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  • Why would I want it lower? I think it just clears the seatstays so side-light should be ok but whatevs.

  • Greetings, folks.

    I've been speccing up a custom bike build, and settled on the Kinesis Racelight 4S disc as the host frameset.
    The dilemma that I'm currently facing is that I'm not sure whether to go for the 54cm or 55.5cm frame. I am able to arrange a test ride, but that looks like it wont happen for about 4 weeks.

    Other than being patient, I have a couple of other options to consider...

    1. Find somebody in Sussex/surrey, (or the Bromley/Biggin Hill area) with a 54cm or 55.5cm built up bike, who is willing to let me throw a leg over it.
    2. Be a bit more scientific about the measuring, using my current bike as a guide.

    Unless somebody can help with #1, I wonder if @dancing james (or anybody else) could offer some advice about measuring 'stack and reach', as mentioned in this other thread, which I don't want to hijack any further?

    Thanks.

  • Kinesis has one of the most inconsistent stack and reach approach. In general they are long and low i.e. quite race geometry.

    Whats your current bike?

    This is helpful:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfx3LqsCFSA

  • If you've got a big ruler or a tape measure and something that'll give you a straight line perpendicular to the ground, you should be able to measure stack and reach, i think.

    This might help.

    Important to measure stack and reach of your current frame rather than right to your bars, to ensure you're comparing apples to apples.

    Have you confirmed what model and size frame you currently have? If so, have you got a geo chart for it?

  • @amey & @TurtleRecall - Have looked for a geo chart for my current bike (an inherited Wilier Triestina Lavaredo) but could only find one by loose association, on Google images.
    As I still have the bike, however, I can do the measurements myself - now that I understand stack and reach.
    Will do some more measurements tonight.

    Thanks for the pointers, they've clarified a few things.

  • No problem - one thing to look out for is if your old bike has external headset cups, add those as part of the headtube length measurement, as the kinesis has integrated headset.

  • Frame reach = 425mm
    Frame stack = 551mm
    So, the 54cm Kinesis is a lot more relaxed than my current bike, being 391.2mm & 558.6mm - this suits me, as I'm definitely no racing whippet and find that a more upright position makes breathing easier.
    Will probably help me to get on the drops more often, too.

  • Having said that, the reach on all of the Kinesis sizes are less than my current bike, so I'm just as confused as before.

  • Are you measuring reach on your current bike to the bars? The kinesis measurements will be to the top of the head tube.

  • No - definitely to the centre of the top of the head tube. Where the red/white sections meet...


    1 Attachment

    • IMG_20160831_222424.jpg
  • Weird. So you're measuring reach horizontally back from centre of top of head tube to directly above the bottom bracket?

  • Yes, and looking at the geometry figures for other bikes, it doesn't seem to make sense.

  • Yeah, that's boggling my mind a bit. You're not measuring back to seat tube itself are you? Just to directly above BB.

  • Yes - to above the crank axle

  • How long is top tube?

  • 540mm - centre of seat tube to centre of head tube.

  • Actual or virtual horizontal?

  • Hmm, well I'm all out ideas. I don't have my kinesis here to measure but my 64cm Deda track bike is (roughly) 410mm reach. It seems really very unusual that your bike would have such long reach, or I guess such a super-steep seat tube, as it seems the vast majority of your top tube is in front of the BB... I'd be tempted to ignore that then and look at length of headtube and fork and then compare top tube length (taking seat tube angle in to account). That should give you a rough idea!

  • I think I need to sleep on it - and probably wait 4 weeks ;)

  • Did you use a spirit levels to ensure the distance from centre of bottom bracket to centre of headtube is correct?

    Also, if the bike is leaning against the wall, it can throw it off slightly, and lastly, an uneven surface can throw it off noticably.

  • Found the original geometry chart, not much info to create a virtual stack and reach unfortunately;

    Seat tube; 48cm
    Top tube; 54,50cm
    Seat tube angle; 74° 30’
    Head tube length; 147mm
    Chainstay length; 405mm
    Head tube angle;71° 30’

    I did find the Wilier a little long, but can't be 425mm long!

  • Thanks for the extra info, @edscoble - apart from the angles (which I won't even begin to attempt to measure) - they correlate with what I've measured this morning.
    Several measuring sessions - with the aid of a laser line - resulted in a reach of nearer to 400mm (not sure how I got 425 last night)

  • For what it's worth, here is a summary of the information that I've compiled so far...


    1 Attachment

    • lfgssDimensions.png
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Kinesis Owners

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