When test bikes come in to DRHQ, our esteemed editor is usually the one making the call of who gets to test which bike. This was the case a few weeks ago when Karen came to my office and asked if I would be interested in testing a custom Lynskey Performance Pro29. The only difference was that the bike doesn’t exist yet. They’re going to build it for me.

For those of you not familiar with Lynskey, the short-and-sweet of it is that they are the titanium bicycle pioneers who founded Litespeed in 1986 and later sold the company in 1999. They’re back in the bicycle building business now making some really sweet looking stock and custom bikes. But I digress…I’m not writing about Lynskey now. I’m writing about what it’s like to be presented with a blank slate and to be told, “Pick whatever you want. Anything goes.”

Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Well, yes, it is. I’ve been told that the sky’s the limit as far as components go. And I know pretty much exactly what I want. But when it comes to bike fit, that’s where my assignment gets a little intimidating. Coming from outside the bicycle industry I never really had much knowledge of bicycle geometry and fit. I’d throw a leg over a bike and take it for a spin. If it felt right, the bike fit me.

Now, having been at Dirt Rag for almost 2 years, I’ve learned a lot more about frame design than I ever imagined and I think I can actually have an intelligent conversation about bicycle geometry. That said, talk is cheap. I need to decide what head tube angle is right for me on this dream bike – not to mention all the other critical measurements.

Luckily Jamie Pillsbury at Lynskey Performance has been working with me to help figure out all the important details. He says their goal is to not only build a bike that fits me, but also fits my riding style and where I ride. My bike only exists on paper now, and I’m told that once we hammer out all the details it should be ready in a month or so. Just in time for prime riding season! I’ll be checking in with updates on our blog and keep your eyes open later on this summer for my review of the Lynskey Performance Pro29.