Reviews

Kinesis GF_Ti Disc

Engaging and versatile titanium frame gets disc brake upgrade

Carbon may now rule the roost when it comes to road bikes, but there will always be a place for titanium. Let’s face it, titanium makes for beautiful bikes, but there’s more to Ti than beauty alone. Sure, the Kinesis GF_Ti Disc is a looker, but it’s also a superbly versatile machine ready to provide many happy miles regardless of what you throw at it.

The GF_Ti first launched in 2012 and Kinesis are now onto the third iteration of the frame, which, for 2016, is available in both disc and rim brake versions. The GF_Ti is a frame perfectly-suited to disc brakes – a long-distance machine which will wholly benefit from the increased modulation and reliable all-weather braking performance offered up by discs.

Kinesis have developed a new disc-ready carbon fibre fork for the GF_Ti Disc but otherwise, the frame is largely unchanged, other than that the graphics on the downtube are now laser-etched, while the titanium seatpost clamp has been rotated to protect the bolt from rear wheel spray if you run the frame without mudguards.

The GF_Ti Disc makes a strong case for being the last bike you’ll have to buy for a while

Minimal changes are no bad thing, though. The V2 GF_Ti formed the basis of our winter bike build in 2014 and we were impressed by its sprightly ride quality, confidence-inspiring handling, efficiency and turn of speed.

Up front you’ll find the beautifully-engraved Kinesis badge on the oversized headtube, while the bowed rear stays help the GF_Ti strike the balance between the comfort required for long days in the saddle, and the rigidity required to ensure the bike is capable of standing up to whatever the rider can dish out.

All cable routing is now internal (and compatible with both mechanical and electronic groupsets) and Kinesis have opted to use Shimano’s flat mount disc standard, providing a much cleaner interface between frame and brake.

The frame has stacks of tyre clearance, with 32mm tyres possible without mudguards, and 30mm with. The GF_Ti is a machine perfectly suited to wider tyres, which will provide the comfort and confidence to venture off your normal training loop in search of the unknown. The ‘Go The Distance’ graphic on the frame’s downtube is a perfect snapshot of the GF_Ti’s personality.

Of course, mudguards also help in that regard, and the frame has eyelets for full ‘guards, as well as a rack so it can be called into light touring duty when you really want to venture further afield.

Price: £1,799.99 (frameset)
Website: Kinesis Bikes
UK distributor: Upgrade Bikes

Kinesis sell the GF_Ti Disc as a frameset only for £1,799.99. How you decide to dress the frame comes down to you and that’s one of the joys with a frame like this, constructing your own dream build piece-by-piece.

The ‘bike for life’ tag may be something of a cliché when it comes to titanium but the GF_Ti Disc comes close to fulfilling that promise. It has the classic ride quality of a titanium machine, but with a turn of speed to ensure it’s a thoroughly engaging partner, and with the added versatility that comes with additional tyre clearance and the option of mudguards and a rack. Now it’s also future-proofed in this disc version the GF_Ti Disc makes a strong case for being the last bike you’ll have to buy for a while.