Kinesis Racelight TK2 v Ribble Winter/Audax

williamac
williamac Posts: 71
edited March 2010 in Road buying advice
Am looking at the above 2 bikes through C2W (so am restricting spend to £1000-£1300) Whilst I can get the Ribble with higher spec equipment cheaper am leaning more towards the Kinesis (as I can test ride it and get a proper fit through Epic).

Anyone have any thoughts/experience of both (or suggest others at a similar price - am looking for flexibility so dont want an out and out race machine)

William

Comments

  • da goose
    da goose Posts: 284
    Hi,
    Had the kinesis for 2 stout years of winter/wet roads training.
    Performed well without a hitch...as a lighter rider frame a tad harsh...heavier riders probably wouldn`t notice this.
    Paintwork was really bad though and despite good tlc care it appeared to crack away from the frame and hadn`t been treated well on the bare metal in order the outer layers adhered etc.
    Wouldn`t buy one again unless this was sorted....
  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    I've got a Kinesis TK with Shimano 105 which I use for everything road related as its my only road bike. I bought it because, as it would be used for commuting amongst other things, I wanted a bike that could take proper mudguards however I also wanted something that would look, feel and respond like a proper road bike so didn't want a Dawes Galaxy or similar. The Kinesis fits the bill well. I bought it from Epic and have nothing but good things to say about their service and like you mentioned you'll get a proper bike fit and test ride as well.
  • careful
    careful Posts: 720
    Dont know too much about the Ribble - I think there is limited mudguard clearence. My Tk has been through two winters and is a brilliant winter or all round do anything bike that retains a responsive sporty feel. I did chip the paint near the BB but managed to get a free pot of touch up direct from Kinesis. Also, Epic Cycles - great!!
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    @ twotyred. Bloody hell, I had to check twice to make sure I'd not posted this. It describes my experience exactly, so I've copied / pasted / edited it to suit. Hope you don't mind.

    I've got a Kinesis TK with Shimano 105 which I use for everything road related as its my only road bike. I bought it because I wanted a bike that could take proper mudguards, but would still look, feel and respond like a proper road bike. The Kinesis fits the bill well. I bought it from Epic and have nothing but good things to say about their service and like you mentioned you'll get a proper bike fit and test ride as well.

    Despite 2 winters the only problem with the paintwork is self-inflicted; I split the chain to insert a missing link, and failed to keep hold of both ends. The rear mech whipped the chain back around the seatstay and took out a few chunks of top coat.

    Emailed Kinesis and got a little tube of touch up paint free in the next post. How's that for service!
  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    Cheers keef. There must be a lot of us out there with these requirements so its strange there are only a couple of manufacturers who offer what we're looking for.

    To the OP. Something else for you to think about would be either a Planet X Kaffenback or Uncle John. I believe the Kaffenback is a bit lardy but I was seriously considering the Uncle John but in the end went for the Kinesis as its more road specific and I knew I'd get a bike fit from Epic.
  • freebs
    freebs Posts: 199
    Got the Kinesis as a commuter. Recommended. I chipped the paint on the BB breaking the chain (my own fault) and will be emailing for a touch up!! Great bike.
  • morrisje
    morrisje Posts: 507
    I've got a Kinesis TK. Does the job well, infact I prefer it to my summer carbon bike. The only thing to note is that it has more racey shape rather than an audex/tourer one. Quite a low front end and long top tube.

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