Kinesis t2 and Tifosi CK7 owners

supercyril

I am currently deciding which winter frame to attach all my spares too and i am struggling with choosing the best frame for my needs. As both the frames listed are sold mostly as frame only there are no dealers anywhere near me with either built up for me to try so i am reduced to staring at geometry charts for help.
I am 5'8" with a 31" inside leg and i am currently riding a M Ribble Grand fondo (comfortable no issues or niggles).
The Kinesis T2 recommends a 54cm frame for my height but the top tube is 20mm longer than my Ribble which has a 100mm stem.
The Tifosi on the other hand has a frame which is sized as small with almost identical geometry to my current bike but i am concerned about the fact it is a sized as a small.
Can any owners shed some light on which frame would suit me or what size they have?

Thanks

Chris

keef66

I'm 5'6" with a 31" inside leg and ride a racelight Tk. I was fitted by Epic Cycles and have ended up with a 52 and an 80mm stem because the 54 was just too much of a stretch.

Your extra height might mean the 54 would be OK for you.

No idea about the Tifosi.

Wooliferkins

Kinesis are longer in the top tube than other frames. My geometry is very rusty but the seat tube and steerer angles are slightly different for the same wheelbase (comparing my colleagues CK7 against the Kinesis geometry table) I would get properly measured, take the two charts and see which suits you most

tonye_n

I ride a kinesis tk2 which is the same geometry as the t2.
I would say that the size 54 would be absolutely too long in the top tube for you.

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/wp-conten ... _LoRes.pdf
You will see from the information in the above link that the size 52 has a top tube(actual) of 54.4cm. Size 54 has a top tube of 55.6

I am dead on 5'8"(32 inseam) and my tk2 is size 52. And I have had to reduce the stem length from 10cm to 9cm because I was too stretched. If you allow for the fact that you torso is slightly longer than mine(due to your slightly shorter legs) I would suggest that you still will be stretched on anything bigger than a 54.4 top tube.

Size 52 on a kinesis racelight is a size 54 on any other bike. Kinesis seem to use the length of the seat tube as the notional size rather than the length of the top tube. Rather like what Giant Bicycles do as well.

supercyril

Ok thanks.
I think you are right, it will have to be a 51.
What a nightmare it is finding a suitable winter frame. I wish these Chinese dudes would start making some ebay specials with eyelets and clearance for guards!

sacredhart

I am 5'10.
I want to order a T2. Not sure on the sizing. Kinesis recommends their '57' which has a 56.8 top tube, but the geo of the '54' with its 55.6mm top tube looks more like it.

Any thoughts on this from Kinesis owners?
Cheers

bondurant

I'm the same height as you and got the 54. The size up would definitely have been too big.

Bordersroadie

supercyril wrote:

I am 5'8" with a 31" inside leg

Me too, I also bought a T2 a year or so ago.

I got a 51cm frame and even then the top tube is too long to the extent that I fitted a 90 stem to get the same position as my other bikes each of which have 100 and a "normal" length top tube.

It's the ideal size although the head tube is short (115mm) so even with a decent saddle to bar drop there's a few spacers in there.

cycleclinic

You should be O.K on the small but medium may work better. If you are near suffolk I have a small frame!

Pick a frame by the virtual top tube length rather than C-T seat tube. In fact use both. If the small CK7 geometry is very close to your current bike then it will work fine. I find the size names very unhelpful to the point of being useless/confusing.