54 | January 2018 | CYCLING PLUS

aintaining its naming

convention, Kinesis

brings us the 4S,

which stands for

four season - an

appropriate moniker for a British-

designed frame, since we often feel

we’ve seen every season in one day.

The Kinesium down-tube goes

from teardrop to an ovalised section

at the BSA threaded bottom bracket

shell, while the top-tube sports an

oversized bulge, increasing its

diameter behind the beefy tapered

head-tube. The seatstays are

relatively slim, and the chainstays

are oversized, but crimped for 28mm

maximum tyre clearance, plus the

KINESIS RACELIGHT 4S DISC £1699.99 › Enjoy some seasonal gains

40mm wide mudguards. There are

also fittings for a Shimano flat-

mount disc brake and a rack.

The full carbon fork has mudguard

eyelets and flat-mount disc fittings

too, but is drilled for a conventional

long drop rim brake calliper, as is the

seatstay bridge, making the 4S

frameset unusually inclusive in

braking terms. Once you’ve bought

the frame, you can spec rim or disc

brakes, we opted for discs. The

advantage of flat mounts is that

if unused, they’re less obtrusive than

post mounts. There are additional

cable and hose routing options

through the top- and down-tubes to

cover all bases, including Di2.

Traditionalists will swear by

double chainrings, but the SRAM

Apex 1 system plus Praxis Works

Alba crank with single 42-tooth ring

is matched to an 11-36 cassette,

giving a range that got us up 20 per

cent climbs and could still be

comfortably spun up to 35mph

down hill. The key with single rings

is to choose gearing to suit your

riding. This worked for us, with no

uncomfortable gaps, and we never

felt we were short of gears.

Helping the drivetrain do its

job, the frameset has length for the

rider who likes space to ride, and a

high pitched zingy resonance at

speed due to its wall thicknesses. It

MSPECIFICATIONWeight 9.15kg

(57cm) Frame Kinesium

Fork Carbon Gears SRAM Apex 1,

42, 11-36 Brakes SRAM Apex

1 hydraulic disc, 160mm TRP rotors

Wheels Kinesis Racelight

700 Disc Finishing kit

Ritchey Comp bar, stem and seatpost, Ritchey WCS saddle,

28mm Vee Rain Runner tyres, Kinesis Fend

Off mudguards

Below The 4S keeps shifting simple with 1x SRAM Apex

Bottom Dropout spacers allow for braking options, ours ran SRAM Apex 1 hydraulic discs

The latest evolution of the Racelight

frameset can run both classical and

modern brakes

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TEST

CYCLING PLUS | January 2018 | 55

really urges you to get on with it,

and is pretty quick when you do, so

would be well suited to riders looking

for a fast winter road trainer. The

handling is precise, and the ride

quality is surprisingly compliant

considering the apparent lack of

tyre volume.

Vee’s 28mm Rain Runner tyres are

new to us, and are fitted to Kinesis’

own 24mm wide Racelight Disc

wheelset, so it was a surprise to find

they measured only 27mm. Running

the same 80psi in relatively narrow

tyres gave a greater impression of

speed on tarmac, although reduced

air volume brings compromises if

leaving it.

Ritchey’s finishing kit is always of

good quality, with smart looks, and

we liked the Logic Curve bar’s deep

drop. The Skyline saddle creaked

constantly between shell and rails,

which is unusual, and something

we’d consider unlucky. Its shape

and support were excellent though.

Toe overlap with the aluminium

Fend Off mudguards wasn’t an

issue, but we would have liked to see

flaps supplied.

The Apex drivetrain works

faultlessly, and with only one shift

paddle to think about, simplifies

gear choices. The brakes, once the

TRP rotors had bedded in, were

strong and well-modulated. The

4S frameset has a positive ride

feel that’s lively but with great

solidity, making it a strong

contender for anyone in need of a

Swiss Army knife of a training bike

that doesn’t lack performance.

The Kinesis

really urges you to get on with it, and is pretty quick when

you do

THE VERDICTRides like a weatherproofed race bike, and has the perfect low maintenance groupset

HIGHSFrame ride feel,

1x drivetrain, road performance

LOWSCreaking saddle, no

mudguard flaps

BUY IFYou want a great frame you can ride with either

rim or disc brakes

FOR A LITTLE MORE

KINESIS TRIPSTER AT £699.99 (Frame only) The Tripster AT offers adventure from a

burly aluminium frame that accepts

mudguards, rack and 700x45mm tyres.

FOR A LITTLE LESS

KINESIS RACELIGHT T3 £269.99 (Frame only) The third gen Racelight frameset offers

a reliable winter or commuting rig,

designed for ’guards and 28mm tyres.

WINTER BIKES

60 | January 2018 | CYCLING PLUS

WINNER Kinesis Racelight 4S Disc › Keeping things simple pays off

he kind of use these

bikes are intended

for can be as basic or

complex as you want.

Whether it’s

commuting, weekend training,

winter miles or venturing off the

beaten track, it’s generally not

competitive . To conquer the very

worst UK riding conditions, a major

consideration has to be reliability.

With £650 between the lowest and

highest priced bikes, it surprised us

how little difference there was in

practical terms. Both the Ribble and

the Condor will manage the same

rides just as well, so it’s about what’s

most important to you.

If the ability to go beyond tarmac

counts, the CGR makes a versatile

option, with a great component

selection for the money. Dolan’s

RDX raises the specification bar, with

new Ultegra and a tidy frame for not

much more cash, before Canyon

knocks it out of the park with a

superbly packaged bike whose only

slight issue could be sizing.

Pinnacle’s Dolomite LTD looks great,

and the inclusion of seriously good

dynamo lights is a selling point that

will appeal to some riders.

The standout performers are the

heaviest and lightest bikes on test.

Condor’s Fratello Disc has so much

life and character that we forgave

having to work harder on the hills,

and the fact our build lacked

hydraulics. It’s a bike that will keep

on giving.

Top of the tree, in this build, may

be controversial. The only bike with a

1x drivetrain, the Kinesis Racelight 4S

Disc is our choice for the ultimate

mudguard-equipped ride. The

simplicity of its single ring harks

back to winters spent on fixed gear

bikes, but now with a range that

shouldn’t limit your riding. Hydraulic

brakes are perfect for the job, but rim

brakes are an option. The frame’s

performance and ride quality make a

versatile bike that doesn’t give much

away to race machines.

The Kinesis is our choice

for the ultimate mudguard-

equipped ride

T

ROAD

TEST

NEXT MONTHDisc brakes, wider rims and fat but fast rolling tyres have transformed what you can expect a road bike to cope with. We test six bikes, from Whyte, Genesis, Specialized, Scott, Sonder and Focus, that roll on enough rubber to survive the worst back roads into work or into the wild, but are still fast enough to be fun to ride all year round.

CYCLING PLUS | January 2018 | 61

WINTER BIKES

RIBBLE CGR £1199

DOLAN RDX £1593.94

CANYON INFLITE SLX AL 9.0 £1649

KINESIS RACELIGHT 4S DISC £1699.99

PINNACLE DOLOMITE LTD £1700

CONDOR FRATELLO DISC £1825

Size tested L 56cm M 57cm L 55cm

Sizes available S, M, L, XL 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60cm

XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL 45.5, 48, 51, 54, 55.5, 57, 60, 63cm

S, M, L, XL 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64cm

Weight 10.19kg 9.85kg 9.27kg 9.15kg 10.03kg 10.61kg

Frame 7005 Series aluminium 7005 triple-butted aluminium

Canyon Infite AL Smooth weld Kinesium tubing

6061-T6 double- and triple-butted alloy

Custom Columbus Spirit triple-butted steel

Fork Aluminium steerer, carbon blades

Dolan fat-mount disc, full carbon

Canyon F21 One One Four SL Disc

Kinesis Tracer carbon Carbon, 12mm thru-axle

Condor Pioggia Disc carbon

Frame alignment Head-tube good, fork dropouts and rear dropouts perfect

Head-tube, fork dropouts and rear dropouts perfect

Head-tube, rear droputs and fork dropouts good

Head-tube good, fork dropouts and rear dropouts perfect

Head-tube good, fork dropout and rear dropouts perfect

Head-tube perfect, fork dropouts and rear dropouts good

TRANSMISSION

Chainset Shimano 105 50/34 Shimano Ultegra 8000, 50/34

Rotor 3D30, 52/36 Praxis Works Alba, Wave Technology 42t

Shimano 105, 50/34 Shimano 105, 52/36

Bottom bracket Shimano 105 BB5800 Shimano 105 BB5800 Rotor press-ft BSA BSA BSA

Cassette Shimano 105 11-28 Shimano Ultegra 11-28 Shimano 105 11-32 SRAM PG1170 11-36 Shimano 105 11-32 Shimano 105 11-28

Chain Shimano HG X11 Shimano HG X11 Shimano HG601 SRAM PC1170 KMC X11 Shimano HG500

Derailleurs Shimano 105 Shimano Ultegra 8000 Shimano Ultegra SRAM Apex 1 Shimano 105 Shimano 105

Gear levers Shimano RS505 hydraulic

Shimano RS505 hydraulic

Shimano RS685 SRAM Apex 1 Shimano RS685 hydraulic

Shimano 105

WHEELS

Front and rear Fulcrum Racing Sport DB

Mavic Ksyrium Elite Disc Allroad

DT Swiss PR 1850 Spline DB

Kinesis Racelight 700 Disc

Alex Draw 1.9s, SP dynamo hub (f), Novatec (r)

Mavic Aksium One Disc

Tyres Continental Gatorskin, 28mm

Continental Gatorskin, 28mm

Continental Grand Prix 4000S II, 28mm

Vee Tyre Rain Runner, 28mm

Schwalbe Pro One, 28mm

Continental Gatorskin, 28mm

Wheel weight F 1.5kg R 2.02kg F 1.47kg R 1.85kg F 1.42kg R 1.83kg F 1.32kg R 1.87kg F 1.66kg R 1.81kg F 1.55kg R 2.01kg

COMPONENTS

Stem Deda Zero 2 alloy Deda Zero 100 alloy Canyon V13 Ritchey Comp alloy Pinnacle Road alloy Deda Zero 1

Handlebar Deda RHM02 alloy Deda Zero 100 alloy Canyon H17 Ergo AL Ritchey Comp Logic Curve

FSA Omega alloy Deda RHM01

Headset Sportive Racing 1 1/8–1 ½in

Alpina F35 1 1/8–1 ½in Acros The Clamp FSA FSA Orbit C-40 1 1/8–1 ½in

1 1/8in integrated

Saddle Selle Italia X1 X-Cross Selle Italia X1 X-Cross Selle Italia X1 Ritchey WCS Skyline Pinnacle Race Mens Brooks Cambium

Seatpost Carbon wrapped alloy Alpina aluminium Canyon S23 VCLS CF Ritchey Comp alloy Pinnacle aluminium Condor Strada alloy

Brakes Shimano RS785 hydraulic disc, Tektro 160mm rotors

Shimano RS505 hydraulic disc, Aztec 140mm rotors

Shimano RS785 hydraulic disc, 160mm rotors

SRAM Apex 1, TRP 160mm rotors

Shimano RS805 hydraulic disc, 160mm/140mm rotors

TRP Spyre mechanical disc, 160mm rotors

RibbleCockpit 72.5cm Standover 83.5cm BB height 29cmFork ofset 4.25cmTrail 6.7cm

KinesisCockpit 71.5cm Standover 80cm BB height 28cmFork ofset 4.5cmTrail 6.1cm

101cm

50.5cm

72.5˚74˚

42cm

56cm

102cm

47cm

72˚74˚

43cm

55.5cm

101cm

52cm

73.5˚73.5˚

42.5cm

55cm

102cm

51cm

72˚73˚

43cm

56.5cm

100.5cm

51cm

73˚74˚

41cm

56cm

101.5cm

50cm

73˚74.5˚

42.5cm

55cmDolan Cockpit 72cm Standover 81.5cm BB height 28cm Fork ofset 4.25cm Trail 6cm

PinnacleCockpit 69cm Standover 76.5cm BB height 26.5cmFork ofset 4.5cmTrail 6.1cm

Canyon Cockpit 69cm Standover 80cm BB height 27.5cmFork ofset 4cmTrail 6.3cm

CondorCockpit 70.5cm Standover 80.5cm BB height 27cmFork ofset 4.5cmTrail 6.1cm