Kinesis TK3

hugo15
hugo15 Posts: 1,101
edited May 2013 in Road buying advice
Seriously thinking about buying a Kinesis TK3 as a winter trainer / communting bike to replace my aging Raleigh 531 steel framed bike.

Has anyone got at TK3? What do you think? What spec did you go for?
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Comments

  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    Let me tell you now that I don't know the answer to your question. But I am going to get a tk3 frameset (lovely!), and EBay is being scoured daily for second hand 10 speed Campagnolo stuff to hang off it. Just Record shifters in decent nick to go outside of consumables like cassette, chain etc. and some new handbuilts. Ready for winter 2013 is the aim! Goodbye crud guards on cheap CF frame. Goodbye Shimano.
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    I'm also leaning towards a TK3 for winter use, they look great imo, early days for this model though, don't think you'll find many people with one yet.
  • hugo15
    hugo15 Posts: 1,101
    I had a look at the frame and forks in my LBS at the weekend (steel grey colour). It was very very nice. Only problem is that stocks are all sold so it's going to be the new year before my LBS can get one. Going to spec it with Shimano Tiagra and Mavic Aksium wheels. Very excited!!
  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    Have you tried one? Reason I ask is that I have a TK2 and have been very happy with it however I think they've lengthened the head tube in the TK3 to give a more upright "sportive" geometry which, for me, would be too upright. Shame as if anything happened to my TK2 I'd have to look elsewhere for a winter frame.
  • DF33
    DF33 Posts: 732
    I recently bought a t2 frame and carbon fork, really good ride for a winter bike. Same geometry as my CAAD.
    I have to live with a bit of toe overlap though due to the mudguards
    Peter
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    main pull for me is that tapered head tube ....
  • hugo15
    hugo15 Posts: 1,101
    twotyred wrote:
    Have you tried one? Reason I ask is that I have a TK2 and have been very happy with it however I think they've lengthened the head tube in the TK3 to give a more upright "sportive" geometry which, for me, would be too upright. Shame as if anything happened to my TK2 I'd have to look elsewhere for a winter frame.

    I haven't been able to try but the more upright geometry will suit me.
  • 2alexcoo
    2alexcoo Posts: 251
    twotyred wrote:
    Have you tried one? Reason I ask is that I have a TK2 and have been very happy with it however I think they've lengthened the head tube in the TK3 to give a more upright "sportive" geometry which, for me, would be too upright. Shame as if anything happened to my TK2 I'd have to look elsewhere for a winter frame.

    The geometry of the TK2 and TK3 is identical according to Kinesis
    Alex
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    Geo charts on the web suggest that's not the case and twotyred is correct about the headtube length.
  • 2alexcoo
    2alexcoo Posts: 251
    Bondurant wrote:
    Geo charts on the web suggest that's not the case and twotyred is correct about the headtube length.

    Fair enough, I was going by the comments Dom from Kinesis made on this article

    Nice bikes though, I would have been tempted if they hadn't all sold out
    Alex
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    So he does. I wonder which is correct. Here's what I found for TK2:
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Images/sizecharts/kinesis/racelight_tk2.jpg

    And for TK3:
    http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/templates/sigma/images/kinesis-geometry-racelight-.jpg

    54cm frame: headtube 12.5cm TK2, 15cm TK3. Head angle and seat angle remain the same though, as does virtual top tube length.
  • hugo15
    hugo15 Posts: 1,101
    My LBS ordered a TK3 frame for me today in steel grey colour :D

    Going to have to wait until January 2013 for it to be delivered :(
  • freebs
    freebs Posts: 199
    I've got a blue one!! Building it up this weekend!!
  • hugo15
    hugo15 Posts: 1,101
    freebs wrote:
    I've got a blue one!! Building it up this weekend!!

    What build are you going for? Can you post up what you think when you've had chance to ride it?
  • tonye_n
    tonye_n Posts: 832
    edited November 2012
    twotyred wrote:
    Have you tried one? Reason I ask is that I have a TK2 and have been very happy with it however I think they've lengthened the head tube in the TK3 to give a more upright "sportive" geometry which, for me, would be too upright. Shame as if anything happened to my TK2 I'd have to look elsewhere for a winter frame.

    Head tube only increased by 2cm, so hardly 'upright'/sit-up dimensions.
    Unless you currently have the stem on your TK2 slammed down, it is hardly a change that cannot be adjusted to fit.
  • Bordersroadie
    Bordersroadie Posts: 1,052
    hugo15 wrote:
    Seriously thinking about buying a Kinesis TK3 as a winter trainer / communting bike to replace my aging Raleigh 531 steel framed bike.

    Has anyone got at TK3? What do you think? What spec did you go for?

    Hey Hugo, I'd dead jealous! I wanted a TK2/3 for my recent wet weather/commuter build but just couldn't stretch the budget so I got a new 51cm T2 frame in black for just £168, plus a DC07 carbon fork.

    I'm extremely impressed with my T2, very comfortable (I expected harsh after riding 531 for decades!) and responsive. I did masses of research and reckon the TK3 is possibly the ultimate full-mudguard bike. The T2 is a 200g heavier but essentially the same frame with quite sporty geometry so be prepared for toe overlap, not that it's a problem for me.

    As noted, the T2 (and TK2) have quite short head tubes so adding another 2cm would be (to me) a good thing and would hardly put it in the category of "unusually tall head tube". I needed a few spacers above the head tube on mine anyway, so the new TK3 geometry would suit me better in theory.

    You will love it!
  • freebs
    freebs Posts: 199
    hugo15 wrote:
    freebs wrote:
    I've got a blue one!! Building it up this weekend!!

    What build are you going for? Can you post up what you think when you've had chance to ride it?

    Build is predominantly 105 with Ultegra chainset, RS20 wheels, Full mudguards also. Not finished yet (Grrr!). Will let you know when I've ridden it.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Well I have the original Tk and the headtube is fairly short; I have a flipped stem and some spacers to reduce the saddle - bar drop (long legs / short body). I read about the longer headtube on the Tk2 last year, so got the impression that originally the Tk2 just had a different paint job, and more recently the revised geometry.

    It's a lovely year round bike.
  • Rich.H
    Rich.H Posts: 443
    I picked up a TK2 just over a year ago and it has the current geometry - i.e the taller head tube.

    They changed around the time of the 2011 Cycle Show

    Rich
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    What are peoples' thoughts on this? Could this be described as longish reach for a 54cm frame? I'm wondering whether it would be worth sizing down, but the 51cm frame looks pretty tiny for me (177cm).

    "Looking over the geometry it shows that our 54cm frame has a 55.6cm top tube, a good 10-15mm longer than you'd expect"

    From this article: http://road.cc/content/review/72055-kinesis-racelite-tk3
  • gwillis
    gwillis Posts: 998
    I had a tk2 (51cm) and rode it for a few months before realising it was too small imm(173cm) and the 54cm was the correct size .
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Bondurant wrote:
    What are peoples' thoughts on this? Could this be described as longish reach for a 54cm frame? I'm wondering whether it would be worth sizing down, but the 51cm frame looks pretty tiny for me (177cm).

    "Looking over the geometry it shows that our 54cm frame has a 55.6cm top tube, a good 10-15mm longer than you'd expect"

    From this article: http://road.cc/content/review/72055-kinesis-racelite-tk3

    That's the very reason I ended up with the Tk in a 51. Epic fitted me on a 54 but the reach felt too long for me.
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    Cheers both. This needs pondering...
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    How tall are you Keef? If you don't mind me asking...
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    5'6" but with a 31" inseam and a relatively short torso
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    Thanks Keef
  • hugo15
    hugo15 Posts: 1,101
    54cm frames in the steel grey colour will now not be available until February :(
  • Dali D
    Dali D Posts: 4
    gwillis wrote:
    I had a tk2 (51cm) and rode it for a few months before realising it was too small imm(173cm) and the 54cm was the correct size .

    Hi gwillis - this same thing has just happened to me - I've actually just posted about this incidence.

    I got fitted pretty hurriedly for the TK3 a few weeks back and the chap at the BS ordered me a 51 frame.

    (I bought the Kinesis TK3 full bike build)

    I'm 178cm tall with a 30" inseam - I should have received the 54 frame, as confirmed by Dom from Kinesis.

    Can you tell me please if you got the frame changed, as I'm challenging the BS.

    Cheers,

    D
  • bondurant
    bondurant Posts: 858
    For anyone that cares (hmmmmmm) I bought a 54cm frame. I found a fantastic stack and reach calculator that basically showed me that I could get the tk3 setup within a few mm of the bike it was replacing.
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    ... and the link for that is where, exactly?

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