armybikerider

I have a Lynskey 2009 R330. For the past 5 years I've used Vittoria 23's front and rear with no complaints as I rode the smooth roads of FT Campbell KY, logging 29,000 + miles.

Recently I retired from the Army and moved to North Texas - the land of chip seal roads. The roads I have available to me have recently been repaved with very large aggregate. What were once comfortable roads to ride on have become almost unbearable.

I don't want to stop riding.......but the roads are sucking the fun out of riding.

Does anyone know if this frame will accommodate 28's - there's not a lot of clearance.........and any suggestions on brand?

Thanks in advance

Phlorida

Thank you for your service and congratulations on your retirement. Get on the Lynskey website in the AM for instant chat or ring them. They would love to talk to you about your frame and its capabilities.

datlas 

I bet it will. Or try 25's. Agree if you can, check directly with Lynskey as suggested above.

richietables 

Thanks for your service! Not all 25's or 28's are the same... Maybe the safest way would be to go to a shop and have somebody eyeball it... That way if one doesn't fit you can fall back to the other? Congrats on your retirement and happy pedaling.

Wingsprint

I have a 2008 R220 (the only difference between the R230 and the R220 is the R220 has slightly relaxed geometry) and I use 25's with plenty of room for a larger tire. I am sure 28's will fit your frame no problem, the problem might be the fork. What fork do you have?

armybikerider

I have the stock fork that came with the frame from the guys in Chattanooga - an Alpha Q GS 10

Wingsprint

In that case, the fork will be the limiting factor. With the Alpha, you will have no issues with 25's. I think if 28's are going to fit it will come down to rim width and brand of tire.

I am not sure many people can tell the difference between 25's and 28's. Tire pressure is the biggest factor in ride quality. Have you tried different pressures?

armybikerider

Chatted this morning with Lynskey.....they said that a 28c tire would NOT fit that frame. Today I fitted a Vittoria 25 with maybe 1/4 inch between the seat tube and the back tire. About the same space between the rear tire and the chain stays....and from the top of the front tire to the underside of the fork.

I'm suspect about the advice from Lynskey. I know that different tire and rim combinations measure differently, and to give a blanket "NO" strikes me as incorrect.

I tried 80 psi in the 25c tires today and, it made the ride better, but it still sucks.

richietables 

The difference between 25 and 28 is less than a quarter inch (in theory 1.5 mm per side) so eyeballing a 28 might still be the way to go.. But as stated it might not feel much different.

Jarrett2

I thought titanium was supposed to be the magic carpet ride? I've been riding North Texas chip seal for the last couple of years and it does indeed suck.

I was hoping that titanium would be the magic material to smooth it out, but I guess not from what I'm hearing.

rebel1916

^^^ I believe it is carbon you are thinking of.

fstshrk

Specialized has a tire with a 23/25 profile. It is 25mm high but the width is 23 mm. Great tire.

Jarrett2

Nah, been down that road already. It's between steel or titanium at this point.

shelbyfv

I have a Peloton, which Lynskey specify as able to take 28s. I did use Panaracer Gravelking 28s last winter. Fit was ok except below the front brake, too close for comfort. This was with Pacenti SL23s and 7800 brakes. I may try another front caliper next winter, see if there is more clearance. If Lynskey told you 28s will not fit, I expect they are correct.

jamesdak 

Did you ever get this sorted out in terms of tire fit, pressure, etc? This retired soldier is dealing with what sounds like the same crappy road conditions here in Utah. What I would give for smooth pavement to ride on, LOL!

ctak

Michelin pro4 endurance 28s on the Lynskey I'm building up. Chainstay is the tightest area w/ ~1.5mm clearance. A bit tight.

HTupolev

No, it's obviously wood.

MoAlpha

Thanks for serving and congrats on the little blue card!

Consider 650B. You deserve new wheels, don’t you?

Gconan

I can only get a 25mm on the front and 28mm on the rear of my Lynskey 265. But I went tubeless with continental 5000 GPS and it helps some with the bumps. Way better than non-tubless.

aliasfox

Depends on the tire. I have a Lynskey R270, which is advertised as being able to take 28mm tires, and came fitted with Continental Ultra Sport 2 tires in 28mm. Plenty of clearance up front, but tight enough in the rear that out of the saddle efforts caused the tire to rub. Got some calipers, and it turned out the 28mm tires actually measured 32mm. Switched the rear to a 25mm Conti GP4k (that actually measures 27.6mm), and all is well.

I would say it's worth it to try a "fat" 25mm like the GP4k, or maybe a skinnier, "true" 28mm - maybe something from Vittoria, or even a GP5k (which I hear are smaller than their predecessor).