Lynskey Performance Designs has a longer history than most in the realm of titanium bicycle manufacturing, having started production in Tennessee under the name Litespeed in the mid-eighties. Litespeed was sold off in 1999 and still exists as a separate company, but since 2006 the Lynskey family has been back in the business, making frames that bear the family name.
- Highs: Practical, futureproof and versatile frame; lovely finish; rounded ride quality
- Lows: Mudguard compatible fork doesn't match frame properly and awkwardly placed eyelets pose a challenge
- Buy If: You want an all-weather stunner that isn't subject to the whimsy of fashion
The Sportive Disc is a bike built for long distance comfort and, as the name implies, disc brakes are the order of the day – Shimano RS785 calipers matched to RS685 11-speed levers in this case. Lynskey offers a variety of finishes, with the 'Industrial Mill' option used on our test bike being the default for frames sold in the UK. It has a luxurious, muted splendour to it, and the stylish 3D logos lend warehouse chic.
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The 'Industrial Mill' finish on our test ride oozes understated class
Only the choice of fork slightly lets down the ensemble. The Sportive has a proper tapered head tube, but if you want (slightly inconvenient) mudguard eyelets on your fork then you'll have to stick with the straight steerer option with a crown race adapter fitted to our test bike, or go off-brand, because Lynskey's tapered option doesn't offer mounts. There's no meaningful performance disadvantage to this fork, but it doesn't blend in properly with the head tube, upsetting the lines of the bike.
Otherwise, it's an attractive package, right down to little details like the lovely machined metal barrel adjusters. The rear dropouts are interesting too, with cut-outs for weight savings and interchangeable inserts that mean the frame can be converted to 142x12 thru-axles in place of standard skewers – a really useful feature from a futureproofing point of view. The left-hand dropout also acts as the brake caliper mount, and its substantial interface with the chainstay looks reassuringly robust.
- Size tested: M
- Sizes available: XS, S, M, L, XL
- Weight: 10.14kg
- Frame: 3AL/2.5V titanium
- Fork: Lynskey Carbon Endurance Disc
- Frame alignment: Head-tube and rear dropout perfect, fork good
- Chainset: Shimano 105, 50- 34t, 172.5mm
- Bottom bracket: Shimano Hollowtech 2
- Cassette: Shimano 105 CS- 5800, 11-28t
- Chain: Shimano HG X11
- Derailleurs: Shimano 105
- Gear levers: Shimano ST-RS685
- Wheels: DT Swiss R23DB Spline
- Tyres: Freedom ThickSlick, 28mm
- Wheel weight: F 1.69kg R 2.09kg
- Stem: Easton EA50, 100mm
- Handlebar: Easton EA50, 410mm
- Headset: Cane Creek Forty
- Saddle: Lynskey Sport
- Seatpost: Easton EA50, 27.2mm
- Brakes: Shimano BR-RS785
- Price As Tested: £2700
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