Kinesis T2 V3

wotnoshoeseh

Hi,

I'm looking for a little info on the new Kinesis T2 V3 frames, if anyone has one.

I was poised to pull the trigger on one of the above, but I have a colleague who bought a Crosslight last year, and he has said that the paint quality on the CrossLight was terrible - 2 rides and paint had been removed from the bike. I've read plenty of reviews on here of Kinesis products 4S, T2 etc. but had never heard anyone complain about paint finish quality. Has anyone else had similar issues?

It's to be used as a winter bike, and will have the Kinesis DC07 fork, some hand built H Plus Son Archetypes and either a 105 or Ultegra groupset, and full 'guards.

Any / all input & advice gratefully received, including sources for a cheap groupset, and the correct headset for it.

Thanks in advance,
D

bondurant

Kinesis are known for chucking on the paint. I'm surprised by your colleague's impression, I would think it is an anomaly.

wotnoshoeseh

Cheers Bon.

Anyone else have any thoughts to add?

londoncommuter

Sorry for the sidetrack but what size are you after and have you any thoughts on the geometry? I'm looking at the GF V3 which has pretty much the same and I'm agonising over the stack height.

With the longer forks and largish head tube the stack is pretty high on a 54cm but is it crazy to downsize to a 51cm to try and keep a racy front end? The reach is pretty much the same on both but it seems a bit mad to get a 51 in my case at 5'8''.

Kinesis and a shop I popped into both seem more concerned with having a longer ETT on the larger model but I'm not sure that's relevant as the correct position over the bottom bracket should be the same with either so you'd just compensate for the slacker seat tube angle on the 54cm with pushing your saddle forward.

Don't seem to be able to test ride these anywhere so you're buying blind.

Is it just unrealistic expecting to be able to replicate a racy carbon frame position on a "comfort bike" that can take proper mudguards?

wotnoshoeseh

Steve,

I'm looking at a 57 which correlates pretty closely (I think) to my 2012 Felt F4. Geometry here..http://2012.feltracing.com/USA/2012/Road/F-Series/F4.aspx

It should be pretty close to my Felt, maybe a little taller, so little or no stack height on the T2 - but with the ability to fit mudguards.

londoncommuter

Is it a 58cm Felt you've got? So you'd be gaining 15mm of stack and so would have to be running at least that of spacers at the moment to keep the same position? You'd also have 16mm less of reach, were you planning on a shorter stem?

What are your thoughts on the handling with the longer chainstays?

Pretty sure you can go mad looking at geometry charts.....

wotnoshoeseh

Nope a 56 Felt.

Kinesis figures first...
Reach 395.6 vs. 397
Stack 584 vs. 548.

So effectively 1mm. shorter reach and 36 mm. more stack. So, a little more upright and no spacers - should work out fine?

Although, now that you mention it, maybe the 54 with a longer stem??

indyp

I have a T2 with DC07 fork which I use as a winter bike and the paint is fine. I suppose if comparing it with my Salsa then it's not as good but for the price can't complain.

londoncommuter

wotnoshoeseh wrote:

Nope a 56 Felt.

Kinesis figures first...
Reach 395.6 vs. 397
Stack 584 vs. 548.

So effectively 1mm. shorter reach and 36 mm. more stack. So, a little more upright and no spacers - should work out fine?

Although, now that you mention it, maybe the 54 with a longer stem??

That's my point really, you end up downsizing one to compensate for the stack. Is that wise though? The (very sensible) guy in the shop today thought I was mad considering a 51cm which I'd need to avoid adding 15mm to my current set up.

wotnoshoeseh

Okay, so as you read across, you will read the measurements based upon Felt, Kinesis 54 & Kinesis 57
ST c-c 492 490 520
ST c-t 540 540 570
TT 547 547 559
TT eff 560 556 568
HT 140 150 175
Stack 538 558.3 583.9
Reach 397 390.7 395.6

So based upon this I should be looking at the 54, and not the 57? Or else my Felt is too small (which it isn't)?

Bordersroadie

Just to chip in....

My T2 with DC07 fork has done four Scottish winters (and some wet summer days too, haha!) and is showing little wear as far as paintwork goes. I try to touch in deep chips but the paint looks pretty thick as frames go.

It's quite a long (top tube) racy frame, geometry wise, with a fairly short wheelbase and toe overlap but the latter has never been a problem. I'm 5'8" and ride a 51cm. It's the oldest version with a really short head tube - the later models increased its height.

As a winter bike it's hard to beat - comfy on 25c, plenty of space for full SKS guards, really stable on fast downhills, reasonably lightweight....cheap.

wotnoshoeseh

Thanks BR for the feedback.

The fact that you are 5'8" and ride a 51 makes me think harder about the sizing. I'm thinking, based on the geometry figures, that the 54 is probably better suited to me; but there's a nagging doubt.
I'm 5'11" by the way with a 34" inseam.

londoncommuter

Sorry to have contributed to this!

Kinesis's guide and the shop yesterday swore I should be on a 54cm at 5'8'' so on that basis you shouldn't be. But when we both look into the numbers it does seem you have to drop one size to get a "normal" fit. Is it just we're comparing apples and oranges with the Felt/Boardman and winter/comfort frames and you shouldn't try and get the same position?

Bordersroadie

I agree with you guys that we should seek the same set up on all our bikes if possible.
I'm a 32" inseam by the way and fitted a 90mm stem to get the same position as my other bikes.

londoncommuter

Bordersroadie wrote:

I agree with you guys that we should seek the same set up on all our bikes if possible.
I'm a 32" inseam by the way and fitted a 90mm stem to get the same position as my other bikes.

Did you manage to try a 54cm at all?

IShaggy

I've just completed a 4S build with a 54. I'm 6'1".

But, I'm from mountain stock so have short (32") legs. I require a 3cm set-back on the seat, and wanted at least a 10cm seat to handlebar drop. I have a 13cm stem slammed, and the fit is near perfect. BTW, I also have an Aithein which I love to bits. It's a 53.

The point I'm trying to make is that size is very much individual, and it's worth exercising the measuring tape and doing your homework to make sure.

Bordersroadie

londoncommuter wrote:

Bordersroadie wrote:

I agree with you guys that we should seek the same set up on all our bikes if possible.
I'm a 32" inseam by the way and fitted a 90mm stem to get the same position as my other bikes.

Did you manage to try a 54cm at all?

I didn't, but I knew that the top tube would be too long on a 54.

IShaggy has it spot on, we're all different shapes and sizes and it can take some working out with a tape measure, and an existing bike, to obtain the optimum setup.

wotnoshoeseh

Bordersroadie wrote:

londoncommuter wrote:

Bordersroadie wrote:

I agree with you guys that we should seek the same set up on all our bikes if possible.
I'm a 32" inseam by the way and fitted a 90mm stem to get the same position as my other bikes.

Did you manage to try a 54cm at all?

I didn't, but I knew that the top tube would be too long on a 54.

IShaggy has it spot on, we're all different shapes and sizes and it can take some working out with a tape measure, and an existing bike, to obtain the optimum setup.

Or with a fitter?

This has got me more confused now. I was quite happy to order the 57, but I think I need to revisit and have a think.

BTW - Anyone got any input on the paint finish??

wotnoshoeseh

Right,
I need to make a call on this. Unfortunately the 54 is out of stock on the site I was buying on, so I think I'm just going to go ahead and order the 57 - which was what I was going to do anyway before I was asked about sizing on this thread.

My original thought of a little more upright and no spacers should be fine.

londoncommuter

Sorry again!

If it helps, I still can't decide between a 51cm and 54cm so you're not the only one suffering....

wotnoshoeseh

Looks like I have a 36 mm stack to the bottom face of the stem from top of head tube on my Felt, and I run the stem pointing upward.
I guess therefore the 57 with no spacers and a stack height of 10mm. - the headset I'm looking at has a 10mm. stack height on top - and running the stem pointed downward (@-6 deg. vs +6 deg.) would probably work for me?

Did some calculations this evening on Excel and yes that looks like pretty much an exact fit for fit - just run the 57 with no spacers, headset stack height of 10mm, and flip the stem over and the totals come out within a mm. or two of each other for the Felt and the T2. It also gives me the advantage of being able to simply flip the stem over to give me a little extra height on the front end if required.

wotnoshoeseh

And now the 57 is sold out....

wotnoshoeseh

57cm ordered.