Anyone ride a Lynskey R340?

Hi All! I'm thinking of getting a new bike, the Lynskey R340. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this bike or other Lynksey models..Helix, Cooper, etc. It seems that Lynskey offers two different geometries, one upright, one more dropped/competitive. I've just started racing, so was considering the longer top tube/shorter head tube version, seen in the R340. For the XS frame, it has a 51 cm top tube, 46 cm seat tube (center-top), 10 cm head tube. I'm 5'3.25 with a 29 in inseam.

They're running a promo right now where you can get a R340 built up with Sram Rival for $3200...which is about what I'd pay for a new carbon bike (like the Specialized Amira), but its Ti so it'll last forever!

Okay, no bites on my previous post, so I'll make it more general. Can anyone discuss with me the benefits of carbon vs. titanium? I am specifically looking for a bike that will allow me to both race (seriously race) and ride comfortably for 50+ miles. I know that Titanium is probably smoother and better for longer rides, but is it suitable to race? The guys at my bike shop say no--that carbon is a lot "snappier" and is preferable for racing because of how it accelerates--but I remain unconvinced! I'm about 125 lbs, can the frame material make that much of a difference for someone my size? Does frame stiffness even come into play?

Katie,

You might want to repost your "Carbon vs. Ti" query in a new thread with that subject line. A lot of folks are going to miss it thinking the thread is only about Lynkseys, which I don't think many know much about.

Good luck!

Why not call Lynskey and talk to them? I have a Lynskey (but not the model you're asking about) and love it. Nothing but nice things to say about the company and their sales staff. They're beautiful, well made bikes. And it's worth it to me not to have to worry about carbon damage.