Even a little encouragement from a mallet wouldn't induce a lateral shift, so I think I am okay. The chainline is good now.

My front derailleur kicked my butt. They often do and I have no idea why. It's good enough now. When my patience is restored, I am going to tweak it a bit more.

As it sits without the rear brake it weighs in at 22.4. So lets call it 23 with the brake and my lightweight wheels. With my touring wheels and tires I'll add nearly 2 pounds. That's right where I thought I'd be sans racks.

I have yet to really dial in the brakes. The front one is pretty good right now. I don't think they are going to be as bad as I thought. Time will tell.

I'll post some pics this evening.

Paul Barnard

She's done. I'll take it for a ride tomorrow and let you know what I think.

Tourist in MSN

Looks nice. Interesting use of reds and blues.

I do not see anything on the chainstay on the drive side to protect against chain slap. I just used a piece of electrical tape, see post 10 above.

And it looks like all the bolts for the rear brake fit properly.

Don't forget one rule of Titanium bikes. The weight of your lock is supposed to be inversely proportional to the weight of the bike.

Paul Barnard

I am going to put some protection on the chain stay. I still have some finishing touches I need to do. Before my ride in the morning, I am going to check everything to make sure it's snug. No issues with the brake installation at all. They are weak right now. There have been a few threads about bedding disc brakes in recent weeks. I need to dig those up. I almost always have red and blue in my bikes. White too if possible.

Thanks for the help! Thanks to everyone who helped.

Paul Barnard

I took it for a 34 mile spin this morning. If I could sum up the experience in two words, I'd say it's plush and planted. I knew at 25 pounds it wouldn't be quick. It takes more effort to spool it up than it does my road bikes, but that was expected. I didn't have a computer, so I don't know how fast my cruising speed was compared to my road bikes, but it wasn't appreciably different. I really, really liked the ergos and the bar set up. I could go from near bolt upright to stretched out and more aero. It is going to do just what I wanted it to do! Obviously it's early in the game, but I am thrilled with it at the moment.

My only complaint is the brakes. I installed them using compressionless housing. I cleaned the rotors thoroughly. I broke them in and bedded them as recommended by many. They are weak and mushy. There's no way I could lock up a wheel if I wanted to. They did improve a little as I rode, but they have a long way to go before I would consider them strong.

I am running Conti GP4000S II for the first time. They are light, super easy to mount and they feel like they roll pretty well. I rode them at 75PSI today. I am going to bump them up 10 more PSI for my next ride and see how they feel.

Wednesday it was a bunch of parts scattered all over my dining table and today it's a sweet commuter/gravel bike/tourer.

Tourist in MSN

I have not found my rear Spyre to be that great either, I score it as average. I am running V brakes on the front with Koolstop Salmon pads, they are almost too good. In rain, the Spyre beats the V brake, but that is the best I can say about it.

I have bought some resin brake pads and have been planning to try those instead of the stock TRP pads and rotor. But have not gotten around to it yet and since I leave town tomorrow for over two weeks, it is not going to happen right away.

Until I saw the first photo yesterday, I had assumed that you would be running drop bars and road brake levers. Are your brake levers of the long cable pull variety that are intended for use on mountain bike brakes? If so, maybe you have the wrong brakes. Road levers have a short cable pull, but pull pretty hard on the cable whereas mountain brake levers have greater cable pull but put less force on the cable.

This link says that Spyke is used with long pull brake levers.
https://www.trpcycling.com/product/spyke/

And the Spyre uses road levers.
https://www.trpcycling.com/product/spyre/

Paul Barnard

My levers are short pull Shimano flat bar road levers.

Paul Barnard

I took another longish ride today and I am loving the bike. The feel is unlike any other frame I have ridden. It's luxury car smooth and sports car planted. The Bicycle Wheel Warehouse DT Swiss XR 331 wheels with the Conti GP4000 S2 tires at 90 PSI feel fantastic. I am going to push pressure up to 100 for my next ride just to see how it feels, but I have a hunch I'll end up back at 90. 90 is is a pretty big improvement over 80. The TRP brakes must be starting to bed pretty well. They are much improved, but still fairly ho-hum. The front one emits a squeak every now and then. The VP platform pedals are great. They aren't too heavy for a large pedal. They are very supportive. My previous all-purpose bike was a Schwinn Super Sport GS. It has a fairly high bottom bracket and I am accustomed to pedaling through corners. The drop on the Backroad is such that I now have a character mark on my new VP pedals!

I am 5'11" with fairly longish legs and bad knees. I am finding that 175 cranks stress my knees more than 170 or even 172.5. It's hard to believe that with my 33" inseam less than 1/4 inch can make a difference, but it does. It will be a while before I tour on it, but I have no doubt it'll do that job with aplomb.

Paul Barnard

Now that I have spent some time in the saddle, I want to kind of wrap this up for the benefit of anyone who may consider a Backroad in the future. I have never had a bike that I blended with as well as this one. From the very first ride, I was at home. I struggle to describe the ride. A steel bike might be like a Cadillac, a carbon bike may be like a 'Vette. This bike is like a BMW 7 series or maybe a Tesla. Not as sporty as the 'Vette and not as cushy as the Cadillac, but you feel the plush, hushed, sportiness. No creaks, squeaks and clicks. It soaks up road irregularities without making you feel disconnected from the road. A carbon race bike might be said to accelerate like a rocket. This one accelerates like a tuned diesel. Just strong steady spool up. You can't flick it about like a lightweight race bike, but it handles superbly.

The TRP brakes have continued to bed and are now good. I am completely thrilled with everything about this bike. I don't think I would change a thing if I had to do it all over again. The handlebar/bar end set up works fantastically. The saddle is good for the 30-35 mile rides I have been doing, though I may change it out before I start doing long days back to back.

If you have ever considered the Backroad, GET ONE.

Tourist in MSN

Glad you like it. Like you I also had those early frustrations with Lynskey customer service, but once the bike was built up and complete I started to forget those frustrations pretty fast.

I am quite happy with my Backroad, but I have a fleet of bikes and ride many of them. While I am not as ecstatically happy with mine as you are with yours, it is not the fault of the Backroad, instead it is that I really like several of my bikes.

Plus of course, since the Backroad is sold as the frame and not a complete bike, no two Backroads will be the same. Thus each owner that has their own custom component selection based on the owners interests will also play a part in how much each owner likes it.

fietsbob

I'm trying the TRP Hy Rd, on my bike with Avid speed dial levers ,
so the cable pull is a range of adjustment..

had BB7 MTB disc.. when I got the bike.. it's still whats on the rear..

Seems the TRP has an OEM HyRd, that is all black parts ,, I want 2 of those..

Though Nice, as a commute/utility bike, I like things that don't read 'steal me'!..

others want polished ..





....

jspurlin

Great description of the titanium riding experience. I'm looking forward to the same satisfaction when I get mine built and I expect some of my component choices will be influenced by your example. In my case I'm already a Lynskey fan. I have a R230 road bike and it is my favorite. I also had (more later) a Cervelo R3 with all carbon components and nice wheels that was 2 lbs lighter than the Lynskey, but last summer I chose the Lynskey instead for the Ride the Rockies tour that included lots of climbing at high altitude.I just like riding it that much better. I traded in the Cervelo for the Backroad frame. Can't wait to ride it!

Paul Barnard

I am anxious to see yours come together. I hope you'll do a thread on it. I like the titanium experience so well that my Carbon Tarmac is getting sent down the road to make room for a Litespeed T6 that was on closeout. At this stage of my life comfort is much more important than any other factor.